One of Brad Pitt’s most underrated performances often gets overlooked following his other memorable roles in classics, ranging from Fincher’s Seven to Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Appearing in Guy Ritchie’s second film Snatch, which launched the director to prominence, Pitt played the comedic relief in the crime comedy, becoming the highlight of the entire film.
However, the movie wouldn’t have seen the end of the line if it wasn’t for Hollywood Star Tom Cruise, who costarred with the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood Star in Interview with the Vampire.
Snatch Wouldn’t Have Seen the Light of Day if It Wasn’t for Tom Cruise
While it was Snatch that paved the way for Guy Ritchie’s Hollywood success, becoming a huge hit upon its release, it wouldn’t have been made if it wasn’t for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The 1998 film, which kickstarted Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie’s Hollywood careers, initially struggled to find financiers, which resulted in the film almost going straight to VHS. But after producer Matthew Vaughn asked Trudie Styler, who was an investor in the film and also a friend of Tom Cruise, if she could bring Cruise to a buyers’ screening, she agreed and Cruise did show up.
Fortunately, the MI Star was impressed by the film, and following his stamp of approval, the Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels succeeded in securing buyers. Per BBC Radio 4, Vaughn recalled,
“I was hysterical. You had all these mid-level executives sitting there, and Cruise walked in. He saw them all sit up and pay attention, all getting on their phones, and suddenly all these senior executives joined the screening. At the end, Tom got up in front of everyone and said ‘this is the best movie I’ve seen in years, you guys would be fools not to make it.'”
While the film wasn’t a huge success despite being critically acclaimed, it paved the way for 2000’s Snatch, which witnessed Brad Pitt stealing the spotlight despite playing second fiddle.
Brad Pitt Reportedly Resented Tom Cruise Back in the ‘90s
Although Cruise’s remarks regarding Guy Ritchie’s debut film resulted in Brad Pitt eventually playing the fan-favorite Mickey O’Neil, Brad Pitt reportedly wasn’t fond of the MI Star at the time. Per Radar, the Seven Star wasn’t a fan of his Interview with the Vampire costar, reportedly stating, “He bugged me.” The statement further read,
“There came a point during filming when I started really resenting him. He’s North Pole, I’m South. He’s always coming at you with a handshake, whereas I may bump into you. There was this underlying competition that got in the way of any real conversation.”
While the duo have stayed out of each other’s orbit since Interview with the Vampire, Brad Pitt did go on to commend Cruise in recent years, stating that they’re on good terms.
Snatch is available to stream on Peacock.
