James Cameron reveals awkward Warren Beatty exchange after controversial Titanic Oscars speech
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James Cameron had no idea his controversial 1998 Oscars acceptance speech was controversial until he locked eyes with presenter Warren Beatty backstage at the ceremony.
Cameron won three statuettes that night — including Best Editing, Best Director, and Best Picture — for his work on the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, but a self-referential moment in which he quoted the film by saying he felt like "the king of the world" at the ceremony instantly rubbed many the wrong way, seemingly including the Bonnie and Clyde star, who presented him with the Best Director statuette.
"I'll tell you exactly when I first realized it [was going to be a problem]: when I walked backstage and Warren Beatty had this look on his face like, 'What the f--- did you just do?' He was just looking at me like, 'You poor boob, what the f--- did you just do?' And I went, 'Oh, was that not cool? Okay,'" Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter. "I mean, obviously I've analyzed that. My wife at the time, Linda [Hamilton], had said, 'Well, if you're going to quote a line from the movie, then quote it with gusto.' I'm like, 'Well, I can do that.' And what I realized is, the problem with it is that it's too self-referential and seen as hubristic — not just the actual sort of semiotics of, 'I'm the king of the world,' but the scenario of quoting your own movie as if every single person in the audience is a big fan, because there were a lot of people in that audience that did not vote for Titanic. You can't make the assumption that because you're winning, you've won by some vast landslide."
EW has reached out to representatives for Beatty for more information.
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/GettyImages James Cameron at the 1998 Oscars
Cameron also explained that, in his mind, he meant is as a "celebratory" statement to his parents, who were in the room.
"I was talking to my parents. If you actually look at a transcript of it, I say, 'Mom, Dad, I know you're back there,' because they were in the back of the house. I said, 'I can't tell you how I feel right now except to say that I'm the king of the world!' Meaning talking to my parents saying, 'I feel pretty great right now.' And that was it," he said. "What I specifically wasn't saying is, 'I'm showing all y'all motherf---ers how it's done, and yes, I'm the king of the world! I'm all that!' That's not what I was saying. But, of course, that's what they heard. And, of course, as a director, I'm supposed to be better than that. I'm supposed to know what the audience hears — how the line actually lands is actually part of the art form."
The outlet also interviewed others who were present during the telecast, including 1998 show director Louis J. Horvitz, who said he felt like Cameron was "an a--hole" for his speech.
"If he had done that before voting closed, we would have lost. That's the sort of thing that would cost you winning," said former Fox Filmed Entertainment head Bill Mechanic, while Titanic actor Billy Zane added: "We were like, 'Oof, that was…' 'Huh…' 'Yeah, that was…' I got it, but, yeah."
Cameron further revealed that he and Hamilton dealt with wardrobe malfunctions at the show, including a broken dress strap and a pair of too-big pants the filmmaker had to hold up as he took the stage, after his tailor ghosted him before the broadcast.
The 2023 Oscars air this Sunday on ABC.
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