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For decades, one of the biggest debates in movie history has been whether or not Leonardo DiCaprio‘s character, Jack Dawson, could have fit on the infamous door in Titanic. Fans of the film, which remains one of the best movies of the ’90s, have long argued over the possibility of Jack surviving by sharing the floating debris with Rose. Thanks to a behind-the-scenes Titanic fact revelation by Kate Winslet, the entire scene has taken an even more bizarre turn.
While promoting her upcoming 2024 movie release Lee in New York City (per People) Winslet dropped a bombshell about her time shooting one of the highest-grossing movies during a candid Q&A session. As it turns out, the water wasn’t nearly as deep as it looked on screen. The Sense and Sensibility actress revealed that the water in the tank where the door scene was filmed was only waist-high. Yes, you read that right — waist-high! That means that while Rose was dramatically balancing on the floating door, DiCaprio was kneeling in shallow water beside her.
According to Kate–who previously admitted to peeing in the tank–stepping off the door to take a quick bathroom break during filming was far easier than fans might imagine. The Revolutionary Road star said:
Well, that was quite an awkward tank … because, to burst the bubble, it was waist height at that time. So first of all, I was regularly like, ‘Can I just go for a pee?’ And then I get up, get off the door, walk to the edge of the tank, sort of 20 feet away and I literally have to fling my leg over and climb up and come and get back on the door again. It’s terrible.
Whether Jack could fit on that door has become legendary, showing up everywhere from pop culture debates to memes—and even getting the attention of scientific studies. But Winslet’s recent revelation adds a new layer of humor to the mix. Picture this: instead of clinging to the door for dear life, Jack could have just stood up, and everything would’ve been fine!
The Holiday actress didn’t stop there, though. She shared another hilarious tidbit about filming in the water tanks, revealing:
So it was waist-high. Leo I’m afraid to say was kneeling down. I shouldn’t be saying anyways, Jimmy Cameron’s gonna be ringing me…Actually the thing that was amazing about the edges of the tank was it was an infinity tank. So there was constant water rushing and you could hear the constant sound of water.
Kate Winslet’s new movie Lee hits theaters this week on September 27. The film follows the fascinating true story of Elizabeth “Lee” Miller, a fashion model turned renowned war correspondent for Vogue during World War II. Despite constantly taking on exciting new projects, it’s always fun to see the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind star embrace the role that arguably made her a household name. Even as her career moves forward, Titanic continues to hold a special place in the hearts of fans as one of the best romantic movies—door scene and all. And now, with this latest behind-the-scenes nugget, we can watch the movie in a whole new light. Just picture Jack, kneeling in waist-high water, while we’re all tearing up. Honestly, it’s hard not to giggle at the thought.
By the way, if you’re in the mood for a rewatch, Titanic is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.