John C. Reilly Tried to Persuade DiCaprio to Skip 'Titanic'
Originally published Jun 6, 2026
By Jack Dunn · Variety
AI-generated summary based on Variety · Aggregated by Filmarian · Human-reviewed and approved on Jun 6, 2026
Key points
- John C. Reilly tried to convince Leonardo DiCaprio to star in 'Boogie Nights' instead of 'Titanic'.
- Reilly and Paul Thomas Anderson were close collaborators at the time.
- Reilly joked that no one would care who was on the boat in 'Titanic'.
John C. Reilly revealed on a recent podcast that he attempted to convince Leonardo DiCaprio to pass on the role in 'Titanic' in favor of starring in 'Boogie Nights,' a film written and directed by Reilly's close friend, Paul Thomas Anderson. Reilly shared that he and Anderson were very close after working together on Anderson's earlier projects. He humorously remarked that no one would care who was on the boat in 'Titanic,' suggesting that the film might not have the same appeal as 'Boogie Nights.'
Read the original story: Variety — by Jack Dunn