India, Aug. 7 -- The producer of Titanic has revealed that Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey came close to playing Jack Dawson in the 1997 blockbuster - but one stubborn detail kept him from landing the part. In his upcoming memoir The Bigger Picture, late producer Jon Landau recalled that while Matthew gave a strong audition, it was his refusal to drop his Texas accent that ultimately cost him the role.

"We brought him in to do a scene with Kate (Winslet)," Jon wote in an excerpt published by Puck. "You want to check for chemistry - not just how people look on film, but how they interact." According to Jon, Kate - who had already been cast as Rose - was impressed. "Kate was taken with Matthew, his presence and charm," he added.

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