Kate Winslet's Titanic Screen Test Was Almost As Epic As The Movie

(To celebrate "Titanic" and its impending 25th-anniversary re-release, we've put together a week of explorations, inquires, and deep dives into James Cameron's box office-smashing disaster epic.)

Legend has it that before James Cameron wrote a single word of his "Titanic" script, he got his hands on a Ken Marschall painting of the original ship, slapped it down before the producers at 20th Century Fox, and made his pitch with six simple words: "'Romeo and Juliet' on that ship." Needless to say, James Cameron is a man with a vision.

The king of spectacle blockbusters knows a thing or two about money well spent and has the success stories to prove it: thanks to "Avatar: The Way of Water," Cameron has now helmed three of the highest-grossing films in history, the other two being 2009's "Avatar" and, of course, "Titanic" itself. So it won't surprise you to learn that in the leadup to bringing his romantic disaster film to life, Cameron was precise when it came to the key components of the movie — especially the matter of casting his Romeo and Juliet stand-ins.

It's hard to play 'what-if' with a movie this successful. Would "Titanic" still be this celebrated, 25 years after its initial release, if not for Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio at the helm? It feels like a no. But all we really know for sure is that what they contribute to the movie is undeniable magic. As a wealthy debutante and penniless artist, their fictional romance has stood the test of time. And knowing that their love story would be the crux of the movie — remaining the beating heart of "Titanic" even after the movie shifts from sweeping romance to devastating disaster flick — Cameron and his producers were determined to find the perfect performers. Ahead of the "Titanic" 25th anniversary, there's been lots of reflection about all that went into crafting the film. The latest featurette from Paramount sees Cameron and producer Jon Landau recounting the process of casting Winslet as Rose.

Cameron explained, "We were looking at all the young actresses, up-and-coming, and Kate's name kept coming up." Once she was on his radar, Cameron decided to meet the 19-year old actress and offered her an audition. Other contenders for the part included Gwyneth Paltrow, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, and Reese Witherspoon, but in the end, there was only one actress perfect for the role of forcing Jack to freeze to death by not sharing her wooden floatie: Kate frickin' Winslet. And she proved it when they brought her in for a screen test.

Winslet's screen test has been floating around the internet for a few years now, and you can check the full thing out above. The video sees her reading opposite Jeremy Sisto (aka Elton from "Clueless, aka Billy from "Six Feet Under"), and it was no joke: they're both in costume, in a room that befits the period setting. Landau explained:

"We set up, truly, an old-fashioned screen test. And when I say old-fashioned, we found a period set and we put them in costume. And coming out of that, there was no question in our mind that Kate Winslet was the right person to play Rose."

Sure enough, the video sees Winslet proving that she's the only woman for the part by bringing Rose DeWitt Bukater to life. Somehow, the character already feels fully realized in her hands: a miserable heiress with hidden depths who dreams of seizing control of her life. Even though she's yet to read with the scene partner she will eventually make history with, Winslet's screen test proves that she connected with Rose from the very start.

"Titanic" will be re-released in theaters on February 10, 2023.