Though some call it sappy and others say it’s overrated, critics agree that Titanic will forever be one of the most impactful romantic films of all time.
The fictionalized tale of the true sinking of the RMS Titanic made stars out of its main actors, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, and left a lasting legacy on the world of filmmaking. While there’s plenty going on in this movie to keep viewers endlessly entertained, the behind-the-scenes secrets that have been revealed over the years have also been eye-opening!
Since filming wrapped nearly a quarter of a century ago, it has been revealed that Kate Winslet did something quite shocking to Leonardo DiCaprio on their very first day of filming. What did she do on the Titanic set and does she now regret it?
Kate Winslet And Leonardo DiCaprio In ‘Titanic’
It has been nearly 25 years since Titanic hit theatres, and the epic love story is still as popular as ever. Starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, the film tells the story of two young people—Rose from first-class and Jack from steerage—who fall in love on the maiden voyage of the luxury liner ship the Titanic in 1912.
The two characters try to be together against the odds, facing the boundaries of their respective classes and the people who don’t want to see them together. Unfortunately, Rose’s interfering mother and jealous fiancé become the least of their problems when the ship strikes an iceberg halfway to its destination.
The Infamous Portrait Scene In Titanic
Being a film of cinematic brilliance with scenes that are both emotional and action-packed, Titanic has many unforgettable moments. But perhaps the single most infamous scene in the film occurs just after Rose decides that she does love Jack. She asks him to draw her “like one of your French girls,” alluding to the portfolio of sketches he keeps from his travels around the world.
Rose then strips her clothes and poses nude for Jack to sketch her. The drawing he sketches, which shows the diamond necklace she’s wearing, survives more than 80 years underwater and later helps investigators identify Rose.
What Kate Winslet Did To Leonardo DiCaprio On The First Day Of Shooting
Though the nude portrait scene takes place halfway through the film, it was the first scene that the cast and crew shot while makingTitanic. Thus, to try and break the ice, Kate Winslet, who played Rose, decided to flash Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Jack.
“She had no shame with it,” DiCaprio recalls in the official behind-the-scenes book of the film, James Cameron’s Titanic. “She wanted to break the ice a little beforehand, so she flashed me. I wasn’t prepared for that, so she had one up on me. I was pretty comfortable after that.”
The Friendship Between Leonardo DiCaprio And Kate Winslet
Once Winslet and DiCaprio were comfortable with each other, they went on to develop a strong friendship that has stood the test of time. Though their characters are two of pop culture’s most famous lovers, their relationship was strictly platonic.
According to Cheat Sheet, DiCaprio’s frequent pranks on Winslet helped to solidify their friendship. “Grossing Kate out was purely Leo’s job,” reports Billy Zane, who portrayed Rose’s fiancé Cal in the film. “He got really good at it. If he wasn’t rolling back his eyelids, he was making objets d’art out of bodily fluids.”
In an interview with Glamour, Kate Winslet revealed that she is still friends with DiCaprio to this day.
“We found ourselves saying to each other, ‘Can you imagine if the world really knew the stupid things we say?’ I’m not going to tell you what we actually talk about, but yeah, we’re very, very close, and sometimes we do quote the odd Titanic line back and forth to each other because only we can, and we find it really funny.”
Does Kate Winslet Regret The Nude Scene?
While the portrait scene is one of the film’s most unforgettable, Kate Winslet may not have chosen to do it if she had her time again.
“I wish I hadn’t shown so much flesh, but I was young and I knew I had things to prove,” Winslet said of the scene. In an interview in 2012, she told The Sun that she wasn’t going to look at the scene when watching it again.
