Titanic Cast & Character Guide
James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster includes a stellar cast playing some timeless fictional characters and a few real-life historical personalities.
The Titanic cast includes a slew of Oscar-winners along with many other accomplished characters actors. The dramatic acting complements director James Cameron’s technical brilliance to make Titanic one of the most successful movies of all time. The period romantic drama fictionalizes the sinking of the titular ship in 1912 and the events preceding the disaster. The 11-time Oscar winner also goes on to explore themes like class differences and capitalistic greed apart from the central romance between its lead characters, Rose and Jack. The iconic protagonists made both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio household names, paving the way for them to appear in many more acclaimed blockbusters.
As for the rest of the SAG Award-nominated ensemble, the 1997 movie boasts equally talented acting veterans who shine in their parts even with limited screen time. Titanic proved to be a career-high for all of its cast members given the movie’s massive box-office success. Titanic was the highest-grossing film of all time until 2010, and the cast and characters continue to dominate popular culture thanks to the numerous theatrical re-releases that Cameron has pushed for. Here is a guide to the Titanic cast, which characters they play, and what else they’re known for, before and since.
Kate Winslet As Rose DeWitt Bukater
Rose is a 17-year-old from Philadelphia who is being forced into marrying a 30-year-old aristocrat so that her mother can maintain their high-class status. Ever since Rose’s father died, her family has been ridden with debt. But for the dreamy, adventure-seeking heroine, this marriage isn’t the solution. Her appreciation for art and adventure-seeking spirit eventually lead to her meeting her lover, Jack. Partially based on the real-life artist Beatrice Wood, Rose is played by Kate Winslet, who earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her Titanic performance. Winslet’s other iconic roles include Mare Sheehan in the series Mare of Easttown and Clementine Kruczynski in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Leonardo DiCaprio As Jack Dawson
Also leading the Titanic cast is Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack. He is a poor orphan from Wisconsin, but his lively nature encourages him to travel all over the world. Despite his financial difficulties, he is a gifted artist, as is evident from his sketch of Rose aboard the Titanic. When he and Rose fall in love, their social differences pose a challenge, yet in a truly Shakespearean manner, they continue falling for each other. DiCaprio’s stardom received a major boost with Titanic, which he followed up with acclaimed performances in Inception, The Aviator, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Revenant, for which he won an Oscar.
Billy Zane As Caledon Hockley
Caledon “Cal” Hockley is the 30-year-old socialite and an heir of a Pittsburgh steel empire who is intent on marrying Rose despite her disinterest. His antagonistic tendencies come out from his extremely possessive nature over Rose and how he looks down upon anyone who’s not as rich as him. Originally, Matthew McConaughey was to join the Titanic cast as Cal, but the role eventually went to Billy Zane. The American actor is otherwise famous for playing the titular superhero in The Phantom, the villain Hughie in Dead Calm, Biff’s goon, Match, in the Back to the Future franchise, and John Wheeler in Twin Peaks.
