How Matthew McConaughey’s 5-Word Response Sank His ‘Titanic’ Audition

In a recent excerpt from Titanic producer Jon Landau's forthcoming posthumous memoir, The Bigger Picture, Landau opened up about Matthew McConaughey's audition for James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster.

In the excerpt—shared in Matt Belloni’s What I’m Hearing newsletter on August 5—Cameron allegedly asked McConaughey to try a different accent during the audition, but the actor declined. The producer said this decision ultimately led to Leonardo DiCaprio landing the role instead.

“We brought him in to do a scene with Kate. You want to check for chemistry, not just how people look on film but how they interact,” said Landau in his memoir. He added, “Kate was taken with Matthew, his presence and charm. Matthew did the scene with the drawl.”

During the audition, McConaughey reportedly spoke his lines using his signature Southern accent.

"That's great," director Cameron said to McConaughey, who grew up in Texas. Cameron then asked if the actor could, "Try it a different way."

According to Landau, McConaughey, 55, challenged the director by replying, "No. That was pretty good. Thanks."

“Let's just say, that was it for McConaughey,” wrote Landau as he summarized the exchange in his memoir.

The internet has expressed relief that the Wedding Planner actor didn't receive the role of Jack Dawson, which ultimately went to DiCaprio in what has been one of his most iconic roles to date.

"He would have been so wrong for the role even if he did lose the accent," said one commenter on Reddit. Another person added, "There’s an innocent and a vulnerability with Leo in the movie that Matthew didn’t have, Matthew would’ve had the air of smugness and arrogance that wouldn’t have worked for Jack."

Regardless of the Titanic story, McConaughey has built a highly successful career, including winning an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club in 2014. Though his Southern accent is a well-known trademark, the actor has been able to tone it down for several roles, such as the Buster Moon character in the Universal Pictures movie Sing.