Child actor reaps "Titanic" rewards decades later
Reece Thompson, who had a small role as a child in "Titanic" with just one line, still receives royalties for his performance. Initially, his mother was torn between letting him participate in the movie and a gas station commercial.
"Titanic," directed by James Cameron, is one of the greatest successes in film history. Since it premiered in 1997, the film has continued to captivate audiences worldwide. Its popularity is due to a combination of masterful storytelling, cutting-edge special effects, and an unforgettable cast, further confirmed by its record-breaking 11 Oscars.
Although the main stars of the production are Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, there are also significant, if not financial, benefits for Reece Thompson, who played a minor role as a five-year-old. He portrayed a small Irish passenger traveling with his mother and sister. In the film, he says just one sentence, which was enough to earn him royalties to this day.
What are we doing, Mommy? - and that’s the end of his line.
He said one line in "Titanic". He still receives money today
In a conversation with Business Insider, Thompson revealed that, thanks to this role, he receives $100 to $250 in royalties each year. The decision to take the role was ultimately made by his mother, who also considered a job at a gas station.
It turned out to be one of the most famous films in history, which is quite strange when I look back, when my mother used to say, 'Let's do it, even if the film is bad, we'll see it. Finally, he blew up, so she didn't make a bad decision - he recalled in the interview.
Ultimately, she chose the film, which proved to be a sage decision. Reece admits that he is pleased with the ongoing interest in the production and hopes it will stay that way.
But hopefully, they keep playing it a lot because that means more money for me - he concluded.
