Step aside, Leonardo DiCaprio—fans have found a new heartthrob in the Titanic universe. While DiCaprio’s Jack Dawson character captured many hearts, it seems actor Danny Nucci, who portrayed Fabrizio, has earned a special place in the audience’s affections.
Nucci played Fabrizio, the spirited Italian companion of Jack Dawson, in the iconic film. Though his role was more of a sidekick to DiCaprio’s leading man, Nucci’s charm and performance have left a lasting impression on fans.
Recently, Fabrizio’s character was brought back into the spotlight by pop culture analyst John Wallison. In January, Wallison posed a question to his followers, asking, “What does the hottest actor from Titanic look like today?”
Wallison’s commentary was accompanied by a contemporary photo of Nucci, prompting him to remark, “Honestly, Leonardo DiCaprio… truly dreams of aging like this.” The sentiment resonated with many commenters, who agreed that Nucci’s appeal has only grown over the years.
‘Honestly, Leonardo DiCaprio… truly dreams of aging like this,’ Wallison declared as he showed a recent photo of Nucci.
It was a message many commenters were aligned with.
Danny Nucci, who played Fabrizio in Titanic, has been crowned by fans as the ‘hottest actor’ in the film
‘I always thought he was more beautiful than Leonardo,’ one wrote.
‘Fabrizio was cuter than Jack. End of story lol,’ another posted.
‘he was the real Jack,’ another said.
‘I always thought he was hotter than Leo!’
‘Fabrizio was damn hot,’ one posted.
‘That dude could take me to the back seat anytime. He was beautiful,’ another said.
Members of the subreddit ‘Vintage Lady Boners’ also agreed.
‘Such a FACE,’ the author noted.
A young man from Italy who wins a ticket to Titanic just moments before the ship departs over a game of poker, Fabrizio originally had a much larger presence in the film.
‘Fabrizio was cuter than Jack. End of story,’ a netizen declared
Fabrizio was Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio)’s best friend on the RMS Titanic
Pop culture influencer John Wallison asked his followers in January, ‘What does the hottest actor from Titanic look like today?’
He has continued to act consistently since the 1997 film debuted; pictured September 2025
However, Nucci was ‘completely heartbroken’ when he watched the final cut at the premiere of Titanic after seeing just how much of his part was removed from the movie.
‘The first time I saw it, that was the predominant part of the experience,’ he told Vanity Fair. ‘When I saw it the second time, I was able to see the scope of what Jim had done. . . . It was pretty amazing.’
Fabrizio perishes during the sinking of the Titanic as he desperately swims from the ship, only to be struck by one of the smokestacks.
But the script first killed for him to be killed after a run-in with the villainous Cal (Billy Zane).
Fabrizio manages to escape the disaster and swims to Cal’s lifeboat, begging him to let him on to make it to America.
Viewers were in agreement with Wallison’s observations
Nucci’s roles included parts in 9-1-1 (pictured) and more
Nucci, pictured 2006, has not let Titanic define his acting career
However Cal strikes him on the head with an oar and tells him, ‘It’s that way.’
‘As I float away, the lifeboat slowly [disappears] into the gray,’ he recalled. ‘It was one of the scenes that drew me to the role. But after seeing the movie, I understand, because it’s just on and on with Cal. We get it; Cal is awful.’
The iconic moment he shared with DiCaprio in which his co-star declared he was the ‘king of the world’ did make it. But the making of it wasn’t as glamorous as one might think.
‘It was just me and him up on this giant platform, and the wind was blowing and it was freezing cold and it was the morning, and I don’t think we’d eaten,’ he told Vanity Fair. ‘I had to pee, he had to pee; he’s hungry, I’m hungry; he’s cold, I’m cold. We don’t have anything up there other than our characters’ clothes.
‘And so in this scene, [our characters] are the happiest we have ever been in our lives, and the world is in front of us, and the minute they said, ‘Cut,” we would be miserable.’
While the film may be the biggest title on his resume, Nucci has not let it define his career.
Nucci, pictured at a Dodgers game alongside Brad Pitt in 2018, has enjoyed continued success in Hollywood
Nucci has been acting consistently ever since, with roles on the big and small screens.
His resume demonstrates his versatility, with roles in comedies, dramas, and even the obscure.
Nucci has landed parts in Crimson Tide, The Rock, CSI, Castle, Party of Five, House, Just Shoot Me!, Snoops, 9-1-1, Dynasty, The Chosen Adventures, and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.
Nucci was also introduced to a new generation of viewers with a starring role in the ABC Family series The Fosters, in which he played the stepfather to Noah Centineo’s character.
