Jack Dawson might have drowned with the Titanic, but his iconic character is here to stay, even after 26 years of the movie’s release. Before the talented Leonardo DiCaprio came on board as the protagonist, Titanic’s director James Cameron offered the role to Johnny Depp. Why did Depp turn down such a career-defining role? Let’s find out.

Johnny Depp Could Have Been Jack Dawson In Titanic

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp is a widely popular and beloved actor in Hollywood. With his ability to fully transform for a role and emulate the personality vividly on screen, he has won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, while being nominated for three Academy Awards and two BAFTA awards.

Another achievement that could have been to his name is the film Titanic by James Cameron in 1997. The timeless classic movie has been a favorite for numerous fans as it put Leonardo DiCaprio on the map.

However, Depp turned down the role when Cameron offered him because he thought the movie was boring and laborious.

A love story between two strangers who meet aboard a ship that is destined to drown may not sound so good on paper. But the movie went on to do unbelievably well and shot DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into massive stardom.

Upon receiving the script of the movie, Depp saw it was 180 pages long. He expressed that it was tough to sit through the lengthy script of the movie in comparison to the usual 90-120-page scripts that converted to a movie of two hours.

In a conversation with the host on the Howard Stern Radio in 2001, he said, “I laboured through about 15 pages of Titanic”.

Cast Choices For Titanic

Titanic

The movie went on to become a cult classic, garnering 2.202 billion dollars at the box office. In later years, Depp admitted to regretting the decision and missing out on something huge.

It was also rumored that then couple Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder were to be cast as the leads in Titanic, but they broke up before the filming schedule.

Director James Cameron knew that Jack Dawson was a boring character. Even DiCaprio did not come on board instantly. Cameron said in an interview with People, “He didn’t want to do a leading man. I had to really twist his arm to be in the movie. He didn’t want to do it. He thought it was boring.”

Cameron was convinced that DiCaprio was the man for the role since he was known to adapt the character in a better light.

He made some tweaks to the character and added his flair to Dawson. Cameron added, “It didn’t surprise me, first of all, that he’s made a lot of authentic choices going forward. And secondly, I never doubted his talent.”

Ultimately, we all saw the work and nuance DiCaprio brought to his role as Jack Dawson and made the character come alive.

He went on to be one of the most in-demand actors in the industry. With an artistic flair and a charming zest for life, Jack Dawson became a beloved character in the history of cinema.