Titanic Extra Sues -- I Want a Shipload of Money

"Yes. Yes ma'am." These are the words a movie extra believes are worth a fortune ... words he brilliantly delivered in "Titanic" ... words over which he is now suing.

The extra -- a guy named Vi Jay -- has filed the lawsuit against 20th Century Fox, claiming he was cast as a non-speaking background actor in the embarking scene at the beginning of the movie. Vi says the day of the shoot, James Cameron spontaneously gave him a career-changing line.

"Yes. Yes ma'am." Vi delivers the line to Kathy Bates' character as she hands him her luggage.

Vi says he was paid a measly $60 a day -- per his agreement as an extra -- but now says the line he delivered entitles him to SAG (Screen Actors' Guild) benefits, specifically RESIDUALS.

And Vi might have a point -- we spoke to a rep from SAG, who says actors with speaking roles (no matter how small) are typically entitled to residual money.