Tom Cruise Missed His Shot At Oscar by Refusing 1 Movie That Was Originally Set To Be Directed by Brad Pitt’s Mentor
Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise has had a versatile and vast career. The Fast and Furious franchise star has given decades of life to the industry. He has established himself as one of the most recognized personalities on a global scale. In his journey to the top, Cruise has done plenty of blockbusters. But that is not to say, his career didn’t involve setbacks and missed opportunities.
For instance, Cruise once denied a movie that went on to win three Academy Awards. Many had assumed the movie was set up for success from the get-go. It was directed by a highly skilled and esteemed director, whom another Hollywood megastar Brad Pitt calls his mentor. Here’s how things went.
Tom Cruise’s Missed Opportunity For An Oscar Win
Tom Cruise was once offered the lead role in a film that went on to become a raging success. However, Cruise couldn’t be a part of it. Eventually, the role went to Russell Crowe and the film created history winning three Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture.
The film was a biography of American mathematician John Nash titled A Beautiful Mind, directed by Ron Howard. After the release of the film in the early 00s, Crowe’s stardom and popularity increased multifold. It is regarded as Crowe’s most remarkable performance. He was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actor category but didn’t win for one reason or another.
View this post on Instagram
Cruise denied the portrayal of the troubled genius and instead reunited with his Jerry Maguire director Cameron Crowe for the film Vanilla Sky. Vanilla Sky’s performance at the box office and among critics was underwhelming. And the film did not win any Oscars.
Read More: WB is Giving Tom Cruise His Own Office after He Agrees to Abandon Paramount
Brad Pitt’s Mentor Was Going To Direct A Beautiful Mind
Crowe instead of Cruise wasn’t the only change that happened with the film. It was initially set to be directed by Robert Redford. Redford himself is an actor-turned-director and his work in the film fraternity has been impactful for a generation of movie enthusiasts.
Redford and Cruise would have been one dynamic duo. Sadly, this association did not come to be. However, Redford shares a special bond with another of Hollywood’s finest actors, Brad Pitt.
Pitt’s first big film was with Redford and the actors developed a great friendship since then. Pitt in fact called Redford his mentor. “We had, as a matter of fact, a sort of mentor-protégé relationship,” Pitt told Closer Weekly.
Hollywood is one vibrant mosaic of talents where overlaps are bound to happen. But an instance like this makes one wonder how different some films could have been.
