In an interview with GQ, Hawke revealed that he once auditioned for the lead role in Cameron's "Titanic" but didn't land the part. Ethan wasn't upset about it though – quite the opposite, he felt relieved. The role, as we all remember, ultimately made Leonardo DiCaprio a star.
"I don't think I would have handled the success as well as Leo did. He was like a damn member of The Beatles," the actor explained.

Source:
imdb