First, it was "Romeo and Juliet" for Leonardo DiCaprio. His portrayal in this '90s remake of this classic story made every woman -- both young and old during this decade -- fall in love with him.

After that, there's "Titanic," where he played Jack Dawson, opposite Kate Winslet playing the role of Rose DeWitt Bukate. The film elevated him to superstar status, and it marked the beginning of a very successful story for DiCaprio.

It's all thanks to Paul Rudd, however. The "Ant-Man" actor is apparently the reason DiCaprio got the lead role for "Titanic."

In an appearance The Graham Norton Show (via US Magazine), Rudd revealed how he convinced his former "Living with Yourself" co-star to take the lead role in this classic hit film. The two also worked together in "Romeo and Juliet," and during that time, Rudd's father was known to be a Titanic expert.

Knowing a lot about Titanic because of his father, Rudd encouraged DiCaprio to "do it," noting that it's an incredible opportunity to star in such a massive project.

Rudd Not Taking the Credit

While DiCaprio eventually made the movie, Russ is not taking any credit. After all, he thinks he didn't have any say at all on Leonardo's decision.

However, he thinks it's still pretty cool and "interesting" that he is one of the people to really push Leonardo to do the move -- especially know that the film went down into history books as one of the most emotional and breathtaking films of all time.

DiCapio's Career After "Titanic"

It cannot be denied that "Titanic" was a worldwide hit. After the film's huge success, DiCaprio became a must-sought-after actor of his time.

He led the cast of two critically-acclaimed movies in 2002: "Catch Me If You Can," a biographical crime drama, and "Gangs of New York," a historical drama.

He also starred in films such as "The Aviator" in 2004, "Blood Diamond" in 2006, "The Departed" also in 2006, "Revolutionary Road in" 2008, "The Great Gatsby in 2013", "The Wolf of Wall Street" in 2013, and "The Revenant" in 2015, among others. 

DiCaprio won the Oscar as best actor in 2016 for his role in "The Revenant."

Impressively, DiCaprio has proven his worth, not just as an actor. He is also a businessman, specifically serving as the founder of Appian Way Production -- a production company that has produced some of his own movies and TV programs.

DiCaprio is also a humanitarian, having founded the non-profit organization, DiCaprio Foundation that promotes environmental awareness. 

Rudd's Notable Works and Recognitions

Like DiCaprio, Rudd has his own remarkable portrayal in several critically  acclaimed movies, too.

Before taking part in "Romeo and Juliet" in 1995 with DiCaprio, he also did other hit movies like "the 40-Year-Old Virgin" in 2005, "Role Models" in 2008, "This is 40" in 2012, and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" in 2012, among others.

Among the most notable roles he played include his portrayal in "Ant-Man," which brought him the Male Star of the Year Award in 2015; "Captain America: Civil War;" "Ant-Man and the Wasp,"; and "Avengers: Endgame."

Tags: Leonardo DiCaprio paul rudd titanic