Are you happy with Titanic?
I'm very excited to have done this movie. It was alot different from most films that I've ever done in my life. I'm used to doing smaller, low budget pictures. I haven't really been happy with alot of the larger scale movies that have come out of Hollywood recently because they seem to be the same thing re-done over and over. When I read this script, I didn't want to be prejudiced against it just beacause it was a larger-scale movie. It seemed like it was going to be a fantastic picture, and I'm glad that in the end it worked out to be something that I think a lot of people are going to remember.

How do you think this film cahnged you as a person?
Overall, I'd say it made a man out of me because I learnt more endurance on this picture, and what that really means. It means that even if you have to do the same thing over and over again for a week, for the betterment of the film, it's something that you have to mentally prepare youself for.

Did you become friends with your co-star Kate Winslet?
Kate and I certainly were there for each other constantly. It would have been twice as hard if it wasn't for both of us being able to complain to each other every day, and to have a shoulder to lean on, and to talk to each other about it. She was certainly alot of help for me, and I know I was alot of help for her, in just surviving every day of it all . Because when you have to work for that long straight -and she even had to work longer than I did- you really need a friend there. I just thank God for her, that she was there for me every day.

It's not just about the ship sinking,it's alot more about the love story, right?
I don't think that either Kate or I would have done the film if the love story wasn't the main theme throughout the film. You could have the best disaster film of all time, but if you don't feel like you're part of the intimate details of human beings, nothing really means anything. And you're disconnected. It's just like watching a cartoon or something like that. The disaster element almost seems secondary to that. We did some improvising, to put together a more naturalistic way of Rose and Jack meeting each other, and seeing their relationship happening.

How much did you and Kate improvise?
There were little bits all over, but the main scene that we improvised was the first walk-and-talk, where I start asking her if she loves her husband or not and I start teasing her, and she gets angry, and she looks at my pictures and we talk about that.

What was it like playing Jack?
I thought the artist aspect of him was really interesting. The idea of this nomad walking around trying to sell his art everywhere, and living in the streets of Paris trying to pick up on people. What was really interesting was his fascination with people, and the lower class, in his art. The way he drew them was interesting. And the travelling, and his nomadic existence - that he didn't have any money, and really didn't have any parents.
I really do alot of thinking about the art of that time, and what an American guy's dreams would be. Also, wining a ticket on the Titanic -that would be an incredible experience.

What was the toughest thing you had to do on this film?
Definately the dancing! I'd never done anything like that before.

You were good.
(smiles) The tough parts were basically stunts. I've never done stunts like that. It didn't seem like I was doing huge, gigantic things, as far as the stunts were concerned. But every day there were a lot of things. And in the end, there was an hour cut out of the film, and alot of that stunts were in that.

What's the story with you and Kate Winslet?
We have great chemistry on the screen. I mean, we have it in real life. I think she's such a terrific girl. It's unbelievable. We were such good friends throughout this whole movie. We were almost joined at the hip. Everything that we wanted to complain about, we did it with each other, rather than doing it on the set and we got it all out in the open in our trailers. She's such a solid actress and she possesses so much strength on-screen, it's unbelievable. And I think she's gonna be one of our best.

Email: mgourlie@hotmail.com