Tom Cruise has said that he wants to carry on making films until he is in his 100s, but wants to avoid becoming “the last great movie star”.
The Hollywood icon, who is now 63, is currently promoting the eighth, and reportedly last, Mission: Impossible film – The Final Reckoning – and has reflected on his position in the industry and its future.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the New York City premiere of the blockbuster on Sunday (18 May), Cruise said that he doesn’t want to be known as the last true movie star, adding: “There are so many other talented actors out there and I want to see them crush it.”
Cruise named Michael B Jordan as one of the stars that he is most excited about: “I’m a huge fan of his. That film Sinners is amazing. We’re going to make a movie together.”
“I really respect him [Jordan],” Cruise added, when speaking to People magazine. “Respect Ryan Coogler [Sinners director], 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.”
Speaking also to The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise vowed to keep making movies until he is at a ripe old age. “Actually, I'm going to make them into my 100s,” I will never stop. I will never stop doing action. I will never stop doing drama, comedy films – I'm excited.”
Cruise’s words come after Sean Penn declared Jennifer Lawrence as “the last movie star” in Hollywood who can bring people to cinemas by name alone.
The Mystic River star, 64, was discussing the film industry on a podcast with Louis Theroux when he was asked if Leonardo DiCaprio was still a bankable star.
Penn agreed that he was and argued that the Titanic star started out “before they stopped” making proper movie stars. “I think the movie star manufacturer ran out around Jennifer Lawrence’s time or something,” Penn said. “She’s probably the last movie star.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Penn praised Cruise, saying: “He is a guy who pursues excellence on a very high level. This is a very good actor who’s also an extraordinarily committed craftsman.”
“He’s probably the best stuntman in the movie world, he added. “When it comes to the amount of skills he has and what he can do, and maybe he’s the most experienced in things because they’re choreographing things for him to do that nobody’s ever been able to afford to put another stuntman to test on.”
