Leonardo DiCaprio's Best Titanic Line Was Totally Improvised

"Titanic" is filled with iconic moments that feel as big as the ship itself. Countless couples have recreated Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and Jack Dawson's (Leonardo DiCaprio) pretend flying scene, and that infamously nonsensical door scene is still debated to this day, even though James Cameron has proved why it makes sense. Another moment that lives rent free in the minds of many movie buffs is when Jack shouts, "I'm the king of the world!" It's a glorious moment that shows the hope that many passengers had before the unthinkable happened, but the film's best line didn't come from the actual script.

In an interview during "Movies that Made Me" on BBC Radio 1, Cameron said that he totally improvised the line after several others failed. "I was in a crane basket, and we were losing the light... Nothing was really working. I literally was just coming up snake eyes, and I said, 'Alright, I got one for ya,'" he recounted. The line that has since become a permanent part of the pop culture landscape, especially after Cameron used it in his acceptance speech at the 1998 Academy Awards. 

While the line was his creation, James Cameron points out one reason that he believes that it is so memorable. After he came up with the now iconic piece of improvised dialogue, the director told "Movies that Made Me" that he encouraged Leonardo DiCaprio to feel every word. "'Just be in the moment, and just love it. Celebrate the moment," he recalled. That's exactly what DiCaprio does, and it's in stark contrast to his original reaction to the line, which Cameron recounted hearing over a walkie talkie on set. "He goes, 'What?'", mimicking of DiCaprio's initial confusion. "I said, 'I'm the king of the world,' just say, 'I'm the king of the world,' but you got to sell it. He goes, 'What?'"

Thankfully, DiCaprio pulled it off with a natural enthusiasm that allows the audience to feel Jack's sudden burst of happiness, which includes the now iconic joyous hollering that punctuates the moment. Cameron believes that this line is only successful because of DiCaprio, and he joked that the actor's skills could be why his version is more endearing than Cameron's. "Apparently, that's what is the difference between myself and Leonardo. He was able to sell the line," he said.

This moment is extremely important to Jack's character and the film's beginning. Before disaster strikes, the Titanic is a symbol of innovation that's nicknamed the Ship of Dreams. Jack wins his ticket while gambling, and this gives him the chance to go back to America — something that seemed like just a dream to him because of his financial limitations. To him, this truly does feel like he's been crowned king due to his turn of luck. It's also our first glimpse at his undying optimism, which keeps him and Rose pushing forward even when the odds are against them.