Leonardo DiCaprio never again took advice from John C. Reilly after the veteran actor once tried to talk him out of starring in 'Titanic', the blockbuster that transformed him into one of the biggest movie stars in the world. The story has since become something of a cautionary tale in Hollywood circles about second-guessing blockbuster instincts.
According to RadarOnline.com, DiCaprio, 51, was still an emerging talent in the mid-1990s when he found himself choosing between two projects that would go on to become defining films of the era.
How John C. Reilly tried to steer DiCaprio away from 'Titanic'
Having already made his name in 1993's 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape', DiCaprio had been picked to star in James Cameron's 'Titanic'. But Reilly, 61, has now admitted he strongly pushed DiCaprio toward ditching the future classic and starring instead in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Boogie Nights', dismissing 'Titanic' as pointless since audiences already knew how the film would end.
Reilly revealed that Anderson had desperately wanted DiCaprio to play Dirk Diggler before the role eventually went to Mark Wahlberg. "Before Mark was asked to do the movie, Paul really wanted Leo DiCaprio to do it," Reilly said. "And I had already done 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' with Mary and Leo, and I knew Leo. I met him when he was 17. And I was like, 'Give me the assignment, Paul. I'll get this guy to do your movie.'"
Reilly then described sitting down with DiCaprio in Los Angeles to make his case. "Leo, let me tell you something. That movie, 'Titanic', is about a boat that sinks. Everyone knows the boat sinks. No one's gonna give a s--- about who's on the boat," he told him.
Despite Reilly's confidence, DiCaprio was not persuaded. "He was like, 'Well, I don't know. My agents are all saying this is gonna be a really big movie and I should do it,'" Reilly recalled. "And I was like, 'I'm telling you, man. I wouldn't give you a bum steer here. It's about a boat that sinks.'"
What happened after DiCaprio ignored the advice
DiCaprio ignored Reilly's advice and accepted the role of Jack Dawson. 'Titanic' became a cultural sensation, won 11 Academy Awards and established him as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
Reilly later acknowledged the scale of what followed. "I think that the massive success that came with 'Titanic' was both a blessing and a curse. It was just a lot for a young man. And I think he felt like, 'What would my other path have been?'" he said.
In August 2025, DiCaprio admitted his "biggest regret is not doing 'Boogie Nights'", though he eventually had the chance to work with Anderson on the 2025 action-thriller 'One Battle After Another'.
What sources say DiCaprio thinks now
A source told the outlet that while DiCaprio may now have a preference for the grittier Anderson film, there is little doubt about who he would never consult again. "One actor he will never take advice about his career from again is John C. Reilly," the source said. "If he hadn't done popcorn fodder like 'Titanic' first, which made him one of Hollywood's most bankable leading men, there is a chance he could never have become so big he could have had his pick of projects later."
A separate industry insider noted that few actors would forget being told to pass on a film that went on to earn billions worldwide and turn its leading man into a global phenomenon almost overnight.
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