It is difficult to imagine the 1997 classic Titanic without Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. However, they were not the only actors considered by director James Cameron to portray fictional ill-fated lovers Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater.
Before getting Winslet onboard, the production team was reportedly interested in casting Claire Danes as Rose. Speaking on Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard in late January, Danes said she turned down the role because she “wasn’t ready” for the fame that the big-budget flick was going to afford her.
“I had just made this romantic epic with Leo in Mexico City, which is where they were going to shoot Titanic,” Danes said, referring to Baz Luhrmann-directed 1996 film Romeo + Juliet.
“It was going to propel me to something I knew I didn’t have the resources to cope with. I knew I had to do a lot of foundation-building.”
In another interview with British GQ, Danes also said it felt “redundant” to star in another romance with DiCaprio in such a short span of time.
Other actresses that were considered for the character were Gwyneth Paltrow, Gabrielle Anwar, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, and Winona Ryder among others.
A wide range of male actors was also considered for the role of Jack, including Christian Bale, Macaulay Culkin, Chris O’Donnell, Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt. In 2017, Winslet revealed that she auditioned for her part with Matthew McConaughey.
“I auditioned with Matthew, which was completely fantastic,” Winslet said on Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “It just wouldn’t have been the whole, Jack and Rose, Kate and Leo thing.”
This article originally appeared on Over60.