Why did Matthew McConaughey not get Jack’s role in ‘Titanic’?

Matthew McConaughey almost stepped aboard the Titanic, but his Southern charm may have stood in the way. 

According to a posthumously published memoir by producer Jon Landau, the Oscar-winning actor lost out on the role of Jack Dawson in the 1997 blockbuster because of his unwavering Southern accent.

A preview of the memoir, shared in Matthew Belloni’s What I’m Hearing newsletter, reveals that Kate Winslet, who played Rose, was impressed by McConaughey during the audition. 

Landau wrote, “She was taken with Matthew, his presence and charm.” But despite his appeal, director James Cameron reportedly wasn’t sold.

During McConaughey's screen test, Cameron encouraged him to try a different take. 

“That’s great, now let’s try it a different way,” the director said, according to the memoir. 

McConaughey, however, stood by his performance and replied, “No. That was pretty good. Thanks.” Landau added bluntly, “Let’s just say, that was it for McConaughey.”

The part ultimately went to Leonardo DiCaprio, turning him into a global star. Still, McConaughey’s career hardly suffered, he later went on to earn an Academy Award and star in numerous critically acclaimed films.

McConaughey has previously spoken about that audition, recalling the experience on Rob Lowe’s podcast Literally! with Rob Lowe in 2021. 

“So I went and read with Kate Winslet, and it was not one of the auditions — they filmed it so it was like into screen test time,” he shared. 

“After we left, you know, it was one of those ones where they, like, followed me, and when we got outside, they were like, ‘That went great.’ I mean, kind of, like, hugs. I really thought it was going to happen. It did not.”

Even though he didn’t land the role, McConaughey’s journey has been far from a sinking ship. And now, fans have a little more insight into one of the biggest “what-ifs” in Hollywood casting history.