Tom Cruise has a distinguished filmography. A Few Good Men actor has proven to be very adaptable throughout his career, appearing in a variety of roles that required him to play a wide range of roles. It makes sense why he was able to make a name for himself in the industry in such a short amount of time. He didn’t, however, let his success cloud his judgment. That is evidenced by the pivotal role he played in Jerry Maguire’s success.
But we also know that, as an actor, one has to face unpredictable and eventful situations, often containing unforgettable stories that go down in Hollywood lore. One such incident happened during the making of the critically acclaimed Jerry Maguire. A strange turn of events landed Cruise in the middle of an unplanned camel chase, which resulted in the stomping of Cuba Gooding Jr. and a crew member.
Tom Cruise’s Unexpected Encounter With Camel On The Set Of Jerry Maguire
When watching a movie, the characters and stories that are presented to us often take us into fantastical worlds. Behind the scenes, reality does sneak in occasionally and produces amazing stories that blur the lines between fiction and reality.
Tom Cruise‘s Jerry Maguire had to be filmed in Arizona and California, USA, to provide the backdrop for Cameron Crowe‘s film’s iconic scenes. As a result, many camels were brought to the filming location to add to the sense of realism. But no one could have foreseen the mayhem that would follow. The Oscar-winning actor struggled as a result of the camel chase on set. It was actually a problem, according to IMDb:
“It chased Tom Cruise, bit Cuba Gooding Jr., and stomped a crew member.”
Well, Cruise had a significant impact on how successful Jerry Maguire turned out to be. Despite having a $50 million budget, it made over $273 million at the global box office.
Also, in addition to receiving praise for Cruise’s performance, the film based on Leigh Steinberg was also recognized at the Academy Awards. It received nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Film Editing, Best Picture, and Best Writing.
Tom Cruise Worked on Jerry Maguire For Free?
Cameron Crowe, the writer and director of Jerry Maguire, once appeared on Alec Baldwin’s Here’s the Thing podcast and discussed Tom Cruise and other aspects of the film’s making. Because the latter has such a huge presence in every production he is in, the director was initially concerned about losing all control over the course of the film. Crowe, 66, recalled:
“Your friends take you aside and say, ‘When Tom Cruise says yes, you lose your power. You can’t do a thing. It just becomes a freight train that’s out of control, and it’s a Hollywood freight train and you’ll be lucky if you see the back of the caboose.’”
However, initially, both the studio and the director were concerned that the audience would not connect with the picture. But the Mission: Impossible star was committed to making Jerry Maguire the greatest success it could possibly be, despite the audience testing not going well. Crowe added:
“Tom … came from London to New York and said, ‘Boys, I’m gonna do some promotion.’ And he started on a Monday… by the end of the week, our numbers were way high..”
According to Crowe,
“It was the brawn of him coming to say, ‘OK, guys, I act for free. This is what you pay me for. I’m going to give them everything I’ve got for this movie.’”
And sure enough, Cruise most definitely succeeded in nailing the role on the big screen. In fact, he did such a good job that it is hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Gerald ‘Jerry’ Maguire.
You can stream Jerry Maguire on AMC+, or it is also available to rent or buy on Apple TV+.
See also: Tom Hanks Does Not Regret Saying No to Tom Cruise’s Movie That Made Him a Hollywood Heartthrob
