Featured Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
Topics: Titanic, TV and Film, Money
Olivia Burke
Titanic first hit the cinemas almost three decades ago, but those who starred in it are still getting paid for their acting efforts.
The likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet continue to receive cheques for their memorable roles - as do some of the other lesser known characters in James Cameron's 1997 flick.
It's impossible to remember all of the actors who played minor parts in the hit movie, especially since so many extras were used throughout filming.
Cameron created a 'core group' of background talent though, consisting of 150 people, who were all given names and detailed backstories based on real passengers.
The filmmaker did this in a bid to inform viewers of some of the real-life experiences of those who lost their lives on the Titanic's ill-fated maiden voyage across the Atlantic in 1912.
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One of these minor characters who boasted a backstory was Reece Thompson.
He was just five years old when he made his Hollywood debut in the blockbuster, but these days, he has left the bright lights of the showbiz world behind in favour of a career as a digital marketing director.
However, Utah-based Thompson, 33, continues to reap the rewards from his childhood acting gig all these years later, as he still receives royalty cheques for his minor role in the Oscar-winning film.
For those who don't recognise the baby-faced star, he played the little Irish lad who is a third-class passenger on the Titanic alongside his mother and sister.
Fun fact, by the way - at the tender age of five, Thompson 'didn’t know what an Irish accent was at all', but managed to do a half-decent job at it for his one line in the movie.
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Although Thompson's moment on the big screen in Titanic was fleeting, it was still extremely impactful.
He's seen being tucked into bed alongside his sibling, as his mother realises their doomed fates - as unfortunately, third-class passengers weren't a priority during the evacuation.
In the film, Thompson heartbreakingly utters: "What are we doing, mummy?"
His mother, played by Jenette Goldstein, then responds: "We’re just waiting, dear. When they finish putting first-class people in the boats, they’ll be starting with us, and we’ll want to be ready, right?"
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It's a moment which really tugs on the heartstrings of viewers, as the trio never did get the call up to hop onto a lifeboat and sadly perished in the tragedy.
In the film world, that is - as Thompson is still alive and kicking in real life and he is also still raking it in from his small role all these years on.
He told Business Insider back in 2018: "It's weird because it's not present in my mind anymore. It's not like, 'Oh, when am I going to get a new Titanic cheque?'"
"When it happens, it's like, 'Oh, cool, an extra $100'," Thompson said. "There have been a couple of times where it's been like: 'Oh, wow, that's a $250 check'.
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"But hopefully, they keep playing it a lot because that means more money for me."
But last year, Thompson revealed he hadn't cashed any of these cheques in a while.
During an interview with Australia’s Studio 10, he explained: "Yeah, I still do [receive royalty cheques], it’s true. But I haven’t updated my address in several years, honestly since the last time I got interviewed for this.
"So, I haven’t seen them [the cheques] in a few years. I’m just assuming that they are still coming."
The child actor said he and his wife 'get a kick out of [seeing] comments' discussing his role in the film - although his memories of being on set are a bit hazy.
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"It’s interesting, I’d say my family and I mostly just think that it’s interesting that people are still finding it interesting," Thompson added.
“[The comments] are mostly just interesting to read, but yeah, it feels like a dream it was so long ago."
He hasn't revealed the exact amount he's raked in over the years, but we can all hazard a guess - and it's not half bad.