Tom Cruise made a name for himself in the 80s with films like Top Gun. Nevertheless, in 1996 he gave up his fee for a film that became a real hit thanks to his commitment.
In the 1996 romantic comedy Jerry Maguire – Game of Life by director Camerin Crowe, Tom Cruise plays the main role as an extremely successful sports manager. However, Tom Cruise waived a fee and was paid for other tasks during production. Ultimately, his commitment to the film increased its popularity enormously.
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“Ok guys, I’m playing for free.”
This is what Tom Cruise got paid for: During the production period of Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise was doing a lot of advertising. Director Cameron Crowe remembers the situation in the podcast “Here’s The Thing with Alec Baldwin” (via Apple Podcasts):
Tom came to New York from London and said, ‘Guys, I’m going to do a bit of publicity’. And he started on a Monday, made [die Talkshow-Formate] Rosie, did Larry King, did everything. At the end of the week our numbers had increased significantly.
He had the strength to say, ‘OK, guys, I’m playing for free. [Für die Werbung] you pay me. I will give everything I have to this film.’
Cameron Crowe via FandomWire
The director was previously unsure about working with Tom Cruise. In the podcast he describes the thoughts he had before the call and acceptance from Tom Cruise.
Why was the director skeptical? Cameron Crowe discussed the thoughts he had before with Alec Baldwin in the podcast. He was scared.
Your friends take you aside and say, ‘If Tom Cruise says yes, you lose your power. You can’t do anything. It’s just going to be a runaway train, and it’s a Hollywood train, and you’re lucky if you see the end of the train.’
Cameron Crowe via FandomWire
Tom Cruise called the director from England and said: “I read your script. I hope I’m the one.” According to Cameron Crowe, Tom Cruise was just ‘that guy’ from the moment he stepped off the plane.
But the actor was apparently so fascinated by the role that he gave up his fee in favor of contributing to the marketing of Jerry Maguire. According to Crowe, the actor hoped that Jerry Maguire would be Tom Cruise’s biggest success.
After the film’s success, Crowe also wanted the actor to star in the science fiction film Vanilla Sky. According to the director, there are a total of five different interpretations for the events in the final minutes. You can find out more from our colleagues at Moviepilot.
This is how successful the film was: The actor’s commitment paid off. Jerry Maguire was a huge success in 1996 and is still considered one of the most popular films starring Tom Cruise. According to IMDb, Jerry Maguire grossed a total of around $273 million worldwide.
According to IMDb, the film also received several awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
Matt Damon also gave up a hefty fee, but for different reasons. He didn’t want to let his friends down and would much rather be a secret agent than a blue alien:
Matt Damon gave up $250 million – had to choose between secret agent and blue alien