The little boy from the film Titanic reveals how much he still earns 20 years later

Everyone remembers him, even though he only had one line of text and barely three scenes. The little Irish boy filmed by James Cameron in “Titanic” was just 5 years old at the time of filming. Now in his twenties, actor Reece Thompson reveals that he continues to earn royalties from his role… more than 20 years later!

An angel’s face, world-famous

A child destined to perish with his mother and sister in the film

James Cameron is a master of dramatic scenes. And the choice of filming a 5-year-old Irish boy asking his mother what’s going to happen, right in the middle of the sinking of the Titanic, was an idea designed above all to reinforce the film’s drama.

As a reminder, it was this little boy, his mother and his sister, who perished lying in a bed, all three of them squeezed together until the last moments. A moment of great emotional intensity, which turned the hearts of millions of spectators.

A poignant scene from Titanic

That’s why this boy’s face is one of the most emblematic figures in James Cameron’s masterpiece.

And it would seem that this meagre intervention was enough to ensure a handsome income for the now-adult actor!

It turned out to be one of the most profitable films in history, so it’s kind of weird in retrospect. My mom said, “Let’s do it. It’ll be cool. Even if the movie sucks, we’ll see it.
Obviously, it ended up exploding, so it wasn’t a bad decision on his part, that’s for sure. Reece Thompson told Business Insider.

For the young man, the difficulty of the shoot was considerable. The latter, a native American, had to say a single line of text… but with a typically Irish accent! It’s hard at 5 years old to disguise the way you talk and be credible!

But it seems that working with a coach has paid off.

As a result, the actor revealed that he earned over $30,000 after the film’s release… Best of all, he’d still receive a check every year, ranging from $200 to $300 a year! Royalties he still enjoys receiving:

It’s weird because it’s no longer in my mind,” he declared. “It’s not like, “Oh, when am I going to get a new Titanic check?”
When that happens, it’s like, “Oh, cool. $100 more.”

As a reminder, James Cameron’s Titanic – starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet – earned $2.187 billion at the box office.