Tom Cruise shared an interesting anecdote about how he almost missed starring in Rain Man during a recent talk at the BFI in London. He recalled a chance meeting with Dustin Hoffman at a New York City restaurant in 1984. At the time, Cruise had just completed Ridley Scott’s Legend and was visiting his sister, Cass, who spotted Hoffman across the room.
“She goes, ‘There’s Dustin Hoffman,’” Cruise remembered. “She pushed me to go say hello.” Initially hesitant, Cruise was eventually persuaded by his sister’s persistence. He approached Hoffman, who greeted him warmly. “He said, ‘Cruise!’” Cruise recalled with a laugh.
The encounter led to Hoffman offering Cruise and his sister tickets to his play Death of a Salesman and inviting them backstage. Before they left, Hoffman told Cruise, “I want to make a movie with you,” a promise that led to Cruise starring in Rain Man a year later. The film, directed by Barry Levinson, went on to win several Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Hoffman.
Cruise, in London to receive the BFI Fellowship, the highest honor from the British Film Institute, expressed his gratitude. “I’m truly honored,” he said. “I’ve been making films in the U.K. for over 40 years and have no plans to stop.” Cruise has worked on numerous films in the U.K., including Eyes Wide Shut, Interview with the Vampire, and Edge of Tomorrow.
Cruise will head to the Cannes Film Festival this week for the world premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
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