There is no doubt that Tom Cruise is one of the most charismatic superstars in Hollywood. The actor has a king-size presence not just in his films, but also in the way he has conducted himself off-screen. Expectedly, Cruise’s personality and riveting screen presence can be awe-inspiring as well as intimidating for many actors who aspire to reach the pinnacle of success as he has.
Interestingly, the Mission: Impossible star, who exudes supreme confidence through his persona and his characters in films, has admitted to being intimidated by his contemporary and Oscar-winning actor, Sean Penn. Cruise’s co-star in Risky Business Curtis Armstrong, spoke about the Cocktail actor’s thoughts on Penn and his personality.
Tom Cruise Was In Awe Of Sean Penn’s Talent
In 1981, Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Sean Penn starred together in the film Taps. The two actors who were part of a big ensemble cast, reportedly became good friends and bonded on set. Cruise’s co-star in Risky Business Curtis Armstrong, spoke about the nature of their camaraderie while also shedding light on the Minority Report star’s immense respect for Penn’s talent. In an article for the Hollywood Reporter, Armstrong touched upon the Mystic River actor’s volatile personality which was a trademark of his nature, and spoke about Cruise’s equation with him.
“Tom admired him enormously. He admitted to me that he was intimidated by Sean’s talent and even then, in 1982, believed him to be the greatest actor of his generation”
Armstrong went on to elaborate that despite Cruise and Penn having very distinctly different personalities, the two celebrities got along like a house on fire and shared some wild and epic moments off-camera when the Days of Thunder star was filming Risky Business and Penn was working in the same studio for his film Bad Boys.
Why Tom Cruise Is Everyone’s Favorite Co-Star
Despite living life king-size, Tom Cruise has never let his iconic superstardom get in the way of his humility. The celebrity has been hailed by many of his co-stars as one of the most amicable actors to work with on set. His two Mission: Impossible co-stars Hayley Atwell and Vanessa Kirby gushed about the actor, with Atwell appreciating his ability to make everyone comfortable on set and Kirby confessing that she was terrified and inspired by his aura.
British actor Simon Pegg has possibly known Tom Cruise most intimately from his association with the celebrity since 2006 when he entered the Mission: Impossible franchise. Pegg was effusive in his praise for the Eyes White Shut star and called him one of the most caring co-stars that he had ever worked with on set. Speaking to E! News, Pegg said,
“Of all the mist of stuff that’s around him, in the center of that mist is a generous, sweet guy who looks after everybody. He leads from the top down. And he’s kind of inspiring to be around. There’s no one else like him, he’s the last movie star of the old kind.”
Pegg went on to add that Tom Cruise’s attitude to people and his passion for cinema never changed despite becoming one of the world’s biggest superstars. The British actor admitted that he felt fortunate to have him as his friend for over 17 years.
Source: Hollywood Reporter, E! News
