When it comes to undisputed box office superstardom, it is difficult to look past Tom Cruise. The charismatic actor has proved his impact in Hollywood time and again through iconic blockbusters that have cemented his place as one of the most influential celebrities in the industry.
With Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise went on to create history not just through the film’s record breaking collections, but also reportedly earned a jaw-dropping $100 million plus for his iconic role. While this is a staggering achievement that’s hard to beat, the ball was set rolling 5 decades ago by the legendary Marlon Brando who became the first male actor to take home $1 million for a single film.
Tom Cruise May Hold This Record But Marlon Brando Pioneered It
When it comes to blockbusters, networth, and whopping paychecks, Tom Cruise is at the top of the celebrity list. Having conquered the box office consistently for years through his films, Cruise continued to push the envelope and was instrumental in his 2022 action flick Top Gun: Maverick making over $1.4 billion at the box office (via The Numbers).
But this was just the tip of the iceberg for the Mission: Impossible actor. In addition to the film’s stupendous success, Cruise set an almost unassailable benchmark by individually taking home over $100 million for his role (via Screen Rant).
While this is a feat that would seem insurmountable, the foundation for this achievement was laid as far back as 1962 by none other than Marlon Brando. The Godfather star became the first male actor to break the million dollar barrier when he took him $1.25 million for his performance in Mutiny on the Bounty (via Guinness World Records).
While this salary may seem rather insignificant in today’s world with Cruise’s whopping payday, the fact remains that Brando was the pioneer who started it all. Even more significant is the effort of another timeless Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor who became the first female star to earn $1 million for her evergreen role in the film Cleopatra (via Picture Showman).
How Tom Cruise’s Billion Dollar Film Reignited His Friendship With Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise’s collaboration on the sci-fi action thriller War of The Worlds was hailed as one of the most exciting actor-director combinations. The film expectedly was a huge success and earned over $600 million worldwide (via The Numbers).
But as the popularity of the film increased, Spielberg and Cruise’s relationship waned due to a bunch of external reasons as explained in First Post (via The Daily Mail). While the Jurassic Park director focused on marketing his film, his lead star addressed everything else but his role in the movie.
Cruise’s infamous couch jump on his appearance on Oprah while speaking of his then-girlfriend Katie Holmes not only received critical reactions, but also did not sit well with his director who accused him of shirking his responsibility towards his film.
Cruise made matters worse when he lambasted actor Brooke Shields for taking anti-depressants despite the Blue Lagoon star honestly talking about her struggle with postpartum depression. Spielberg believed that the Cocktail actor’s strange behavior had affected the film’s chance to earn even more.
But more than 2 decades later, the actor-director duo buried the hatchet once and for all at the 2023 Oscar luncheon thanks to Top Gun: Maverick. Steven Spielberg had words of high praise for Tom Cruise and his $1 billion mega-blockbuster. At the Oscars party, he hailed his achievement and stated,
You saved Hollywood’s a***, and you might have saved theatrical distribution.
The video of the two celebrities shaking hands and exchanging warm hugs broke the internet with viral views. With Cruise and Spielberg back to being friends, it remains to be seen if the duo will collaborate once more after their successful partnership in 2005.
Top Gun: Maverick is streaming on Amazon Prime.
