The actor told his “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” costar that he “should not miss this opportunity” to work with Paul Thomas Anderson.

John C. Reilly tried to convince Leonardo DiCaprio to turn down Titanic and do Boogie Nights: ‘Everyone knows the boat sinks!’

The actor told his "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" costar that he "should not miss this opportunity" to work with Paul Thomas Anderson.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.

EW's editorial guidelines

June 3, 2026 1:22 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

John C. Reilly in 'Boogie Nights'; Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Titanic'. Credit:

New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett; Merie W. Wallace/Paramount

- John C. Reilly once sat down with Leonardo DiCaprio and tried to convince him to star in *Boogie Nights *instead of *Titanic*.

- The actor told his *What's Eating Gilbert Grape* costar that he shouldn't miss the opportunity to work with th film's director, Paul Thomas Anderson.

- DiCaprio later expressed his regret that he passed up the role in favor of playing Jack Dawson in James Cameron's epic love story.

John C. Reilly is remembering the time he tried to convince Leonardo DiCaprio to bid bon voyage to *Titanic** *and party it up in *Boogie Nights** *instead.

The actor revealed he once personally sat down with his *What’s Eating Gilbert Grape* costar and tried to persuade him to ditch James Cameron’s blockbuster and join the cast of Paul Thomas Anderson’s risqué dramedy.

“At the time we were trying to get *Boogie Nights* put together, being in porn was thought of as taboo. It's hard to even imagine now, you probably remember,” Reilly told host Ted Danson on a recent episode of the *Where Everybody Knows Your Name** *podcast. “All these actors and their managers and their agents were like, ‘Porn? Whoa, whoa, man. No. No.’ And there's a penis in the movie! Everyone, ‘no, no, no, no.’”

Reilly and DiCaprio.

Vince Bucci/Getty

Written and directed by Anderson, *Boogie Nights* follows Eddie (Mark Wahlberg) as he transforms into a famous porn star named Dirk Diggler. While the film has gone on to become a cult classic, Reilly said it took some serious work for Anderson to find his leading man.

“Before Mark was asked to do the movie, Paul really wanted Leo DiCaprio to do it,” the actor recalled. “And I had already done *What's Eating Gilbert Grape *with Mary [Steenburgen] 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. I have known him since he's a kid.’”

Spencer Pratt claims Leo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx privately supported him for mayor: 'I have multiple witnesses'

Will Ferrell reveals the time John C. Reilly made him break character in 'Talladega Nights'

The only problem? DiCaprio had just been offered the role of charming artist Jack Dawson in *Titanic*.

“I sat down with him on Hillhurst there in Silver Lake, and I was like, ‘Listen. Leo, let me tell you something. That movie, *Titanic*, is about a boat that sinks. Everyone knows the boat sinks!’” Reilly exclaimed. “‘No one's gonna give a s--- about who's on the boat.’”

He went on to tell DiCaprio that Anderson “is gonna be one of the most talented film directors going forward” and that he “should not miss this opportunity” to work with him.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

DiCaprio, however, was still on the fence. “He was like, ‘Well, I don't know. My agents are all… They're saying this is gonna be a really big movie and I should do it,’” Reilly remembered. “And I was like, ‘I’m telling you, man. I'm telling you. I wouldn't give you a bum steer here. It's about a boat that sinks.’”

In the end, DiCaprio ended up staying onboard *Titanic*. Still, in an *Esquire* interview last August, he admitted that his “biggest regret” was turning down Anderson and the disco-infused film.

Reilly also reflected on DiCaprio’s regret on the podcast.

“I can't speak for him, but I think that the massive success that came with [*Titanic*] was both a blessing and a curse,” he said. “It was just a lot for a young man. And I think he felt like, ‘What would my other path have been?’”

Thankfully, Reilly noted that DiCaprio eventually got his shot to work with Anderson on the Oscar-winning film, *One Battle After Another*. “That was very satisfying for me,” he added.

Watch Reilly discuss the incident in the clip above.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Drama”