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

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  (#10) Kate Winslet Refused To Wear A Wetsuit - And Got Pneumonia

  Almost every Titanic cast member had to spend extended periods of time in a massive, on-set water tank during filming. Sourced directly from the Pacific Ocean, the water for these tanks were freezing.

  Most cast members wore wetsuits for protection, but one notable holdout was Kate Winslet. She refused to wear one because she'd thought she'd be too aware of it - thus, it'd negatively affect her performance. She got pneumonia as a result.
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  (#1) James Cameron Drew The Artwork In Jack's Sketchbook

  When you watch Jack sketching Rose, you aren't watching Leo DiCaprio's hands, but director James Cameron's. He did all of the artwork in Jack's sketchbook. In his early years in the movie industry, Cameron worked as an art director and production designer, so drawing was in his wheelhouse. His portrait of a nude Winslet from Titanic sold for £10,000 in 2011.
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  (#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.
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  (#16) Jenette Goldstein Used An Earthquake Experience To Help Perform Her 'Irish Mother' Scene

  One of Titanic's most heartbreaking scenes shows an Irish mother (Jenette Goldstein) calmly telling a fairy tale to her children, trying to get them to fall asleep before the water will fill the ship and drown them. The scene is agonizing because the mother has given up hope of saving her children, and is entirely focused on the goal of seeing them to their deaths without any fear or pain.

  Goldstein, a James Cameron regular who was also in Aliens and Terminator 2, recalled using her own memories of an earthquake to put herself in the mother's frame of mind:

  The very last scene, putting them to bed, was in one way easy and in one way hard. The easy thing was putting myself in that position because I had gone through the big Los Angeles earthquake in 1994 when my oldest son was five. I was a single parent, my son was in the bed with [me], and it felt like a bomb was going off. I got him out of the bed and stood under the doorway, and he was asleep and I was holding him, and I wanted to scream, but I didn’t, because the same thought was in my head: We’re gonna die. Let him die while sleeping. Don’t scream. So that was the easy part. The hard part was, during the scene, trying not to cry.

  The script only said that the mother told her children a story, without specifying which one. Irish actors suggested the tale of Tír na nÓg. Goldstein recalled:

  I think in the script it said, ‘She tells them a bedtime story.’ That’s all it said. And so I said, ‘Which one?’ I was talking to a lot of the Irish actors and they said, ‘You’ve got to tell them the story of Tír na nÓg,’ and they wrote out the whole tale for me. It goes so well with the kids — you’re going to a place of final rest, where it’s youth and beauty.

  Child actor Reece Thompson didn't realize the characters were supposed to die. “After we do the scene," Goldstein said, “he goes to me, ‘So when are we gonna do the next scene? And I said, ‘Which one?’ And he goes, ‘The one where we get onto the boats and escape.’ Oh my god. I was just like, ‘Uhhhh, talk to your mom.’”
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  (#14) Want More 'Titanic?'

  Even though the RMS Titanic slipped beneath the icy surface of the Atlantic more than 100 years ago, people continue to be fascinated by it. Whether it be first-person accounts of what happened on board or historical analyses of the captain’s decisions that fateful night, there is plenty to dig into if you’re someone who is interested in all things Titanic. If you – or someone you know – just can’t get enough of the "Unsinkable Ship," here are our staff’s picks of what to read, watch, and buy next.

  A Night to Remember: The Sinking of the Titanic, the #1 New York Times bestselling book by Walter Lord. Based on interviews with sixty-three survivors, Lord’s moment-by-moment account is among the finest books written about one of the twentieth century’s bleakest nights.

  A popular gift volume featuring dozens of meticulously accurate, full-color paintings – including a fold-out illustration of the whole Titanic – Titanic: An Illustrated History offers a wealth of information about the "unsinkable" cruise ship and its fatal voyage.

  The History Channel’s documentary Titanic: The Complete Story is ideal for anyone who really wants all of the details from that fateful night in a format they can watch and re-watch anytime.

  For younger readers, Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, R.M.S. Titanic, 1912 in the popular Dear America series offers a unique view of life onboard the ship from the perspective of a young girl. 

  For the collector, miniature lover, and design enthusiast, there are rare photographic prints, scale models, and even Titanic trivia available. 

  Our staff has written lots on the subject, too, so stick around!

  • Fascinating And Rare Photos That Document The Titanic’s Journey
  • Facts We Just Learned About The Titanic That Made Us Say ‘Really?’
  • Small But Poignant Details From The Movie ‘Titanic’ That Make Us Never Want To Let Go
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  (#18) Lindsay Lohan Was Almost Cast As Cora

  Lindsay Lohan was years away from Mean Girls, superstardom, and questionable life choices when she auditioned for the role of Jack's "best girl" Cora Cartmell in Titanic; she was eight-years-old at the time.

  Cameron reportedly wanted her for the role, but he ultimately believed her flame-red hair would confuse viewers, especially since both Rose and her mother had flame-red hair as well. The part of Cora eventually went to Alexandrea Owens.

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