Titanic Actor Nearly Passed On $2.2 Billion Movie: “I Don’t Give A S*** About James Cameron”

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A Titanic actor almost let a colossal opportunity sink beneath them.

James Cameron’s Titanic, released in 1997, tells the story of a romance between a poor artist (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a wealthy young woman (Kate Winslet) aboard the doomed RMS Titanic in 1912. The film also stars Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton, and many others, and became one of the highest-grossing films ever made.

I recently heard something really interesting on the Still Here Hollywood Podcast with Steve Kmetko. Eric Braeden, who you probably know from Titanic, shared that he almost turned down the role! Apparently, he wasn’t a fan of the script at first and wasn’t impressed with James Cameron, even saying he didn’t care for Cameron personally and didn’t feel like he needed to know him.

Braeden is famous for his role on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, but he also played John Jacob Astor IV in the movie Titanic. Astor was the wealthiest passenger on the ship. In the film, Rose introduces Jack to Astor during a fancy dinner, and Astor mistakenly believes Jack is part of the well-known Dawson family from Boston, not realizing Jack is an orphan from Wisconsin.

Astor’s character doesn’t make it through the sinking, and he’s last seen as the Grand Staircase floods. Surprisingly, the 85-year-old actor initially thought the role was too small and didn’t want to audition. However, the director’s son, Christian Gudegast, persuaded him to reconsider and work with Cameron.

After his son kept pushing for it, he finally landed a meeting at Warner Bros. But the casting director was dismissive, made him wait, and then challenged his presence. “I was wondering that myself,” Braeden replied before walking out. He later instructed his agency, “Never send me to something like that again.”

Roughly a month later, he received a call saying Cameron himself wanted to see him again. As he learned more about the actual John Jacob Astor IV, the part started to really interest him, and he went back for a second audition. He was surprised when they only asked him to read a few lines, but that was all it took.

He later realized the audition might not have been needed at all, as director James Cameron was already a fan of his 1970 science fiction movie, Colossus: The Forbin Project. Because Cameron was so enthusiastic, Braeden got the role. They worked out an agreement with The Young and the Restless to allow him to film Titanic, but their busy schedules still meant he couldn’t be in every scene.

Looking back on the experience, Braeden says he’s thankful he was in the movie. He has a lot of respect for director James Cameron, whom he considers a true genius. He explains, “I’m glad I did Titanic now, because I have enormous respect for James Cameron… he’s the first person who comes to mind when I think of a genius.”

Honestly, I think a lot of people forget just how accomplished James Cameron was before he made Titanic. I remember being surprised when I looked back at his filmography – the guy had already directed some absolute classics like The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and True Lies (1994)! My friend Braeden was initially doubtful, but when you list it all out, it’s clear he was a huge success long before that blockbuster.

Titanic became a massive box office success, earning $2.264 billion worldwide and holding the record for highest-grossing film until James Cameron’s Avatar (2009) earned $2.924 billion. The film also achieved significant awards recognition, receiving 14 Academy Award nominations and winning 11 – a tie for the most Oscars won by a single film at the time. Cameron himself won Oscars for Best Director and Best Editing, and the film won Best Picture.

Braeden ultimately realized a lesson many others have learned before: it’s best not to underestimate James Cameron.

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2026-05-05 23:51