Kate Winslet’s door scene in Titanic inspired by real survivor

The grandson of Titanic survivor Fang Lang has revealed that his grandfather’s real-life survival story inspired the iconic floating door scene in James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster Titanic, according to E! News.

Steven Fong shared that his grandfather, Fang Lang, survived the 1912 Titanic disaster by clinging to a floating door after the ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean, a moment that later inspired the emotional climax featuring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the Oscar-winning film.

Recalling his grandfather’s survival story, Fong said, “With my grandfather’s story, he actually went down with the ship. To everyone’s amazement, he found his way onto a door,” as per the outlet.

The scene bears resemblance to the famous ending in Titanic where Rose, played by Kate Winslet, floats on a wooden panel while Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, sacrifices himself in the freezing Atlantic waters.

Fong revealed that filmmaker James Cameron had acknowledged Fang Lang’s influence on the scene.

“James Cameron does reveal that my grandfather was the inspiration for the Jack and Rose end scene,” he said.