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Tom Cruise has cemented his place as one of Hollywood’s biggest superstars thanks to his larger-than-life persona, arresting looks, and excellent use of his skill sets. The actor’s keen knowledge of the craft has also played a significant part in his massive success. Over the years, Cruise has played his cards extremely well in the industry by making smart choices with regard to roles and films.
TheMission: Impossiblestar has also used his wisdom many times to let go of films that he believed, would not have worked for him. One such high-profile project that came his way was the 1998 romantic adventure,The Mask Of Zorro. Cruise’s rejection of the offer to play the protagonist’s role which ultimately went to Antonio Banderas, turned out to be a wise decision on the actor’s part.
Also Read:Ted Lasso Actress Spent 5 Days With Tom Cruise on an Aircraft Carrier; Decided to Diss All His Haters: “I have no time for anyone saying anything about him”
Tom Cruise Avoided A Costly Mistake That Scarlett Johansson Made
1998’sThe Mask Of Zorrostarring Antonio Banderas and Catherine-Zeta Jones, became a cult classic thanks to the chemistry between the two stars and Banderas’ Spanish sensibilities that worked perfectly for the film. This role was first offered toTom CruisewhenSteven Spielberghad originally developed the film with Mikael Salomon on board as director. Cruise though, refused the part stating that his casting would look very incongruous for the character.
As it turned out, this decision by theMinority Reportstar was one of his wisest moves. According to Salomon who later gave way to Martin Campbell as director, having Cruise on board for a role which required a person of a specific ethnicity, would have been surely questioned. In an interview withSlash Film, he cited an example and said,
“Early on, [Spielberg] wanted to offer it to him. Have you heard that? He wanted to offer it to Tom Cruise. And my friend and countryman Bille August had done The House of the Spirits with all non-Latinos, and he got in so much hot water because of that, and they picketed the movie in South America. And I said to Steven, ‘You know, that’s probably not a good idea, just for that reason.'”
In a similar instance, Scarlett Johansson signed on to play the role of an Asian character in the the sci-fi thriller,Ghost in the Shell. This move was criticized by audiences and critics as Johansson’s obviously Scandinavian looks were a complete mismatch for the character. Cruise though, ensured that he did not fall into a similar trap withThe Mask Of Zorro.
Also Read:“I’ve no time for anyone saying anything about him”: Mission Impossible 8 Star is Frustrated With Critics Trashing Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise Also Rejected These Iconic Films
Tom Cruise’s career graph in Hollywood reflects a celebrity who has successfully sustained his superstardom over many decades by making smart movie choices. More significantly, Cruise’s ability to comprehend which roles would not suit him, worked extremely well in his favor. Having said that, the Oscar nominee has turned down many marquee films that are now considered cult classics.
One of the iconic roles made popular by Patrick Swayze was inGhostwhich was offered to Cruise. TheJerry Maguirestar was also in the reckoning to play the protagonist inEdward Scissorhandsand 1997’sDonny Brasco. The critically acclaimedA Beautiful Mindstarring Russel Crowe was also a film that Cruise could have done.
Even the superhero franchises were keen on the action star, with Marvel reportedly offering Cruise an opportunity to play Iron Man. TheWar of the Worldsactor went on record to state that no one other than Robert Downey Jr. could have played the part. Despite missing out on these memorable films, theCocktailstar has ensured that none of these misses proved costly for his career.
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
