Tom Cruise Doesn’t Want to Be the “Last Movie Star,” Praises Michael B. Jordan and Wants to Make a Movie With Him
Tom Cruise is well aware of the mythos that surrounds him, but if you ask him, he’s not here to carry the torch alone. At the New York premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Cruise made it clear that he doesn’t want to be remembered as “the last movie star.” Cruise told Entertainment Tonight:
“I don’t want to be. There’s so many other talented actors out there and I want to see them crush it.”
One of those rising stars Cruise is rooting for is Michael B. Jordan. The Creed and Black Panther actor has teamed up again with director Ryan Coogler for Sinners, a gritty period vampire flick that’s tearing up the box office with $240 million and counting.
Cruise even posted a photo back in April after attending a screening of the film, and Jordan returned the love, showing up at the London premiere of Cruise’s latest Mission film. Cruise said:
“I’m a huge fan of his. That film Sinners is amazing. We’re going to make a movie together.”
In a separate interview with People, Cruise elaborated on why Jordan and Coogler have earned his respect.
“He’s dedicated to his brand. I really respect him. Respect Coogler, I love that film. I love the films that they make. It’s brilliant, you know, big cinema… I admire what they do and I love to see people do well in life.
“That is a thing that I work very hard to do — all I can to help people and see them do well. Filmmakers, actors — people know my door’s always open, so I’m very excited about what they’re creating and it’s always inspiring. It goes back and forth.”
Cruise went on to say:
“It’s going to be a great summer of movies. We got the John Wick series with Keanu [Reeves] and Ana [de Armas]. You got Brad [Pitt] with F1. I’m looking forward to going and everybody having a good summer.”
Whether Cruise is the last of his kind or part of a new wave of superstars is still a hot topic. Even Sean Penn chimed in recently, saying the “movie star manufacturer ran out around Jennifer Lawrence time or something. She’s probably the last movie star.”
But when it comes to Cruise, Penn said:
“Certain kind of movies people appreciate more than others… but this is a very good actor who is also an incredibly extraordinary craftsman.
“Those movies don’t get made on those level without somebody extraordinary behind them. He’s the common link behind many of them. It’s no accident. He does his own stunts. He’s probably the best stuntman in movie world. He’s the most experienced guy.”
Cruise doesn’t want to be the last movie star, he wants to hand off the baton and cheer from the sidelines as the next generation takes flight in the industry.