Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are probably two of the most popular and beloved actors in Hollywood. They both shared the screen once but, instead of becoming friends, they ended up being rivals.
In 1994 Interview with the Vampire was released. It was a film based on the 1976 novel by writer Anne Rice. It begins with an interview that takes place between Louis de Pointe and Daniel Malloy. There, Louis tells Daniel how he became a vampire, two hundred years ago, after meeting Lestat de Lioncourt.
Without a doubt, Interview with the Vampire was a success because it not only told a great story but also had a luxury cast. Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise took on the roles of Louis and Lestat respectively. On the other hand, in the role of Daniel was Christian Slater and the rest of the cast was completed by a very young Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, and Stephen Rea.
The film was a success, not only at the box office but also among critics. So much so, that today it is one of the most remembered titles in the filmography of all its protagonists. However, what not many know is that its main actors did not have the best relationship on set.
We are talking of course about Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. And it was the latter who confessed that they did not get along well at all. It all started when, during the promotion of the film, Brad was asked about his relationship with Cruise, and the actor dodged the question to talk about his other partner, Antonio Banderas. “Seriously, I tell you that Antonio Banderas is the best of all.”
After refusing to comment on his relationship with the Mission Impossible actor, speculation of a rivalry between the actors soon arose. And although Brad Pitt came out to put some clarity on the issue, he did not insist on denying that things were not good. “You must understand, that Tom and I are walking in different directions. He is the North Pole and I am the South Pole. “I always thought there was an underlying competition that got in the way of any conversation,” he revealed.
Some even went so far as to say that Brad Pitt considered him “unbearable” and was not happy with his presence on the set. And it seems that he was not the only one, since Anne Rice, the writer of the novel, was not at all satisfied with the choice of Cruise for the role of Lestat. “The casting of Tom Cruise is bizarre and it is almost impossible for me to imagine how it could work,” the author revealed.
Eventually, after seeing Tom Cruise's performance in the film, Rice ended up changing his mind and praised the actor's work in the film. But Brad Pitt didn't change his opinion about his partner. Although there was a rivalry throbbing between the two, the Troy actor did not hesitate to give him some compliments. “He is a good actor and you can see him advance in the film. He did it and that must be respected.”
Their personalities and lifestyles got in the way of what could have been one of Hollywood's greatest friendships. During filming, Tom Cruise was surrounded by guards and there were even rumors that he was transported to the set by helicopter every day. On the other hand, Brad Pitt was much more relaxed, and his free time involved spending time with the rest of the cast and crew.
And although this was never confirmed, another reason why Tom Cruise was not liked by Pitt was Scientology. In 1990, Brad Pitt began dating actress Juliette Lewis and the courtship lasted a total of three years. Lewis, for much of her life, was a practitioner of Scientology, as was Tom Cruise, who is its greatest exponent. Apparently, Brad Pitt did not share the same beliefs and it could be one of the reasons why he did not want to have anything to do with Cruise and his practices.
Since the premiere of the film, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt have not crossed paths again and everything seems to indicate that they do not harbor any grudges or bad feelings. Even back in 2013, both actors were rumored to star in Ford v. Ferrari, but the project collapsed due to a lack of budget. Eventually, said film came to light in 2019 by Matt Damon and Christian Bale.
