Matthew McConaughey Missed Out on Iconic 'Titanic' Role to Leonardo DiCaprio Due to His 'Southern Accent' — as Insiders Claim 'He Refused to Change It'
Matthew McConaughey missed out on the lead role in 'Titanic' because he refused to alter his southern drawl.
Aug. 7 2025, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Matthew McConaughey missed out on an iconic movie role in Titanic over his reluctance to change his southern accent.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the actor, 55, was up for the part of Jack in the blockbuster film, famously played by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Won Over Winslet
Leading lady Kate Winslet was impressed by McConaughey's audition.
And despite winning co-star Kate Winslet's approval, director James Cameron had concerns, especially over his southern drawl.
Titanic producer Jon Landau revealed all about McConaughey's secret audition in a new book about the 1997 movie.
He said: "We brought him in to do a scene with Kate (Winslet). You want to check for chemistry, not just how people look on film, but how they interact.
“Kate was taken with Matthew, his presence, and charm. Matthew did the scene with the drawl.
"'That's great,' said Jim (Cameron). 'Now let's try it a different way.' Matthew said, 'No. That was pretty good. Thanks.' Let's just say that was it for McConaughey."
DiCaprio Scooped Up Role
DiCaprio ended up bagging the role of 'Jack' in the movie blockbuster.
The True Detective star has previously discussed being up for the role of Jack in Titanic in numerous interviews.
In 2019, he claimed his audition "went really well," so much so that he thought he landed the part.
"(It went) well enough where when I left, I was being glad-handed and slapped on the back like, 'This is what we're looking for. You got it,'" he said. "Well enough where you get outside, you call your agent, and you go, 'Oh, I nailed it. This is happening.'"
McConaughey has also denied a rumor that he did get the role, but turned it down. He clarified: "I did not get offered that role. For a while there, I was thinking, 'I've got to find that agent. They're in trouble!' Well, I didn't ever get the offer."
Defying Cameron
McConaughey refused James Cameron's request to screen test using a different accent.
McConaughey's career was already on the rise after he got his big break by landing a supporting role alongside Woody Harrison in the 1993 film Dazed and Confused.
His performance in A Time to Kill (1996) solidified his role as a leading man, but it wasn't until the 2010s that McConaughey arguably reached superstar status.
He became a household name after success in the TV show True Detective, and in films Interstellar and Dallas Buyers Club, which saw him win the Academy Award for Best Actor.
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DiCaprio had a 'negative attitude' when asked to take part in a reading for 'Jack.'
Though DiCaprio wound up playing Jack, he almost lost out on the part, too.
In a 2022, Cameron revealed DiCaprio nearly wasn't cast because he didn't want to do a screen test with Winslet.
He said: "'Oh, I don't read,' Cameron recalled. "I shook his hand and I said, 'Well, thanks for coming by.' He said, 'Wait, wait, wait, you mean if I don't read, I don't get the part, just like that?' And I said, 'Oh, yeah, come on. ... You're going to read or you're not going to get the part.'"
According to Cameron, DiCaprio reluctantly agreed to do the reading with Winslet but had a "negative" attitude about it – "right up until I said action, and then he turned into Jack."
