Cameron Crowe, the revered director behind such films as Jerry Maguire and Vanilla Sky, has recalled a bold prediction that Clint Eastwood once shared with him at a dinner party. The Cry Macho filmmaker apparently foretold the future and let him in on a little secret: which major movie star he thinks will be considered an acting legend in 100 years from now. According to Crowe, Eastwood named none other than Tom Cruise as the actor who he believes will go down in history as a Hollywood icon, with his prolific body of work (which currently spans four decades) illuminating his enduring talent and lasting legacy.
The New York Times recently sat down with Crowe to discuss his long-awaited memoir, The Uncool, which will be published next month. At one point during the interview, the outlet asked Crowe for his perspective on Tom Cruise’s career, considering that he collaborated with him on some of his earliest films. He suggested that the actor, who many hold in high esteem, still has a lot more to come, noting that his “Paul Newman character phase is just around the corner and will fry people’s minds.” Crowe also revealed that he isn’t the only person in the industry that admires him, as he remembered an exchange he once shared with Eastwood, who candidly offered his verdict on the Mission: Impossible headliner. Crowe recounted:
“I’ll tell you one little thing: I have the same lawyer as Clint Eastwood, and he invited me to a dinner party. He sat me next to Clint Eastwood, and I was so nervous. What do you say to Clint Eastwood? So, I’m sitting there, and Clint Eastwood leans over and says, ‘Tom Cruise.’ And I go: ‘Oh, man, Tom Cruise. I love working with Tom Cruise.’ And he goes, ‘In a hundred years, they’re gonna look back — that’s the career, Tom Cruise’s career.'”
Immediately after sharing the anecdote, Crowe offered up his own endorsement of Cruise, echoing Eastwood’s comments. “That’s the career to watch,” he asserted. “When everything melts away and becomes simple statements of what happened in a certain time in history, you’re going to read Tom Cruise’s name… I hope to get to make another movie with Tom. I would love to be a part of that next phase.”
Tom Cruise Is One of Hollywood’s Most Enduring Stars
Cruise is one of Hollywood’s most enduring and bankable stars due to his consistent delivery of acclaimed performances in blockbuster films, such as playing Maverick in the Top Gun franchise, Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible film series, and more dramatic turns in movies like Jerry Maguire (which Crowe directed), Magnolia, and Born on the Fourth of July, all three of which earned him Academy Award nominations. He has proven himself to be a versatile actor who brings a high level of passion and dedication to any role he signs on for – and he is showing no signs of slowing down, as he has multiple movies in development with The Final Reckoning director Christopher McQuarrie beyond his final mission, which hit theaters earlier this year.
Eastwood and Cruise have never shared the screen together. However, Eastwood’s 1977 action thriller The Gauntlet is being remade by McQuarrie, with Cruise set to star opposite Scarlett Johansson in the new version of the classic. The two also very nearly collaborated on a remake of A Star Is Born, which Eastwood was set to helm in 2012 and had reportedly approached Cruise about, but the project changed direction, with Bradley Cooper ultimately taking over as director (plus writer, producer, and star) of the 2018 musical drama starring Lady Gaga. Despite not having worked together yet, Cruise and Eastwood both remain highly sought-after industry figures who continue to add to their respective legacies, on the screen and in the director’s chair.
- Birthname
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Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
- Birthdate
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July 3, 1962
- Birthplace
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Syracuse, New York, USA
