Tom Cruise Once Used His Celebrity Status to Get One Thing That Changed His Entire Career

Tom Cruise is undeniably one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. But before he became a global star, Cruise used his celebrity status for something that would change his career forever— meeting legendary actor, Dustin Hoffman. In an interview, a while back, Cruise admitted that he typically avoids using his fame for personal perks. However, once upon a time, he made an exception. Cruise shared that while having dinner with his sister, he noticed Hoffman at the same restaurant. He said, “I guess meeting Dustin Hoffman was the closest to that. Usually, I would never do anything like that.”

Despite being shy, Cruise took a chance and approached Hoffman. This bold move resulted in Hoffman inviting him to his stage play Death of a Salesman, a performance Cruise desperately wanted to see but couldn’t get tickets for. Cruise revealed, “He made sure that we had seats and everything. Afterward, we went to dinner with his family and his cousin.” Reflecting on the experience, Cruise shared that meeting Hoffman inspired him to seek out roles where he could learn from veteran actors, which led to him working on The Color of Money and Rain Man, as reported by Fandom Wire.

Meanwhile, Hoffman opined that Cruise, at the time, was navigating stardom for the first time. He remarked, “For the first time I was working with someone who was going through what I did 20 years ago – that first flush of stardom following The Graduate.” On another occasion, in 1988, what was supposed to be a typical press junket on Danish TV as Hoffman and Cruise sat down to discuss Rain Man, the conversation took a detour when Hoffman, in an attempt to be discreet, lifted his bottom slightly to pass gas. To his great embarrassment, a rather thunderous sound escaped.

As per Smooth Radio, Cruise was about to answer a question when Hoffman made his presence known. The sheer shock on both actors' faces was priceless. Hoffman, in half-apology, half-explanation, hilariously said, "Sorry, it has been a long three days, a lot of sushi in Japan…sushi then catching up in Berlin with the sausages, and now I'm in England…With the bangers in England...I am so sorry, I didn't mean to.”

Cruise added with a chuckle, “With the bangers and mash?” It was the perfect punchline, and the pair completely lost it. Any serious commentary on the film or their performances didn't follow. Interestingly, this wasn't the first time Hoffman’s flatulence had impacted Cruise. Fans of Rain Man will recall the now-famous scene in which Hoffman's character, Raymond, warns his brother Charlie (Cruise) with a simple 'Uh-oh…fart' before actually letting one rip in a small, enclosed phone booth.