This is the story of the real Beatrice Wood, the real-life inspiration behind Rose DeWitt Bukater Calvert from the Hollywood movie Titanic.
To weave a character like Rose of Titanic was not a cup of tea. At least, that’s what writer James Cameron claimed. When Titanic was in the production phase, Cameron wanted a rebellious and vivacious character as a co-protagonist.
All he wanted was an intricate inspiration to showcase Rose’s character on the silver screen. James Cameroon did what he intended to do. Both of the leads in his film were an all-time couple. Having been nominated for the Academy Awards is no joke.
Finding the right inspiration was not easy for the director, especially the part of Rose. Kate Winslet was top notch but she needed to be built that way. And while searching for that feisty woman, meeting the American ceramicist was like a blessing in disguise for James Cameroon.
Kate Winslet’s Rose was based on a real-life person.
Not many people know but Rose’s character is based on Beatrice Wood. The reel life and real-life character have very little in common but those little things helped shape the movie ‘Titanic’ that we know of.
So who is this Beatrice Wood? How come we never knew her before? Yes, that is a question everyone needs the answer to. We do have the answer. So keep on reading to know about real-life Rose.
Who is Beatrice Wood?
Beatrice Wood is an artist and owns a pottery studio. Her ceramic works are praiseworthy. Apart from the mentioned professions, she was also an editor of the Ronwrong and The Blind Man Magazine.
The more we talk about Beatrice, the easier it becomes for us to see why Rose was inspired by her. Beatrice Wood was born on 3rd March 1983. She passed away on 12th March 1998. Yes, you read it right. She did live for 105 years, just like Rose DeWitt Bukater.
Inspiration for Titanic
Beatrice Wood is a master in arts as well as a master in life’s art. She is a jolly person and likes to hang out with people. Her jolliness was one of the key factors for James Cameron to take inspiration from her.
In the beginning, I said that she had little similarity with the reel life inspiration. It is because she never traveled by the Titanic, which is one of the biggest differences.
Apart from that, the similarities included having wealthy parents, a rebellious mindset, an appreciation for art, and a big fan of romance. Last but not least, which inspired James Cameron was Beatrice Wood’s autobiography, “I Shock Myself”, which the director happened to read while filming Titanic.
Beatrice Wood: A Professional View
Being a rebel, Beatrice Wood did not care about belonging to a wealthy family. Having been born in the city of San Francisco, she was least interested in her hometown.
Her parents forced her to get into mainstream studies, but she went for arts, and later painting. Wood’s love for arts got her a move to France. She did not have a problem settling in as she knew to speak French fluently.
She enrolled herself in Academie Julian, a prestigious French art school. In between, she worked in Theatre-Francais.
Her professional career in France came to a sudden halt when World War 1 began. She came back to the US. Wood could not get France out of her mind, so she joined a French Repertory Company.
The company was based in New York. Here comes the more interesting part, Beatrice Wood did more than sixty plays within two years while being with the company.
We must say, she was a person with more qualities than we can count. Actress, sculpture maker, pottery master, lusterware, etc.
Was Beatrice Wood As Romantic As Her Reel Life?
Beatrice Wood had been married twice in her lifetime. The first time was with Paul Renson, but unfortunately, it was annulled. The second time it was with Steve Hoag.
They got married in 1938 and got divorced in 1960. Her romantic life did not end with just marriage. It is believed that she was involved in a love triangle with Marcel Duchamp and Henri-Pierre Roche. In today’s world, it was juicy gossip.
Marcel Duchamp first met Beatrice Wood during the Avant Grande movement. Henri-Pierre Roche was Marcel Duchamp’s friend. Roche came to New York in 1916 to visit an old friend.
Slowly the three developed a close relationship. Everyone thought Beatrice Wood to be involved with Roche, ignoring the fact that she was 14 years younger than him. And being the co-founders of Rongwrong and The Blind Man, the three met quite often and started the rumor of a love triangle.
In 1956, Roche published his novel, Jules et Jim, which is a story about two men who fell in love with the same woman. Jules et Jim was believed to be the love triangle of the three.
Later, Beatrice Wood confirmed that the characters were just inspired by the three and nothing more. They had a friendly relationship and Roche already had a family in Paris. In the end, she also said that she had no memories of anything happening between them, ever.
James Cameron, Titanic’s director, revealed in an interview that the character of Rose DeWitt Bukater was based on an artist named Beatrice Wood.
Beatrice Wood was 105 years old when she passed away in Ojai, California. She passed away nine days after her 105th birthday, on 12th March 1998.
The name of Beatrice Wood’s autobiography is “I Shock Myself”. It was published in the year 1985.
No, Rose did not end up with Jack in Titanic. Jack froze to death while protecting her beloved Rose.
Titanic made only one voyage. On its first voyage, it hit a huge iceberg and sunk the ocean, thus making it its final voyage.
No, Rose from Titanic is a fictional character that was partly inspired by Beatrice Wood.
Yes, the ship ‘Titanic’ is real but the characters in the movie were fictional.
