Hollywood director James Cameron and actress Suzy Amis proved their love is still going strong more than two decades after meeting on the set of his blockbuster film, Titanic. The couple, aged 71 and 63 respectively, shared affectionate hugs and laughter on the red carpet at the premiere of Cameron's new Avatar film on Monday.
A Love Story Forged on the Titanic Set
The pair first met in 1997 during the production of the iconic film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Cameron directed the epic, while Amis played the role of Lizzy Calvert in the modern-day storyline. Their professional connection blossomed into romance, and they married in the year 2000.
The couple have built a family together, raising three children. They are parents to son Quinn, 21, and two daughters: Claire, 23, and Elizabeth, 18. Cameron also has an older daughter, Josephine, 31, from his previous marriage to actress Linda Hamilton.
Cameron's Stark Warning on AI in Hollywood
Beyond his personal life, the Oscar-winning filmmaker used the spotlight to voice strong opinions on the use of technology in cinema. While he sits on the board of Stability AI and sees value in AI for making visual effects cheaper, he drew a firm line at generative AI creating performances.
Cameron described the idea of AI generating actors and performances as "horrifying," stating it was the "opposite" of his filmmaking philosophy. He passionately defended motion capture as a "celebration of the actor's performance moment" and the "sanctity" of the actor-director relationship.
"I don't want a computer doing what I pride myself on being able to do with actors," he stated clearly. "I don't want to replace actors, I love working with actors."
The Future of Imagination in Filmmaking
Cameron argued that while AI might push filmmakers to be more disciplined and imaginative, it can never replicate true human creativity. He explained that generative AI models are trained on existing art, producing an "average" of past work, and cannot capture a unique lived experience or an actor's idiosyncrasies.
He believes this technological shift will, in fact, make the raw act of live performance more sacred. The director also expressed concern that expensive, original imaginative films like Avatar are becoming harder to make in a cautious studio environment focused on known franchises.
For James Cameron, the path forward involves embracing technology as a tool, but never as a replacement for the human heart and artistry that first brought him together with his wife on the set of a cinematic legend.
