NEWSJohn C. Reilly Pleaded for Leonardo DiCaprio to Ditch 'Titanic' and Star in 'Boogie Nights'
John C. Reilly tried to convince Leonardo DiCaprio to star in 'Boogie Nights' instead of 'Titanic.'
June 8 2026, Published 7:03 p.m. ET
Not everyone thought Titanic sounded like a hit.
John C. Reilly thought Leonardo DiCaprio should make Boogie Nights instead of the blockbuster film, the actor revealed on the Wednesday, June 3, episode of Ted Danson's podcast "Where Everybody Knows Your Name."
The 61-year-old tried to convince him to star in X-rated drama, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Reilly said he and Anderson were “thick as thieves” after working together on Anderson’s 1996's Hard Eight.
Anderson was having trouble convincing big-name actors to star, and since Reilly previously worked with DiCaprio, he tried to sway him.
John C. Reilly Tried to Get Leonardo DiCaprio to Play Dirk Diggler
'Titanic is about a boat that sinks,' John C. Reilly told Leonardo DiCaprio.
“Before Mark [Wahlberg] was asked to do the movie, Paul really wanted Leo DiCaprio to do it,” he recalled. “I knew Leo. I met him when he was 17 [on the set of 1993’s What’s Eating Gilbert Grape]. And I was like, ‘Give me the assignment, Paul. I’ll get this guy to do your movie. I’ve known him since he’s a kid.'”
Reilly was sent to convince him, but DiCaprio had already been offered the role in Titanic.
“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. No one's going to give a s--- about who's on the boat,'” he told the podcast. “And I was like, ‘This guy, this director, is going to be one of the most talented film directors going forward, and you should not miss this opportunity.'”
Leonardo DiCaprio's Team Thought 'Titanic' Would Be 'Really Big'
John C. Reilly told Leonardo DiCaprio, 'I wouldn't give you a bum steer here.'
Despite Reilly's enthusiasm, DiCaprio's agents thought Titanic would be “a really big movie.”
Reilly said, “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.'”
The role of Dirk Diggler went to Wahlberg while Reilly played his pal Reed Rothchild.
“Being in p--- was thought of as taboo” at the time, Reilly remembered. Even Wahlberg’s manager advised him against it.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
John C. Reilly Viewed Leonardo DiCaprio's Fame as a 'Blessing and a Curse'
John C. Reilly thought Leonardo DiCaprio still considers how much differently his career would have gone if he took 'Boogie Nights' instead.
Ultimately, DiCaprio became a superstar based on the success of Titanic, which was the highest-grossing film in the world in 1998.
Now Reilly views DiCaprio's choice as "a blessing and a curse," he said, acknowledging fame was "a lot for the young man."
“And I think he thought like, ‘What would my other path have been?'” Reilly said.
Despite their missed connection with 1997's Boogie Nights, DiCaprio worked with director Anderson on One Battle After Another in 2025.
Leonardo DiCaprio Expressed Regrets About 'Boogie Nights' in 2025
Seeing Leonardo DiCaprio work with director Paul Thomas Anderson on 'One Battle After Another' was 'satisfying.'
Reilly called seeing DiCaprio in the movie "very satisfying."
He joked, "It felt like, ‘Finally, he took my advice. It took 25 years or something.'"
The political drama was vindication for Anderson.
“My biggest regret is not doing Boogie Nights," DiCaprio said in a 2025 Esquire interview. "It was a profound movie of my generation. I can't imagine anyone but Mark in it. When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece.”
