Throughout his career, Tom Cruise has been known for his action genre films. However, it would be unfair not to mention his incredible performances in various other genres. While the actor has firmly established his base in the action genre, he has also successfully proven his versatility with films like Risky Business, All the Right Moves, and his Oscar-nominated film Jerry Maguire. Directed by Cameron Crowe, Jerry Maguire was both a commercial and critical success.

According to the filmmaker, the credit for the film’s success goes to Cruise, who did the film for free. Interestingly, Cruise wasn’t the first choice for the film; Crowe initially wrote it with Tom Hanks in mind. Due to some reasons, Hanks couldn’t commit to the film, and the role eventually went to Cruise.

Tom Cruise is the Man Behind the Success of Cameron Crowe’s Film

One of the most notable performances of Tom Cruise‘s career is the 1996 film Jerry Maguire. Directed by Cameron Crowe, the rom-com featured Cruise in the titular role. The film was not only a financial success but was also critically acclaimed by the audience. Moreover, the film also managed to earn Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Film Editing, and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

However, the journey of the film wouldn’t have been as successful if Cruise hadn’t taken the responsibility to promote it. According to the director of the film, Cruise’s decision to promote the film played a pivotal role in its massive success. During an appearance on Alec Baldwin’s Here’s the Thing podcast, Crowe recalled that ever since Cruise got hold of the script, he was excited to be a part of it. Crowe said,

“Tom Cruise called from England and said, ‘I read your script. I hope I’m the right guy. Let me come out and read it for you.”
Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire
 

Being a crucial part of Jerry Maguire, Cruise was very optimistic about the film’s success. However, Crowe had mixed feelings about the movie’s prospects as the initial audience testing didn’t go well. But Cruise was adamant about making the film a big success, so he took up the responsibility of promoting it. Crowe said,
“Tom … came from London to New York and said, ‘Boys, I’m gonna do some promotion.’ He started on a Monday, did Rosie, did Larry King, did everything. By the end of the week, our numbers were way high. He basically blew us a kiss, went back to England, and the movie opened.”
The filmmaker further revealed that Cruise didn’t take any fees for working on the film; instead, he took money for promoting it.

How did Tom Cruise Ace the Chance of Getting a Role in Cameron Crowe’s Film?

Tom Hanks
Indeed, Tom Cruise’s contribution went beyond just playing the role of Jerry Maguire. However, Cruise wouldn’t have had the chance to be a part of Cameron Crowe’s rom-com if Tom Hanks had accepted Crowe’s offer initially.

In a previous interview, Crowe revealed that the role of Jerry Maguire “was originally written with Tom Hanks in mind.” However, since Hanks was already occupied with his directorial project, he couldn’t commit to Crowe’s project and thus turned down the offer. As a result, the role eventually went to Tom Cruise.

Source: Here’s The Thing, Collider