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Tom Cruise’s status as a bonafide action star means most of his roles require a certain boldness from the actor. However, Cruise’s performance in the 2008 satirical comedy filmTropic Thunderis arguably his boldest role precisely because it goes against his star persona. In the film, Cruise plays the role of a goofy studio executive Les Grossman.
One of the funniest scenes in the film depicts Grossman dancing to a hip tune. However, for Cruise to execute this scene, it required the permission of aFast & Furiousstar. Given the popularity of Cruise’s role, particularly his dance routine in the film, viewers must be curious to learn why the action star required the permission of another star, and here is everything you need to know.
Tom Cruise’sTropic ThunderRole Required Permission FromFast & FuriousStar Ludacris
Tom Cruise’s performance as studio executive Les Grossman inTropic Thunderis one of the actor’s most understated roles as it goes against his image as an action star. However, Cruise delivers a memorable performance winning over viewers with the idiosyncrasies of a character who is despicable on paper.
One of the best examples of Cruise making the character likable is his dance routine to the tune of the songGet BackbyFast & Furiousstar Ludacris. However, to use the song in the film’s closing sequence, director Ben Stiller personally sought Ludacris’ permission.
During an appearance on the First We Feast YouTube channel’sHot Onesshow,Ludacrisrevealed the following:
“Not only did he seek approval, respectfully, he invited us to watch the movie before it came out and it was literally just me, him, and my management and we watched the whole movie.”
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Ludacris added that he was moved by Stiller’s gesture to screen the film for him. As a result, it is safe to say that one of the most iconic and hilarious scenes from the film featuring Cruise’s Grossman showing off his dance moves would not have materialized without Ludacris’ blessing.
How Tom Cruise Came Up With His HilariousTropic ThunderRole
During a separate interview withEsquire, director Ben Stiller opened up about how the character of Les Grossman came to be. Stiller revealed that Cruise came up with the character himself as he felt the plot needed a studio executive as the primary antagonist. He said:
“Tom Cruise had the idea to play Les Grossman in the movie. That part did not exist. He said, well, there’s no studio executive and that would be really fun to be that guy.”
Stiller also credited Cruise with coming up with the character’s looks and dance moves which are among the character’s most memorable traits. In a separateinterview, Cruise himself confirmed that it was his idea to add a studio executive character to the script.
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In 2022, it wasrevealedthat Cruise and frequent collaborator Christopher McQuarrie were reportedly working on a spin-off that would bring back the Les Grossman character. However, since then there have been no updates regarding the project.Cruise is currently busy with the eighth installment in hisMission: Impossiblefranchiseso it will be interesting to see if he revisits one of his boldest roles in the future.
Tropic Thunderis streaming on Peacock.
Pratik Handore
Content Writer
Articles Published :1772
With a keen interest in comic book movies and blockbuster franchises, Pratik usually covers news and updates on the DCU, MCU, Star Wars, and more.A die-hard fan of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Pratik spends most of his time exploring different storytelling mediums that invoke a sense of wonder and adventure. Other filmmakers whose works have deeply influenced him include Alfred Hitchcock, James Gunn, and Guillermo del Toro.
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LudacrisTom Cruise
