The movie that inspired Tom Cruise’s fascination with filmmaking: ”I started working more and more”
A Hollywood icon for a number of reasons, Tom Cruise’s cinematic successes are numerous and wide-ranging. Since starring in his first role in Endless Love at 19 years old, Cruise has starred in over 40 films but like many actors of his stature, he’s also turned to producing films. Cruise even has his own production company, Cruise/Wagner Productions, which co-produced the Mission: Impossible franchise. He’s known to have negotiated some of the most lucrative film deals in cinema history.
As with many things, it seems that filmmaking has become quite the obsession in his life. Shockingly, he’s only put his hand to directing the once, however, on a single episode of the television series Fallen Angels. But he remains enthralled by all aspects of filmmaking, the inspiration for which comes from an unlikely place.
Having worked with the biggest and best directors in cinema history – Stanley Kubrick, Stephen Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola to name a few – Cruise isn’t short on inspiration. However, it was his little-known supporting role in 1981 thriller drama Taps that had Cruise hooked on filmmaking.
Speaking to Hamish & Andy about his goals from the beginning of his career until now, Cruise discusses trying to make the most of the time on his second-ever film, “I remember I was making Taps, and there I am, on set with these guys, and I thought, “If I don’t get to make another film again, I just want to see how it is, and I went to every single department, and really studied and asked a gazillion questions.”
After seeing how the proverbial sausage was made, Cruise realised that films were what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, whether in front or behind the camera, “I remember thinking if I could just do this for the rest of my life, I’d be so grateful, as I started working more and more, I started to realise that my desire was to try and challenge myself in every genre of filmmaking.”
And that is something he has seemingly managed. From more arthouse film like Magnolia to comedies and many many many action films, Cruise has tried his hand at most dramas, to varying levels of success. However, it’s interesting that it was such a minor film that spurred his obsession and goals. Taps followed students from a military school as they rebel as a means of saving the school.
Originally cast as a minor background character, Cruise impressed the director Harold Becker with his portrayal of a crazed student and his role was expanded into a more substantial supporting one. However, the production was not a big one, especially with the roles Cruise would go on to take. But it must have been inspiring to watch filmmakers at work as a 19 year old with only a minor role in Endless Love under your belt.
