Ethan Hawke Explains Why He’s Glad Leonardo DiCaprio Got Lead Titanic Role Over Him

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Credit: FX, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Pictures

Ethan Hawke has never been one to chase traditional Hollywood stardom. While many of his peers starred in some of the best movies of the ’90s, the Training Day alum went another way, starring in smaller movies. He also took time to write novels, direct plays, and teamed up with Richard Linklater on experimental films that have aged into not only Hawke’s best films but also classics in their own right. In a recent interview, he reflects on narrowly missing out on the role of Jack Dawson in Titanic and why he’s kinda glad the role ultimately went to Leonardo DiCaprio.

In a recent interview with GQ, promoting his jam-packed 2025 movie schedule slate of upcoming projects, the Quiz Show actor admitted that he wasn’t the right man for James Cameron’s juggernaut. As he put it:

Hawke isn’t exaggerating. When Titanic hit theaters in 1997, Leonardo DiCaprio’s fame exploded to a level few actors have ever experienced. Practically overnight, he went from rising star to global heartthrob, mobbed by screaming fans at premieres, splashed across teen magazines, and hounded by paparazzi who treated him less like an actor and more like a rock star. It was the kind of cultural frenzy usually reserved for pop icons, cementing his place as one of the most recognizable faces on the planet.

This casting “what-if” is a fascinating behind-the-scenes Titanic moment, and also a candid moment from the actor that is quintessential Hawke. At 54, he’s managed to carve out a career that avoids the suffocating intensity of superstardom while still earning respect across film, television, theater, and even literature. He’s the guy who can star in the upcoming The Black Phone 2 one month, shoot a prestige FX drama like the 2025 TV schedule release The Lowdown, and in the next month, turn around and disappear into Lorenz Hart for Linklater’s Blue Moon. That range, unbothered by conventional box office metrics, is exactly why he’s still here (and thriving) in 2025.

Credit: Warner Bros.

It should come as no surprise that the talented performer’s acknowledgment of missing out on Titanic isn’t just self-effacing, but is, in fact, born of personal experience. The Before Sunrise actor saw up close what overnight superstardom can do. Working alongside talents like River Phoenix and Robin Williams early on, he witnessed how the spotlight could magnify vulnerabilities. By sidestepping the role that turned DiCaprio into a global idol, Hawke avoided a level of fame that he now sees might have broken him. Instead, he built longevity through a commitment to art.

And yet, it’s not as if the Dead Poets Society veteran has avoided mainstream projects altogether. He played second lead to Denzel Washington in Training Day, earning an Oscar nomination, dipped into the MCU with Moon Knight, and appeared in buzzy Netflix thrillers. Still, these have always been detours rather than destinations. As he explained:

“Spiderwebby” is a fitting description, but another way to see it is that, for Hawke, these choices have always been about using commercial gigs to fuel the passion projects that keep him grounded in the craft — and that’s something movie fans should celebrate.

Next up, Ethan Hawke takes on his first leading role in a television series with FX’s The Lowdown, premiering September 23. New episodes will air Tuesdays and hit streaming the following day for anyone with a Hulu subscription. He’ll also return to theaters in the upcoming horror movie sequel The Black Phone 2, opening October 17.