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In 1996, Johnny Depp couldn’t get past the 15th page of a “horrible” script. It was for the biggest movie of all time
Johnny Depp turned down the lead role in *Titanic* after reading about 15 pages of James Cameron’s script, which he called “horrible”. The decision reflected his reluctance in the 1990s to pursue blockbuster stardom, even though he recognised the film was likely to be a huge success.
Leonardo DiCaprio went on to play Jack Dawson in the 1997 film, which became the biggest box-office hit at the time and matched the record for most Academy Awards won by a film, with 11. The article says Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Chris O’Donnell, Christian Bale and Paul Rudd also missed out on the role, while Depp and Billy Crudup rejected it outright.
In short
- Depp read about 15 pages of *Titanic* before turning it down.
- He believed the film would be a huge success.
- Leonardo DiCaprio ultimately played Jack Dawson.
Explained simply
Titanic is a 1997 romantic drama set aboard the passenger ship of the same name, which sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg. The film follows fictional passengers Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, against the real disaster.
Director James Cameron’s film became a major box-office success and won 11 Academy Awards. Its casting is often discussed because several actors were considered for Jack before DiCaprio took the role, including Johnny Depp, whose career at the time was known more for distinctive character roles than blockbuster leads.