Tom Cruise stands as one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood history for a wide variety of reasons. Best known for leading the successful Mission: Impossible franchise, Cruise’s illustrious career extends beyond this blockbuster series. He was also cast in Collateral and it appears Michael Mann cast Cruise in the film for one bizarre reason that could have blown up in his face.

Tom Cruise is celebrated for his eccentric personality, sense of humor, and esteemed reputation. Nonetheless, his association with Scientology is perceived by some as peculiar. Despite this, many of his fans have chosen to accept and overlook this aspect of his personal life, recognizing that there is little that can be done about it. After all, there are a very select few actors who are willing to push themselves like Tom Cruise has.

In the 2004 movie Collateral, Tom Cruise excels in his role as a villain, complemented by an outstanding performance from Jamie Foxx as the frantic cabbie. Jada Pinkett Smith, portraying a prosecutor, and Mark Ruffalo, playing a police officer on his trail.

It was a welcome break from Tom Cruise at that point, as he was largely doing heroic and squeaky-clean roles till then. While speaking to China Daily, Collateral director Michael Man admitted that he cast Tom Cruise in the film simply because of the fact that he had not portrayed such a character before, adding that if Cruise had played such a role before, Mann wouldn’t have been happy about it.

‘If Tom had played this guy a couple other times, I wouldn’t have been enthused about the notion of it, But I hadn’t seen him do anything like this character, and I know he could, there’s no doubt about it. So it presented itself as a great opportunity to have Tom play it, and it’s such a complex character in his incarnation of him.’

Tom Cruise’s portrayal of the villain turned out to be a recipe for success, as Collateral is viewed as one of the best neo-noir films of all time and cemented Cruise’s legacy as an all-time great in Hollywood.

Tom Cruise’s Hollywood career is a testament to a seasoned celebrity who has maintained his superstardom through astute movie selections and a keen grasp of roles that complement his strengths. Notably, Cruise’s ability to decline roles that didn’t align with his capabilities has been a crucial factor in his success. Despite rejecting several iconic roles, Cruise has made strategic career choices that have kept him relevant over the years.

Roles like the one made popular by Patrick Swayze in Ghost were offered to Cruise, and he was also considered for lead roles in Edward Scissorhands and Donny Brasco which ended up going to Johnny Depp. The critically acclaimed film A Beautiful Mind starring Russell Crowe was another project that Cruise could have been a part of.

Even in the realm of superhero franchises, Marvel was said to have approached Cruise for the role of Iron Man, but he acknowledged that Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect choice. Despite declining these notable films, Tom Cruise’s career has not suffered, and he has skillfully navigated to ensure these decisions did not jeopardize his enduring success. Ultimately, that is what matters most to him.