Before Leonardo DiCaprio’s starring role in Titanic, the iconic James Cameron movie almost starred another high-profile Hollywood legend — Matthew McConaughey. Why did Matthew McConaughey lose out on his role in Titanic?

B efore Titanic shattered box office records and turned Leonardo DiCaprio into a household name, another star was circling the role of Jack Dawson, and it was none other than Matthew McConaughey. But according to a new memoir, it wasn’t talent or looks that cost him the part. It was his refusal to let go of his Southern drawl.

Matthew McConaughey, 55, almost landed the role of Jack Dawson in James Cameron’s 1997 film “Titanic,” but lost out due to his Southern drawl. In a new posthumous memoir, “The Bigger Picture” by Jon Landau, the late producer detailed the casting in depth.