In the early 80s, two of the most prominent actors of our time, Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, were still in the middle of finding their footing in the movie landscape. But in 1983, the Mission: Impossible star finally found his breakout role in Risky Business, which started his ascend to becoming one of the biggest movie stars, who holds the ability to make a film success with his name alone
Even though it’s hard to imagine anyone else other than a 19-year-old Cruise as Joel Goodson, surprisingly he wasn’t the initial choice, as Tom Hanks was one of the frontrunners for the role.
Tom Hanks lost the film that boosted Tom Cruise to stardom
Hollywood is no alien to hiring actors in their mid and late 20s to play the role of teens, and back in the 80s, Tom Hanks sure went up for a lot of teenage roles. Among those, the Forrest Gump actor also auditioned for the lead in Risky Business before Tom Cruise was deemed the perfect fit to play Joel Goodson. But considering the role of a teen turning his parents’ home into a brothel didn’t seem fit for a guy like Hanks, who carries a nice-guy persona, Cruise eventually surpassed him in this race.
Hanks wasn’t the only major star that missed out on the teen comedy, as Batman Returns star Michelle Pfeiffer rejected the offer to star as Lana in the movie. But it wasn’t only Tom Cruise’s career, which skyrocketed after the success of Risky Business, as the film also saved Ray-Ban from potentially going bankrupt in the 80s.
Tom Cruise was responsible for Ray-Ban’s revival in the 80s
Back in the 80s, Ray-Ban sales took a major dive, which resulted in the brand heading towards potential bankruptcy, and if it wasn’t for a young Tom Cruise, things might not have ended well for it.
Upon its release, Risky Business became a major hit, making around $63M at the box office, and pushed the Mission: Impossible star’s career to new heights. The film also witnessed Tom Cruise wearing black Wayfarer sunglasses, which were also present in the movie poster. As a result, the success of the film also skyrocketed Ray-Ban sales, saving them from going bankrupt, as the brand witnessed a 50% spike in its sales, even though it once considered discontinuing Wayfarers.
Also read: Steven Spielberg Shot Himself in the Foot, Turned Down $183M Oscar Winning Tom Hanks Classic
After Cruise, it won’t be long before Tom Hanks too would cement himself as one of the very best in Hollywood, and years later, Hanks would miss out on Jerry Maguire, which became one of Cruise’s best works.
Risky Business is available to stream on Paramount Plus.
Source: Vulture
