Tom Cruise was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight at the New York City premiere of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” where he refused to accept the title of “last movie star.” Cruise’s commitment to blockbuster filmmaking and his continued box office appeal around the world often has people saying he’s the last true movie star. But not so fast.
“I don’t want to be,” Cruise said. “There’s so many other talented actors out there and I want to see them crush it.”
Cruise said one example is Michael B. Jordan, who along with director Ryan Coogler has powered the R-rated vampire movie “Sinners” to a mighty $240 million at the domestic box office and counting. Cruise posted a photo of himself in April attending a “Sinners” screening. Jordan then popped up at the London premiere of the latest “Mission: Impossible” movie.
“I’m a huge fan of his. That film ‘Sinners’ is amazing,” Cruise said with an additional quip: “We’re going to make a movie together.”
Cruise expanded on his love for Jordan in a recent interview with People, saying: “He’s dedicated to his brand. I really respect him. Respect Coogler, I love that film. I love the films that they make. It’s brilliant, you know, big cinema… I admire what they do and I love to see people do well in life. That is a thing that I work very hard to do — all I can to help people and see them do well. Filmmakers, actors — people know my door’s always open, so I’m very excited about what they’re creating and it’s always inspiring. It goes back and forth.”
“It’s going to be a great summer of movies,” Cruise also told ET. “We got the ‘John Wick’ series with Keanu [Reeves] and Ana [de Armas]. You got Brad [Pitt] with ‘F1.’ I’m looking forward to going and everybody having a good summer.”
Whether or not Cruise is the last movie star is up for debate. Sean Penn recently went viral for saying “the movie star manufacturer ran out around Jennifer Lawrence time or something. She’s probably the last movie star.” The two-time Oscar winner also heaped praise on Cruise.
“Certain kind of movies people appreciate more than others… but this is a very good actor who is also an incredibly extraordinary craftsman,” Penn said about Cruise. “Those movies don’t get made on those level without somebody extraordinary behind them. He’s the common link behind many of them. It’s no accident. He does his own stunts. He’s probably the best stuntman in movie world. He’s the most experienced guy.”
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” opens in theaters May 23.
