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Kate Winslet still vividly remembers filming “Titanic” with Leonardo DiCaprio.
The English actor reflected on first meeting the “mess of long, skinny, uncoordinated limbs” for an upcoming 4K release of their 1997 movie, according to a Friday story by Entertainment Tonight.
In a bonus featurette, Winslet reportedly said that DiCaprio, her on-screen love interest, “was just very free with himself, and he had this effervescent energy that was really magnetic.”
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this is gonna be fun. We’re definitely gonna get along,’” she added. “And we just really did. We just really did.”
The film was a phenomenon at a time when monoculture was still alive and well, launching Winslet and DiCaprio into superstardom. “Titanic” was expected by many Hollywood insiders to fail, but grossed $1.8 billion worldwide during its original theatrical run.
In the new featurette, Winslet recalled bonding with DiCaprio during production.
“We connected on so many levels,” she said.
“He was then very, very smart, very, very curious,” she added, citing his interest in the 1912 ship disaster that inspired the movie. “He was really fascinated with the period, the details to do with the boat, the lower classes, where those people had come from, how those people had paid for their tickets.”
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Though the film’s lead actors are now iconic for their roles, director James Cameron previously said that DiCaprio nearly lost his part ahead of production. And DiCaprio has said he disliked his heartthrob persona following its initial release.
Meanwhile, Winslet said in the featurette that she is “enormously proud” of the movie, maintaining that Cameron is a “complete genius,” according to ET.
“He knows exactly what he’s doing,” she said. “His storytelling, his scriptwriting — he’s extraordinary at creating not just strong roles for women, but women who are at the center, who are leaders … with integrity.”
The 4K release also includes interviews with others involved with the film, though apparently not DiCaprio. For Winslet, however, the fact that he embarked on their star-making journey may be enough — as nobody else could’ve done the job.
“I certainly can’t imagine it being anyone other than Leo,” she said.