James Cameron, the renowned director of the iconic film Titanic, recently opened up about an unexpected incident that took place on the set of one of his films. In a recent interview, the Canadian filmmaker spilled some major details about a wild drug incident on a film set.
James Cameron was handed drugs on this film set
When James Cameron landed his first big movie gig, it came with a wild surprise. The Academy Award winner recently recounted being unexpectedly offered drugs on set in an interview with In Depth with Graham Bensinger.
Recalling memories of his big break, the Oscar-winning director revealed how he landed the job of production designer for Roger Corman’s 1980 cult classic, “Battle Beyond the Stars”. Cameron shared that he secured the position after the sudden departure of the original designer.
The Terminator director had joined the project a mere two weeks prior to the commencement of filming. He shared that they hadn’t designed or built any of the sets. “It’s like, ‘Okay, I guess I’m jumping into the fire. Okay, yeah, I’ll do it.’ And they asked me at like 4 o’clock in the morning,” Cameron said.
However, it’s his first day in the new role that will forever remain etched in David Cameron’s memory. The production manager had offered him a couple of illicit substances, catching him off guard. He recalled the production manager handing him a petty cash voucher, rattling off crew lists, and laying out illicit substances on the table, including black beauties and cocaine.
The True Lies filmmaker was clueless about what to make of the drugs on the table. “I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, what do I do with this stuff?'” he said. “I mean, I didn’t take drugs. You know, for me, coffee was plenty.”
The production manager then told James Cameron the drugs weren’t for him, but for the crew, and he was expected to distribute them. During his chat with Bensigner, Cameron looked back on thinking he’d inadvertently become a dealer. He highlighted the prevalent culture in low-budget filmmaking at the time.
Cameron promptly handed over the responsibility to his assistant art director. The assistant art director was unfazed and handled the situation accordingly.
