Why Claire Danes Has ‘Zero Regrets’ About Turning Down a Movie With Leonardo DiCaprio
Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio mastered their roles in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. And shortly after filming, both actors were offered a part in James Cameron’s Titanic.
While this was the role that made DiCaprio the A-list celebrity that we all know him as today, Danes was sure that she didn’t want to take on the part of Rose. According to the Homeland actor, she has “zero regrets” about not starring in a second film with Leonardo DiCaprio. Keep reading to find out why.
Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio reportedly didn’t get along on set
According to several reports, Danes and DiCaprio weren’t exactly the best of friends on set. Sources claim that DiCaprio was quite the prankster behind the scenes, and Danes wasn’t amused with his jokester antics. Despite DiCaprio being 21 at the time while Danes was 17, she was the one who found him immature. Meanwhile, reports claim that DiCaprio found her to be “too uptight.”
Still, despite these reports, they had nothing but kind things to say about each other in interviews released by Entertainment Tonight.
DiCaprio said, “Claire Danes is the most fantastic young actress I’ve ever come across. She’s a ball of emotion, a powerhouse, as I like to put it. It was great to work with her. She’s really able to feed you what you need.”
“He’s brilliant,” Danes gushed. “I mean, he’s actually amazing at what he does. And he’s one of the most interesting and smart people I’ve ever met. I’ve had a really good time working with him and learning about him as a person. He’s a really good guy, and I respect him a lot.”
Claire Danes was heavily considered for the role of Rose in ‘Titanic’
The Romeo + Juliet actors were initially considered to play Jack and Rose in Titanic. But Danes knew for a fact that she didn’t want to star in a second film alongside DiCaprio again. Another factor is that it would be another romance film, and Danes felt as though she would be repeating herself.
According to Vanity Fair, she said, “Honestly, I’d just made this romantic epic with Leo in Mexico City [Romeo + Juliet], which is where they were going to shoot Titanic, and I just didn’t have it in me.”
Claire Danes didn’t want the fame that she knew would come from ‘Titanic’
Danes also chose not to star in Cameron’s movie because she didn’t want all the fame that would come from Titanic. Before it was even cast, everyone in Hollywood knew how much of a smash hit the film would become.
She said, “I remember after that movie came out, and DiCaprio just went into another stratosphere. I went to the premiere of The Man in the Iron Mask (DiCaprio’s first release after Titanic), and when he walked into the room, the floor fell in his direction. Everybody in the room went toward him. It was a little scary. I think I may have sensed I was courting that. And I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t want it.”
And when asked if she had any regrets about not starring in the film, Danes shook her head. “Zero regret,” she said. “I was just really clear about it and I wasn’t conflicted. I wasn’t.”
