James Cameron Met His Wife Suzy Amis On The Set Of Titanic
Before meeting and subsequently falling in love with his wife, Suzy Amis, while working on "Titanic," James Cameron had been married four other times. Finding romance on set happened to the acclaimed director — a lot. Cameron was first married to actor Sharon Williams, but the two called it quits in 1984 as he eventually fell for and married Gale Ann Hurd, who was a producer and screenwriter on "The Terminator." Afterward, he was wed to Kathryn Bigelow for two years until he started a romance with Linda Hamilton following their work on "Terminator 2" in 1991.
Besides working in the industry, one thing Cameron's wives had in common was that they were strong-willed. "He likes to write about 'em and he likes to marry 'em. If there's one or two themes that run through his life and work, that's at the top of the list," William Wisher, a friend and collaborator of the "True Lies" director, told The New Yorker in 2009.
Amis may not be as recognizable a name as some of Cameron's exes, but she is a successful actor in her own right. She appeared in films like "The Usual Suspects" and "Blown Away" before nabbing a part in "Titanic," which altered the trajectory of her career. "It totally changed my life," Amis told Mom.com in 2012. She added that their romance did not blossom until after the production of "Titanic" wrapped. To further complicate things, Cameron went on to marry his third wife, Hamilton, after meeting Amis.
James Cameron's short marriage to Linda Hamilton
James Cameron and his future wife, Suzy Amis, hit it off while filming "Titanic," but the seasoned director waited until after shooting wrapped to shoot his proverbial shot. "As a matter of fact, Suzy and I, we were very attracted to each other when we first met," he explained to The Guardian in 2017. However, Cameron admitted he did not believe in being romantically involved with an actor he was directing. "I think about 10 seconds after we were done filming, well, you know," he added.
In fact, Gloria Stuart — who played an older Rose in "Titanic" — recognized the connection between the pair. "She saw the whole thing — the sparks flying with Jim and me completely unfold. She was very much a matchmaker," Amis said of Stuart when speaking to Mom.com in 2012.
It was a precarious position for Cameron as he was living with Linda Hamilton at the time, although their relationship was going through a rough patch. "[Cameron] went off with [Amis] because we were taking a break from each other and he was free to go with her," Hamilton told the Daily Mail in 2011. Eventually, the "Avatar" director reconciled with Hamilton. "Then when he got together with [Amis] I changed my mind and he came back to me and we got married," the "Terminator 2" star added. Although their marriage only lasted eight months. Afterward, Cameron returned to Amis, and the couple have been together ever since. Even Hamilton believed Amis was a better match for her ex-husband.
James Cameron and Suzy Amis started a large family
Linda Hamilton started dating James Cameron in the early '90s, but there was immediate friction when the "Terminator: Dark Fate" star moved in with him. "He was the controlling director," Hamilton told The New Yorker in 2009 about her ex's at-home demeanor. The pair had a daughter together in 1993, but Hamilton took the child and moved out when the kid was only nine months old. Although the couple stayed together and eventually married in 1997, they quickly decided to part ways after tying the knot. "In the end, it was an eight-month marriage, and he went off with someone who's much better suited to him," Hamilton said.
In addition to Cameron's child with Hamilton, he and Suzy Amis had three children of their own — plus she had a son from a previous marriage. According to "The Abyss" director, the kids often complained that he tried to call the shots at home when he was not filming. That caused Cameron to make some personal changes. "I realized I was wearing the mantle of responsibility of a parent and overcompensating for the time I wasn't there," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022.
During Amis's post-acting years, she became not only a mother but an environmentalist alongside her husband. She helps run a brassica business for Cameron Family Farms, which is based out of New Zealand. "That's what excites us, excites me," Amis told Stuff in 2021.