Was Madonna Supposed To Star in ‘Titanic’?
Titanic wouldn’t be the magical film that it is without Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Their chemistry is what makes James Cameron’s movie such a classic. Plus, the film gave us one of the sweetest celebrity friendships in Hollywood. But as it turns out, there were a ton of A-list actors who were considered for the roles of Jack and Rose. Madonna was one of them.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are still best friends
Although the film came out over two decades ago, DiCaprio and Winslet are still as close as can be. Don’t believe us? Just ask Winslet. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind actress has gone so far as to call DiCaprio her “closest friend in the world.” Now that’s a true friendship. Meanwhile, DiCaprio says that out of all the actresses in the industry, Winslet is his favorite. The two got incredibly close while filming Titanic.
And according to Rolling Stone, DiCaprio and Winslet would snuggle up under a blanket while discussing incredibly intimate topics. Following Titanic, the besties still go on vacations together and text each other regularly. They even quote lines from Titanic with one another!
But it doesn’t end there. The pair is so incredibly close, that according to reports, DiCaprio walked Winslet down the aisle at her wedding. It turns out, Jack Dawson really meant it when he said he’d “never let go.”
Madonna was considered for the role of Rose in ‘Titanic’
While there were several big-time actresses considered for the role of Rose, director Cameron eventually went with the unknown Winslet. At the time, the actress was a 19-year-old who worked at a sandwich shop. Meanwhile, she was up against the likes of Madonna! But because Winslet was so persistent with Cameron, he eventually decided to take her up for the role.
Other than Madonna, which other actresses were considered for the part of Rose? According to HuffPost, the list includes Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Christina Applegate, Jennifer Connelly, Claire Danes, Geena Davis, Minnie Driver, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Emily Mortimer, Jeri Ryan, Winona Ryder, Tori Spelling, Nicollette Sheridan, Uma Thurman, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Eliza Dushku, Gabrielle Anwar, Rosanna Arquette, Rose Byrne, Gabrielle Carteris, Marguerite Chapman, Amanda Donohoe, and Claire Forlani.
Leonardo DiCaprio was also up against A-list celebrities
At the time, DiCaprio was recognized for his work in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Baz Luhrman’s adaptation of Romeo + Juliet. Yet several other actors were heavily considered by Cameron for the role of Jack Dawson.
It’s tough to picture anyone other than DiCaprio for the part, but here is the list of actors who might have been our Jack Dawson in an alternate universe: Christian Bale, Billy Crudup, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Stephen Dorff, Matthew McConaughey, Chris O’Donnell, River Phoenix, and Macaulay Culkin.
At the end of the day, as much as we adore these other actors, we think the final result with DiCaprio and Winslet is ideal.
