Tom Cruise’s career was soaring high with successful movies when it abruptly came to a standstill due to controversies. The Hollywood A-list actor has long been an advocate of the Church of Scientology, which already was contentious among some members of the audience. However, it became a full-blown controversy after his attack against psychiatry in 2005.
Cruise publicly criticized actress Brooke Shields for using antidepressants to recover from postpartum depression, calling her irresponsible for promoting the drugs and denouncing psychiatry as a form of pseudoscience. This received significant backlash from audiences as well as the film fraternity.
Tom Cruise’s Career Almost Ended Due To The Controversy
After Tom Cruise’s misguided statements on psychiatry, Brooke Shields responded in the New York Times, suggesting that the Mission Impossible actor should “stick to saving the world from aliens.” Following this, the Edge of Tomorrow actor engaged in a heated debate on NBC’s Today Show with host Matt Lauer, who condemned Cruise’s beliefs. The medical authorities also criticized the Jerry Maguire actor for his insensitive remarks.
In 2006, the Top Gun actor apologized to Shields for his comments. Cruise also had an altercation with Steven Spielberg over the issue. Spielberg had previously accused Cruise of overshadowing the promotional event of his movie War of the Worlds with the infamous couch-jumping stunt on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Following the Jack Reacher actor’s psychiatry controversy, Spielberg reacted by mentioning his psychiatrist friend in Cruise’s presence.
The backlash from media and medical professionals led Paramount Studios to sever ties with the Magnolia actor. The studio remarked that they did not want to be associated with “someone who effectuates suicide”. The incident almost left the Minority Report actor’s career hanging in the balance, if not for this idea.
Tom Cruise’s Idea To Appear In A Cameo Role In This Movie Relaunched His Career
After his scandal, Tom Cruise took on an unconventional role in a satirical comedy film that put him on the Hollywood A-list again. The Valkyrie actor appeared as studio executive Les Grossman in the 2008 film, Tropic Thunder. The film was directed by Ben Stiller who also starred in the lead role with some of the top actors in Hollywood in the cast.
Most notable were the involvement of Robert Downey Jr., Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Cruise. Cruise was unrecognizable in his bald look with prosthetic fat hands and makeup. The Vanilla Sky actor even had a hilarious dance scene in the movie. The movie, along with Cruise’s performance, was well-received by the audience. The film garnered $195 million from the box office and Cruise received a Golden Globe nomination for his role.
The Oblivion actor gradually regained starring roles in Hollywood after Tropic Thunder and went on to become one of the highest-paid actors in the world. Fans who are curious to watch the unrecognizable Tom Cruise can rent the movie on Apple TV.
Source: The Things
