Leonardo DiCaprio Had a Stunt Hand in ‘Titanic’
There were many great films released throughout the nineties — and no one movie was bigger than James Cameron’s Titanic. The movie blew away box office records and launched several young stars to fame, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
DiCaprio went on to experience major success after Titanic was released, and these days, he is considered to be one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Although DiCaprio was very involved in every step of the filmmaking process during the making of Titanic, in one particular scene, he had to call in assistance from an unlikely source — which ultimately required the post-production team to work overtime.
‘Titanic’ was a blockbuster action movie
Titanic was released in 1997. It was a highly anticipated film, telling the story of the famed ocean liner that sunk in 1912 after striking an iceberg on its maiden voyage.
While the massive ship provides the backdrop for the movie, the emotional heart of the film is the romance between Jack and Rose, two passengers who are of different social classes. They meet and fall in love on board, much to the chagrin of Rose’s upper-class mother.
Written and directed by James Cameron, Titanic had a major production budget, allowing for incredible special effects, built-to-scale models, and the very best onscreen talent.
Ultimately, Cameron’s faith in his passion project was rewarded, and Titanic was nominated for 14 Academy Awards. To this day, it remains one of Hollywood’s most-loved and most successful films.
In 2017, Titanic was re-released, proving that even after twenty years, it has the same appeal for audiences of all ages and generations.
Leonardo DiCaprio rose to fame in ‘Titanic’
DiCaprio was born in 1974 and acted in television commercials and shows when he was very young. DiCaprio received early acclaim in the 1993 film What’s Eating Gilbert Grape when he portrayed a mentally disabled boy.
A heartthrob by the time he was cast in Titanic, DiCaprio’s work in the film received critical and audience acclaim, and he became a Hollywood megastar. After his appearance in Titanic, DiCaprio went on to appear in a slew of other big-budget productions, including The Aviator, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant, Django Unchained, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
These days, DiCaprio works not only as an actor but as an environmental activist and film producer. He is beloved by millions all around the world, and to many, is the perfect personification of a Hollywood star.
DiCaprio likely owes a lot of his success to Titanic, and to the character of Jack Dawson, the lovable stowaway that he played so well.
Leonardo DiCaprio used a stunt hand in ‘Titanic’
DiCaprio was down to handle some of the more complex stunts in Titanic, including filming in a giant water tank to simulate the sinking of the massive ship. Both DiCaprio and Kate Winslet committed to their roles with the zeal of trained professionals.
However, one stunt required the services of a “stunt hand.” According to Screen Rant, the scene where Jack Dawson sketches a nude Rose proved problematic, because James Cameron, who is an accomplished artist, provided his services for the portion of the scene where Jack is seen drawing.
Still, Cameron is left-handed, while DiCaprio is right-handed. In order to make everything match up appropriately, the post-production team had to work hard to mirror-image the shots. In the end, the scene worked flawlessly, with viewers totally unable to spot any difference between where DiCaprio’s acting ends and Cameron’s sketching begins.
