He could have replaced Leonardo DiCaprio. The "Titanic" producer revealed a secret before his death.

The "Dallas Buyers Club" star auditioned for a role in James Cameron's iconic film years ago. Matthew McConaughey auditioned for one of the lead roles, which ultimately went to Leonardo DiCaprio. In a memoir awaiting its release, the Oscar-winning film's producer revealed why the director turned it down.

His performance in "Titanic" was a turning point in Leonardo DiCaprio's career. Although the actor had already starred in acclaimed productions—suffice it to mention the moving drama "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and the acclaimed adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" —it was his performance in James Cameron's film that brought DiCaprio global fame, catapulting him into Hollywood's top league. However, Jack Dawson was nearly played by his fellow actor, Matthew McConaughey.

The star of "True Detective" and "Dallas Buyers Club" talked about his participation in the casting for the film, which won 11 Oscars, in 2021, while appearing on the podcast "Literally! With Rob Lowe".

McConaughey then revealed that although he was pleased with how the meeting went, he never received any communication regarding the engagement.

"I went to an audition with Kate Winslet. They filmed us, so I had a good feeling because it looked like a screen test. When we went outside, they told me it went great. I really believed something would come of it. For years, rumors circulated that I hadn't accepted the offer, but that's not true," the Hollywood actor revealed.

New light was shed on the backstage of the star's rejection by the producer of "Titanic", Jon Landau, who managed to complete work on his autobiographical book before his death (he died on July 5, 2024).

People magazine obtained an excerpt from the diary of the producer, who died a year ago, from which we learn that although Kate Winslet was " enchanted by Matthew's presence and charm," Cameron was bothered by the Texas-born actor's strong Southern accent .

The director then asked McConaughey to deliver his lines "a little differently," but he seemed completely satisfied with his previous performance and refused the request.

"No. It was pretty good. Thanks," the future movie star supposedly replied. "Let's just say that was the end of his competition for the role," Landau writes in the book.

As officially announced, the influential producer's autobiography, "The Bigger Picture: My Blockbuster Life & Lessons Learned Along the Way," features previously unpublished, behind-the-scenes stories about the creation of some of the biggest blockbusters of recent decades. The book will be released on November 4, 2025, by Disney Publishing Worldwide.