We know an actor has nailed the role perfectly when their performance is deemed “iconic” and forever imprinted in our minds in such a way that we can’t possibly picture someone else playing the character. Of course, an occupational hazard in filmmaking, actors do turn down or are rejected from famous roles in Hollywood. In the case of Titanic, James Cameron’s original casting choices didn’t materialize, which is how he ultimately settled on Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as Jack and Rose, respectively.
DiCaprio and Winslet’s first meeting on the set of Titanic translated into a years-long friendship and undeniable on-screen chemistry that is fundamental to the film’s success. While the two actors seemed to be the best fit for their respective roles in this timeless love story, the fact is: they weren’t the first choices. Initially, the American socialite and headstrong persona of Rose was supposed to be portrayed by Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow, but she turned down the role. Here’s why Paltrow decided against starring in Titanic.
Kate Winslet’s Career Before Titanic
Today, Winslet is one of the most successful, inspiring, and sought-after actresses in Hollywood, but fame didn’t come to her this easy; it took years of hard work, dedication, and skill to gain her this level of stardom. Winslet was born and brought in a family of actors who encouraged her to pursue it as a professional career. Initially, she started off with smaller roles in stage plays and productions, television shows, and commercials, while also juggling with her other side jobs to earn a living. One of her biggest roles in the early-90s was in the BBC’s Dark Season, where she portrayed Reet. Following her official TV debut, she made appearances in other shows like Anglo-Saxon Attitudes, Get Back, and Casualty.
Winslet’s film debut came with Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures, for which she auditioned among 175 girls. She portrayed Juliet Hume, an outspoken 13-year-old girl who befriends Pauline Parker (Melanie Lynskey); both of them share a troubled past, form a close bond, and soon also develop murderous intentions. Ahead of being cast in Titanic, Winslet had already had experience in period dramas like Sense & Sensibility, Jude, and Hamlet.
Gwyneth Patlrow Almost Cast as Rose
Cameron was aware that Winslet played a couple of notable historical and period drama roles, earning herself the name “Corset Kate.” However, the director didn’t want to make a “lazy” casting choice, which is why he wanted Paltrow to take on the role of Rose Bukater (via GQ). Paltrow, ahead of being considered for the Titanic role, had widespread experience in films spanning various genres, including Se7en, Moonlight and Valentino, Shout, Higher Learning, and Flesh and Bone. She also had experience in period drama pieces, having starred in the Jane Austen adaptation Emma, and James Ivory film Jefferson in Paris.
But why did Paltrow reject the role in what has now become the highest-grossing movie of all time, which could have added immensely to her already rising stardom back in the ’90s? During a 1998 interview, the actress subtly joked about choosing Great Expectations and Sliding Doors over Titanic as she felt the two films had “great characters and stories” and Titanic just had a ship (via The Things). Indeed, at the time, Paltrow had received many scripts, and Sliding Doors particularly stuck out to her for its originality.
Paltrow may have missed out on a massive role, but her career was still bright, as just two years later, she won an Oscar for her lead role in Shakespeare in Love (1998), which is remarkable in and of itself.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Notable Works
The filming of Titanic spanned from July 1996 to March 1997, and it arrived in theaters on December 19, 1997. During these two years, Paltrow had a lot of projects on her plate, consisting of rom-coms and thriller films. The first was Matt Reeves-directed The Pallbearer, which came out in May 1996, in which she starred alongside Friends actor David Schwimmer. In the same year, she was critically acclaimed for bringing to life Austen’s Emma Woodhouse, a naive young lady with an interest in matchmaking who, in the process of bringing love birds together remains tangled in her own feelings.
In early 1997, the principal photography of Sliding Doors began; she portrayed Helen Quilley, a young English lady, who gets to explore two realities, each having a different outcome. Further, she appeared as Estella in the lead role alongside Ethan Hawke’s Finnegan Bell in the adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations. A fun fact is that even Hawke auditioned to play Jack in Titanic, but unfortunately didn’t get the part.
