How One Conversation With Michael Caine Helped Tom Cruise Become the Last True Movie Star
How One Conversation With Michael Caine Helped Tom Cruise Become the Last True Movie Star
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
Michael Caine, the revered two-time Academy Award winner, recently opened up about an early encounter with Tom Cruise that left a lasting impression—and perhaps helped shape Cruise into what Caine calls “one of the last true stars in movies.”
In an excerpt from his new book, Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over: My Guide to Life, published by The Sunday Times on November 3, 91-year-old Caine reflects on his decades-long friendship with Cruise, now 62, and the early days when Cruise was just a “very polite” young actor. Caine recalls their first meeting around the time of his 1983 film Educating Rita, where Cruise, fresh off roles in Risky Business, The Outsiders, and Losin’ It, approached him with earnest questions about longevity in Hollywood.
“I turned around and there was this young actor, very polite, asking questions about how not to be just a flash in the pan,” Caine writes. “That was Tom, probably around the time of Risky Business.” Though he doesn’t remember exactly what advice he gave, Caine is confident it “didn’t do him any harm.”
Caine admires Cruise’s attitude and poise from those early days, describing something “special” about the young star. By the time they met, Cruise was on the brink of superstardom, with Top Gun still three years away from cementing his status. “People will go to see a film just because he’s in it,” Caine observes, highlighting Cruise’s rare power to draw audiences simply by his presence—a quality that Caine believes makes him “one of the last true stars in movies.”
Their friendship has endured beyond the set, with Cruise attending Caine’s 90th birthday celebration in March 2023, a surprise orchestrated by Caine’s wife, Shakira. The event, attended by notable guests including Mission: Impossible writer Chris McQuarrie and Britain’s Got Talent judge David Walliams, was marked by warm moments and lighthearted comedy—Loos Women’s Denise Welch even delivered a comedic tribute, noting the shared humor between Caine and Cruise.
Photographs from the celebration captured a candid moment of Cruise with his arm around Caine’s shoulder, symbolizing a deep friendship built over more than 40 years.
This glimpse into their relationship reveals how a simple conversation decades ago may have helped guide Tom Cruise’s remarkable career trajectory, turning him from a polite newcomer into a legendary figure who continues to command screens worldwide. For Michael Caine, knowing Cruise has been both a privilege and a reminder of what true stardom looks like in Hollywood’s ever-changing landscape.
