When Michael Caine accused Tobey Maguire of having little man syndrome: “They are more angry”
He may be best known for his work in the Spider-Man films, but Tobey Maguire isn’t anything like Peter Parker in real life, poised to be one of the most exciting young actors of his generation.
Between the maniacal dark comedy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the gripping family drama The Ice Storm, the heartfelt fantasy Pleasantville, and the coming-of-age tale Wonder Boys, he had an eclectic filmography put together covering all genres.
Yet, the success Maguire gained from being in one of the highest-grossing film trilogies of all time was marred by his reputation for being difficult, such that following the cancellation of Spider-Man 4, he found it more difficult to secure jobs, even being fired by Ang Lee from his role in Life of Pi.
After playing Bobby Fischer in the underrated biopic Pawn Sacrifice, which bombed at the box office, the actor seemed to disappear from the industry entirely for nearly a decade before making a triumphant return to playing a different version of Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which united him with Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield for the first time.
Although the fame that comes with playing a marquee character like Spider-Man can sometimes go to an actor’s head, Maguire seemingly developed this reputation before he landed the role in the Marvel comic book adaptation, while filming the 1999 drama The Cider House Rules, which led his co-star, Michael Caine, to say that he was among a group of young actors who were “more ambitious because they are more angry because they are short”.
Caine’s deadpan wit is renowned, but at 5’8”, Maguire would truly often be towered over by his co-stars, and while there are various tricks that can be used to make actors look taller, it does present a greater issue when they are exposed to as much press and public interviews as Maguire was. Given that Caine has never been an actor to avoid speaking his mind, it’s not exactly surprising that the two had conflict with one another.
Although it’s largely forgotten now, The Cider House Rules was a fairly big deal when it was released in 1999, and despite controversy over the depiction of abortion, the film was nominated for several Academy Awards, including ‘Best Picture’.
Caine even won the award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’, which meant he could accept it in person for the first time, as when he had won in the same category previously for his performance in Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters, he wasn’t there to accept the trophy, caught up in filming Jaws: The Revenge.
It’s a bit baffling that The Cider House Rules got a ‘Best Picture’ shout because 1999 was a year often remembered as the greatest in history, such that left off the ‘Best Picture’ lineup were classics like Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, The Talented Mr Ripley, The Hurricane, The Straight Story, Being John Malkovich, and The Matrix. However, it was also notable that Maguire didn’t receive any major nominations, and still has not been recognised by the Academy, so perhaps the fact that he’s been so often snubbed for his work is what has given him such a temper, and it’s not because he can’t reach the high shelves.
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