Before he was offered the choice of joining the IMF as agent Ethan Hunt in theMission: Impossiblefranchise,Tom Cruisespent years trying to prove he was more than just anactionstar. He worked with celebrated directors Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, and eventually, he was able to show his acting chops in the comedy-dramaRain Man. Directed by Barry Levinson,Rain Manwasgroundbreaking for Cruise, but getting the role in it wasn’t exactly in his plans, and he has now revealed what he had to do in order to get the part.
Per Variety’s report, theJerry MaguireandEyes Wide Shutactor was in London at the British Film Institute this past weekend to receive the BFI Fellowship, the organization’s most important recognition. Currently promoting the latest installment in theMission: Impossiblefranchise,The Final Reckoning, Cruise also spoke about his past roles, and he shared an anecdote about meeting hisRain Manco-star Dustin Hoffman. It was in a New York City restaurant in 1984, and the encounter only happened because Cruise’s sister, Cass, insisted that he had to approach the Hollywood legend and star ofThe GraduateandMidnight Cowboy:
“She goes, ‘There’s Dustin Hoffman.’ I looked up and there he was, in a hat. He was doing Death of a Salesman, and he was ordering takeout. She goes, ‘You go over there and say hello to him.’ I was like, ‘I’m not going to say hello.’ She goes, ‘You know him, you know his movies.’ And she doesn’t do stuff like that. And I don’t walk up to people, but she was so pushy.”
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Cruise gave in when his sister said, “If you don’t do it, I’m just going to go over there and tell him who you are.” She had to push him until he finally accepted the challenge and approached the actor: “I said, ‘Excuse me, Mr. Hoffman, I’m sorry,’ and he went, ‘Cruise!'” Hoffman offered them tickets to theDeath of a Salesmanplay, and upon saying goodbye, they closed the “deal”:
“As I was leaving he said, ‘I want to make a movie with you.’ And I said, ‘That would be nice, sir.’ And that’s what happened, and basically a year later he sent Rain Man.”
‘Rain Man’ Has One of Tom Cruise’s Best Non-Action Performances
InRain Man, Cruise gives life to Charlie Babbitt, a ruthless and greedy car dealer who finds out his father has passed away. He wants to become an heir, but Charlie finds that his father has only left him a car. The rest of the estate is destined to the organization taking care of someone whose existence he wasn’t aware of: his older brother, Raymond (Hoffman).
Raymond is a person with autism who also has an exceptional talent for solving extremely difficult calculations. Charlie decides to grab his brother from the institution, and tries to convince everybody that he can take care of him. Of course, he’s just after the money, but a road trip with his newly found brother becomes a life-changing quest for the ambitious young man who will see his priorities change.
Rain Manwas critically acclaimed upon release. Out of eight Academy Award nominations, it brought home four wins, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Hoffman), and Best Original Screenplay. Although Cruise was not nominated, the film was a game-changer for the actor, asRain Manbecame the highest-grossing film of 1988, proving that he could boost ticket sales only with a good performance and without performing mind-bending stunts.
Source:Variety
