Random Weird But True Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Set Of 'Titanic' (18 items)

(#4) Leo DiCaprio Ad-Libbed The Whole 'King Of The World' Moment

When Leo DiCaprio stands at the bow of the ship, arms triumphantly outstretched, proclaiming he is "king of the world," it's an enduringly magical movie moment. But DiCaprio's most famous line wasn't in the script at all - he completely improvised it.

Cameron would later reuse the line a bit more self-serving in his Oscar acceptance speech for his directing.
(#15) Cameron Wanted Enya To Score The Movie

Before James Horner joined the crew, Cameron was adamant about Enya scoring the movie. He used her music in the first rough film edits. When Enya turned down his offer, Cameron hired Horner. There's a rumor about Horner, unaware of Cameron initially wanting Enya, using her music as inspiration for his score.
(#9) There Were Wild Cast And Crew Parties - On Sunday Mornings

Danny Nucci, who played Jack's friend Fabrizio, has dished delicious behind-the-scenes secrets about Titanic. One involved wild cast and crew parties - but festivities took place when filming wrapped at 7:00 am on Sunday mornings.
"I didn't realize how much British people drank," Nucci said. "Woo! Holy cow. I mean they can party."
(#12) During Filming Of The Lifeboat Scenes, Several Actors Peed In The Water

Cameron was insistent on not allowing actors restroom breaks while filming the lifeboat scenes. He allegedly threatened to fire anyone who took a break during these crucial scenes. Thus, many actors ended up peeing in the water. Both Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio admitted they were among them.
(#8) There Truly Was A 'J. Dawson' On The 'Titanic,' Just Not The One You Think

The two main characters in Titanic - Jack and Rose - do not have any connections to a specific couple during the real Titanic's sinking. But in one of life's supreme coincidences, a man named J. Dawson died in the tragedy. Rescuers discovered Dawson's body; he eventually had a burial in a cemetery in Nova Scotia, but this wasn't a Jack Dawson: it was a Joseph Dawson, one of the ship's crew members.
As can be expected, this fact hasn't stopped scores of devoted Titanic movie fans from flocking to his grave, though.
(#17) Matthew McConaughey Was Almost Cast As Jack

All right, all right, all right: yes, the world might have had a dramatically different Jack Dawson. In 2017, Kate Winslet revealed how Matthew McConaughey was the studio's first choice for the role of Jack. She told Stephen Colbert:

I auditioned with Matthew, isn’t that weird? Never said that in public before. I auditioned with Matthew, which was completely fantastic. It just wouldn’t have been the whole "Jack and Rose, Kate and Leo" thing.