Hearts wouldn’t have gone on.
A former child star who acted in “Titanic” revealed a heart-rending scene that was included in an early edit of the film, which was cut because it was too devastating.
Alex Owens-Sarno, who portrayed the young third-class passenger Cora in the 1997 epic about the ill-fated ocean liner, spoke about the scene in the February 10 episode of the “After We Wrap” podcast.
Owens-Sarno, now 36, told host Gabriella Ortiz that working on the Oscar-winning movie was “great” and shared memories from her time on set.
One of the actress’ most well-known moments from the movie’s final version is when she dances with Leonardo DiCaprio during a lively party on the third-class deck. As DiCaprio’s character, Jack then goes to take a turn with Rose (Kate Winslet), he tells a jealous-looking Cora, “You’re still my best girl, Cora.”
Despite already being an established star, Owens-Sarno didn’t initially know who DiCaprio was at the time.
“Our first scene that we filmed was this scene that ended up getting cut, and when we went home that day, my mom was like, ‘Do you know who you were on camera with?’ and I was like, ‘Leo, my friend!’” she recalled.
“She literally showed me ‘Gilbert Grape’ that week, and I was like, ‘He’s a real actor?! He was my buddy, and it was super fun.”
Owens-Sarno’s role in “Titanic” was her first acting gig. She landed the part after attending an open casting call for extras. “The dancing was part of my audition,” she said.
However, the scene that impacted her the most and sparked her desire to pursue acting was one that never made it to the final film. It was a brief moment where Cora and her family were seen drowning as the Titanic sank.
“It was heavily rejected by moms,” Owens-Sarno explained.
However, director James Cameron was determined to keep the scene, and Owens-Sarno revealed that she performed her own stunt. “It’s a lot,” she said.
“When they were showing [‘Titanic’ to] test audiences, [the audiences] were like, ‘Not her. We will not watch her die,’” she continued.
“They thought seeing her death was ‘way too much.’” Despite being cut from the movie, the scene was eventually posted online.
After the film’s release, Owens-Sarno quickly became aware of the movie’s massive cultural impact. “I started being approached on the street, like, ‘Oh my gosh, are you Cora?’” she recalled. “People see me and know me and recognize who I am.”
Her grandmother also proudly bragged about her role, telling anyone who would listen, “This is my baby girl, and she was in ‘Titanic.’” Owens-Sarno also confessed that, during her preteen years, she was “probably kind of a brat about” having worked with DiCaprio.
Raised in San Diego, Owens-Sarno mentioned that after “Titanic,” she got an agent and attended auditions but struggled to book work. Later, she moved back to Los Angeles as an adult to try her hand at acting again.
She shared that the emotional intensity of her cut drowning scene reminded her of what she loves most about acting. Describing herself as a “thicker girl,” she said she has often been typecast for “comedy” roles due to her body type. But she considers “drama” to be her true love.
“I know where my talent lives and can go forward from there,” she explained.
