Andreas Rentz/Getty; Paramount Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox Ethan Hawke said he's relieved he didn't land the role of Jack Dawson in 1997'sTitanic "I don't think I would have handled that success as well as Leo," Hawke said of Leonardo DiCaprio, who famously played Jack Dawson Hawke later earned an Academy Award nomination in 2001 forTraining Day Ethan Hawkeis glad he lost out on the lead role inTitanictoLeonardo DiCaprio. "I don't think I would have handled that success as well as Leo,"Hawke, 54, toldBritish GQin an interview published Monday, Sept. 1. "He was a f---ing Beatle." DiCaprio, 50, played Jack Dawson, the romantic lead inJames Cameron's 1997 historical epic about the1912 sinking of the Titanic. Despite his hesitance at how he would have handled the fame that DiCaprio attracted for his role in Titanic, Hawke had already starred inDead Poets Society,Reality Bites, andBefore Sunrisebefore the Academy Award-winning film was released. DiCaprio starred in Titanic oppositeKate Winslet.The film largely brought his career to new heights, paving the way for future roles in 2002'sCatch Me If You Can, 2004'sThe Aviator, and 2006'sBlood Diamond, the latter two for which he was nominated for an Oscar. Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Hawke went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor in the 2001 crime dramaTraining Day. Despite not winning, he recalled that his costar,Denzel Washington,whispered to him after he lost that night: "You don't want an award to improve your status," Hawke said on Max'sWho's Talking to Chris Wallace. "You want to improve the award's status." In 1997, Hawke instead costarred opposite his now ex-wifeUma ThurmaninGattaca.The couple tied the knot in 1998, and Thurman, 55, filed for divorce in 2004. The pair officially split in 2005. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. "It's humiliating," Hawke said of the attention surrounding their divorce. "It's almost humiliating even when they're saying positive things." The former couple share daughterMaya, 27, and son Levon, 23.Hawke will soon appear inShe DancesandBlack Phone 2. Read the original article onPeople