'Titanic' director goes where only two men have gone before
James Cameron goes to the deepest part of the ocean.
The epic love story "Titanic" is celebrating its 25th anniversary today!
The movie told the story of Jack Dawson and Rose Dewitt Bukater as they fell in love despite their difference in class status and the fact that Rose was already engaged to another man. Their love story was told amid the backdrop of the luxury steamship, the RMS Titanic, and the unfortunate accident that caused it to sink.
Many of the film's stars had already made names for themselves in the industry by the time the movie was released, and only helped to propel each other further into stardom. Some of the stars went on to receive and be nominated for Academy Awards.
Here is a look at what the film's stars are up to today.
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Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet played Rose in the epic movie and went on to later win an Academy Award and multiple Emmy Awards. (Getty Images)
Kate Winslet brought the character of Rose to life with only a few credits to her name with movies like "Heavenly Creatures" and "Sense and Sensibility," the second of which earned Winslet her first Academy Award nomination. Her second nomination was for her portrayal of Rose in "Titanic."
After the success of "Titanic," Winslet went on to star in many critically acclaimed films, such as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Finding Neverland," "Iris," "Steve Jobs" and "Little Children." She has been nominated for seven Academy Awards and four Emmy Awards, winning for her role in "Mare of Easttown" and the miniseries "Mildred Pierce."
Winslet reunited with her "Titanic" co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, in the 2008 movie "Revolutionary Road," in which they played a married couple in the '50s. That same year, Winslet starred in "The Reader" as Hanna Schmitz, a woman on trial for Nazi war crimes during World War II. She won her first and only Academy Award for the role.
Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her role in "The Reader." (Reuters)
Throughout the years, Winslet has continued taking on more dramatic roles in films such as "The Dressmaker," "The Mountain Between Us" and "Ammonite," mixing in the occasional lighthearted film like "The Holiday," "Flushed Away" and the "Divergent" series. Most recently, she stars in the series "I Am." She plays the mother of her real life daughter Mia Threapleton in the episode "I Am Ruth."
In 1996, Winslet met Jim Threapleton when he was acting as assistant director on the film "Hideous Kinky." The two got married in 1998, welcomed their daughter, Mia, in 2000 before ultimately getting divorced in 2001. Not long after, Winslet married Sam Mendes in 2003, welcoming their son, Joe, later that year. Amid rumors Mendes was cheating on Winslet, the couple divorced in 2010 after seven years together. In 2011, during a house fire, Winslet met Edward Abel Smith, who then went by Ned Rocknroll. The two got married a year later in 2012. They welcomed their son, Bear Blaze, in 2014.
Kate Winslet married Edward Abel Smith, who then went by Ned Rocknroll, in 2012. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Winslet told "Good Morning America" she will likely watch "Titanic" in honor of its anniversary, despite not enjoying watching herself in movies. She also explained that while it's been 25 years since the movie came out, it's been much longer for the actors, saying she turned 21 on set and is now 47.
The actress teamed up with director James Cameron again for "Avatar: The Way of Water."
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio played Jack in "Titanic" and has since gone on to win an Academy Award. (Getty Images)
Leonardo DiCaprio was already an Academy Award-nominated actor before taking on the role of Jack Dawson in "Titanic," nominated for his work in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" in 1994.
After "Titanic," he went on to star in a string of critically acclaimed films, including but not limited to "Gangs of New York," "Catch Me If You Can," "Shutter Island," "The Departed," "Inception," as well as "The Aviator" and "Blood Diamond," both of which earned him an Academy Award nomination.
His other notable works include "Revolutionary Road," in which he reunited with his "Titanic" co-star Winslet, "J. Edgar," "The Great Gatsby," "Django Unchained" and "The Wolf of Wall Street," for which he was once again nominated for an Academy Award.
In 2016, after his fifth Academy Award nomination, DiCaprio won the coveted Oscar statue for his work on "The Revenant." In the movie, he played an American frontiersman named Hugh Glass who gets stranded in the woods after his company is attacked. When making the film, DiCaprio took method acting to the next level by actually sleeping in a bear carcass and doing the majority of stunts himself.
Leonardo DiCaprio won his first and only Oscar for his role in "The Revenant." (Reuters)
The actor is very vocal about his fight to end climate change, dedicating his Academy Award acceptance speech to raising awareness and making his latest film, "Don't Look Up," an analogy on the dangers of the global issue.
While it's hard to imagine "Titanic" without DiCaprio, director James Cameron revealed he almost didn't get the part. Cameron told GQ he met with DiCaprio early in the casting process, but he almost lost out when he refused to read for the part. Cameron claims he called DiCaprio's bluff, who continued to groan and complain about reading the lines before proceeding with the audition.
Director James Cameron said Leonardo DiCaprio almost lost out on the role of Jack in "Titanic." (Paramount Pictures)
Cameron also put an end to the debate as to whether both Jack and Rose could have survived, saying, "It's very, very simple: You read page 147 of the script, and it says, 'Jack gets off the board and gives his place to her so that she can survive.' It's that simple," implying Jack was never meant to survive.
As for DiCaprio's personal life, he's been linked to many famous women over the years, most notably models Gigi Hadid, Camila Morrone, Gisele Bündchen, Helena Christensen and Kristen Zang.
Kathy Bates
Kathy Bates portrayed a real passenger on the RMS Titanic known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." (Getty Images)
Kathy Bates was already an Academy Award winner for her role in the 1990 film "Misery" when she took on the role of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" in "Titanic." Her character was one of the few who were based on real people, with Brown being one of the survivors who unsuccessfully tried to convince those in her lifeboat to go back and look for survivors in the water.
One year after the release of "Titanic," Bates was nominated for her second Academy Award for her role in "Primary Colors," and she continued to act in a number of movies, including "The Waterboy," "American Outlaws" and "Dragonfly."
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In 2002, she starred in "About Schmidt," for which she was nominated for her third Academy Award. From then on she continued to act in a number of feature films and TV movies, including "Around the World in 80 Days," "Warm Springs," "Ambulance Girl," "Failure to Launch," "P.S. I Love You" and "The Blind Side." She was also the third "Titanic" actor to appear in "Revolutionary Road."
Bates also found success in TV, appearing in shows such as "The Office," "Harry's Law," "Mike & Molly," "Feud" and "American Horror Story," a role for which she won an Emmy. In 2020, Bates received her fourth Academy Award nomination for her role in "Richard Jewell."
Kathy Bates won her second Emmy Award in 2014 for her role in "American Horror Story: Coven." (Jeff Vespa/WireImage)
The actress married Tony Campisi in 1991 and was married for six years before getting a divorce in 1997. Bates has also been very open about her health issues. The actress is a two-time cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003 and breast cancer in 2012, and she underwent a double mastectomy. The actress was then diagnosed with lymphedema in both arms, which is a complication some face after cancer treatment.
Bill Paxton
Bill Paxton played treasure hunter Brock Lovett in "Titanic." (Getty Images)
Bill Paxton was already a well-known actor by the time he made an appearance in "Titanic." He had already worked with director James Cameron on films such as "The Terminator" and "True Lies" before collaborating on the epic love story. He also played real-life astronaut Fred Haise in "Apollo 13" and starred in Cameron's science fiction classic "Aliens."
After "Titanic," Paxton continued flexing his acting chops, starring in films like "A Simple Plan," "Mighty Joe Young" and "Thunderbirds," while also dipping his toe into directing. He directed and starred in the films "Frailty" and "The Greatest Game Ever Played."
He made appearances on a number of television shows, but his biggest TV role came in 2006 when he landed the lead role on HBO's "Big Love." Paxton was nominated for three Golden Globes throughout the run of the show, which came to an end in 2011. In 2012, he starred in the miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys," a role which got him an Emmy Award nomination.
In 2014, he appeared in both "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and "Edge of Tomorrow." His final onscreen performance was in the 2017 movie "The Circle," which was released two months after his death.
The late actor Bill Paxton and wife Louise Newbury attend the premiere of Disney's "Million Dollar Arm" on May 6, 2014. (David Livingston/Getty Images)
In 2017, Paxton revealed he had a damaged aortic heart valve due to contracting rheumatic fever when he was 14 years old. In February 2017, he underwent open-heart surgery to repair the problem, going in again the next day to repair his damaged coronary artery. His health continued to decline throughout the following 10 days, and he suffered a fatal stroke on Feb. 25. He passed away at the age of 61.
He was married to Louise Newbury from 1987 until his death. The couple had two kids together, a son named James and a daughter named Lydia.
Billy Zane
Billy Zane was nominated for best villain at the MTV Movie Awards for his role of Cal Hockley in "Titanic." (Getty Images)
Billy Zane was nominated for best villain at the MTV Movie Awards for his role of Cal Hockley, Rose's fiancé who accuses Jack of stealing and leaves him for dead in "Titanic."
The following year, Zane starred in and produced the movie "I Woke Up Early the Day I Died," a silent film, which was meant to be a parody on bad movie making. He has starred in a number of feature films and TV movies, such as "Winter Dragon," "Zoolander 2," "White Island," "Holmes & Watson" and "Rapture."
Zane also appeared on Broadway in Chicago and in the West End production of "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks." He's had a few recurring roles in television shows such as "Charmed," "Samantha Who," "The Deep End," "Community" and "Guilt."
Zane married actress Lisa Collins in 1989, ultimately getting divorced in 1995. He most notably had relationships with Leonor Varela and Kelly Brook, both of whom he was engaged to, and Jasmina Hdagha, who he dated in 2010 before dating model Candice Neil. Zane and Neil were together for 12 years before they split in 2022. The couple are parents to daughters Ava and Gia.
Gloria Stuart
Gloria Stuart was a star in the Golden Age of cinema before restarting her career as Old Rose in "Titanic." (Getty Images)
Gloria Stuart was a bona fide star before appearing in "Titanic," coming up in the Golden Age of cinema in the 1930s. She appeared in a number of movies and plays, but prior to "Titanic," her last acting credit was nearly 10 years earlier with the 1989 TV movie "She Knows Too Much."
With "Titanic" came a resurgence in Stuart's career. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for best supporting actress, and she won a Screen Actors Guild Award in that same category for her role as Old Rose. Until now, Stuart remains the oldest nominee in the Academy Awards best supporting actress category.
In 1999, Kate Capshaw requested Stuart to appear in her film "The Love Letter," then Stuart had minor roles in the shows "The Invisible Man," "Touched by an Angel" and "General Hospital." Her final two acting roles were in "The Million Dollar Hotel" and the 2004 movie "Land of Plenty." For her decades of work in the industry, Stuart was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Stuart was also an avid painter, leaving Hollywood from 1945 to 1974 to pursue a career in art. As well as painting, she was drawn to decoupage and saw that as a way to make money outside of acting, making lamps, mirrors, tables, chests, which gained a lot of attention. To celebrate her love of art, James Cameron and Suzy Amis hosted her 100th birthday party in 2010 and showcased many of her pieces at a gallery in Beverly Hills.
Stuart was married twice, the first time to sculptor Blair Gordon Newell from 1930 to 193, and then to Arthur Sheekman from 1934 until he died in 1978. She then started a relationship with Ward Ritchie in 1983 and was with him until his death in 1996.
Stuart was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 94. Six years after her initial diagnosis, Stuart passed away from respiratory failure in September 2010 at age 100. At the time of her death, she had four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Victor Garber
Victor Garber starred as shipbuilder Thomas Andrews in "Titanic." (Getty Images)
Prior to taking on the role of shipbuilder Thomas Andrews in "Titanic," Victor Garber was an accomplished stage actor starring in the original Broadway cast of "Death Trap," "Sweeney Todd" and "Noises Off." He'd also been in the films "Godspell," "Sleepless in Seattle" and "First Wives Club."
A year after "Titanic" was released, Garber starred in "Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella" as the King, followed by "Annie," "External Affairs," "Tuck Everlasting" and the popular movie "Legally Blonde."
From 2001 to 2006, Garber starred opposite Jennifer Garner in the TV series "Alias" as Jack Bristow, a role that earned him three Emmy nominations. He also made appearances on "Justice," "Will & Grace," "Ugly Betty," "Web Therapy" and "The Orville." Since 2015, Garber has been starring as Martin Stein/Firestorm on the shows "Flash" and "Legends of Tomorrow."
In the theater world, he starred in the Tony Award-winning play "Art" in 1998, "A Little Night Music" in 2005, "Follies" in 2007 and "Present Laughter" in 2010. In 2018, Garber was awarded the Theater World John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Garber has been vigilant in keeping his private life private, managing to stay mostly out of the tabloid gossip. He has been in a relationship with Rainer Andreesen since 1999.
Victor Garber and Rainer Andreesen have been together for 23 years. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
The two announced on Instagram that they got married in 2015 after 16 years together.
Frances Fisher
Frances Fisher was a soap opera actress before taking on the role of Ruth Dewitt Bukater in "Titanic," the mother of Kate Winslet's character. (Getty Images)
Frances Fisher had an illustrious career as a stage actress and soap opera actress before taking on the role of Ruth Dewitt Bukater, the mother of Kate Winslet's character, in "Titanic."
She had starred on the ABC show "The Edge of Night" from 1976 to 1981 and acted in "Unforgiven," an Academy Award-winning movie that starred her boyfriend at the time, Clint Eastwood. They also starred together in the 1999 mystery thriller "True Crime."
Aside from "Gone in 60 Seconds," she mainly appeared in TV movies and shows, including "The Audrey Hepburn Story," "Becker," "The X-Files," "Titus," "Glory Days," "The Lyon's Den," "Mrs. Harris," "Eureka" and "Grey's Anatomy."
She continued to act, appearing in shows and movies including, "To Love and Die," "The Perfect Game," "Jolene," "Laws of Attraction," "Private Practice," "Son's of Anarchy," "The Roomate," "The Seven Year Hitch" and "Castle." From 2013 to 2015, she starred in the ABC show "Resurrection" and later appeared in an episode of "Fargo" with her daughter.
Most recently, she starred opposite Saoirse Ronan in "The Host," Ryan Reynolds in "The Woman in Gold," the critically acclaimed HBO Max show "Watchmen" and season 4 of the popular anthology series "The Sinner."
Clint Eastwood and Frances Fisher with their daughter, Francesca Eastwood, at the premiere of "M.F.A." in 2017. (Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
When Fisher was 18, she married her high school sweetheart Billy Mack Hamilton in 1970, but the two got divorced two years later. From 1990 to 1994, Fisher was in a relationship with Eastwood, welcoming their daughter, Francesca Eastwood, in 1993. After they split, Fisher was connected to George Clooney for a short time in 1995.
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Celine Dion
Celine Dion wasn't originally supposed to sing the famous "My Heart Will Go On" as James Cameron wanted a song without lyrics. (Getty Images)
While Celine Dion didn't act in the movie, she became linked to the film after agreeing to sing the "My Heart Will Go On." The song went on to be one of her most famous songs, which she has since incorporated into every one of her concerts, despite the fact she didn't want to sing it to begin with.
Dion was already a star by the time she recorded the song, breaking into the music industry in 1992 when she sang the title track for another movie, Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Cameron originally wanted to use an instrumental song in order to save money on an already expensive movie, however, composer James Horner secretly partnered with songwriter Will Jennings and created the popular song.
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He first had to convince Dion to sing it and then convince Cameron to include it during the end credits. According to Vogue France, Horner carried the demo in his pocket for weeks, hoping to play it for him when he was in a good mood, eventually reaching his goal. The song went on to win the Oscar and the Golden Globe for best original song as well as four Grammy Awards in 1999.
Dion's album, "Let's Talk About Love," also came out in 1997 and was such a success she won six Billboard Awards and went on a 14-country tour that ended in 1999. She then took a two-year break and came back with the album "A New Day Has Come," which topped the charts in 17 countries.
Celine Dion shared her diagnosis on Instagram. She recorded two videos — one in English and one in French. (Brian Rasic/WireImage)
That same year, she began a 36-month residency in Las Vegas at Caesars' Palace. The show was called "A New Day…" and consisted of 600 shows. While the move was considered risky at the time, it proved to be a huge success, and she is credited for changing the way Las Vegas residencies are viewed.
She continued to release both English and French language albums, and in 2010 was recognized as the top earner of the decade by Time magazine, having earned a total $747.9 million from 2000 to 2009. That same year, she returned to Caesars' Palace for a three-year residency, which was named the most successful residency of all time in 2018.
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Throughout her career, Dion has won six American Music Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, five Grammy Awards and many others. Her biggest hits include "It’s All Coming Back To Me Now," "Because You Loved Me," "All by Myself" and "Somebody Loves Somebody."
In December 2022, Dion announced that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder affecting her muscles. She shared the news in pre-taped videos posted to her Instagram, one in English and one in French. In the video, she explained to fans that she will be focusing on her health and will therefore have to postpone the European leg of her tour.
Celine Dion and husband René Angélil smile ahead of her debut in Las Vegas. (Toni Anne Barson)
Dion married René Angélil in 1994. The couple first met when Dion was 12 and he was 38, starting a professional relationship that turned romantic in 1988 when she was 20. They welcomed their first son, René-Charles Angélil, in 2001 and twin sons Nelson and Eddy in 2010. In January 2016, her husband passed away at the age of 73 due to throat cancer.
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