During an interview, Ben Stiller revealed how he convinced Tom Cruise to join a film like Tropic Thunder and wear a fatsuit.

From Ethan Hunt to Pete Mitchell, Tom Cruise has played all kinds of characters over the years. Although many have accused him of having a poor range, there is plenty of proof that shows otherwise. Be it the mastery that he showcased in Collateral, or The Color of Money, there are plenty of examples of the versatility that he possesses as an actor.

Tom Cruise in Collateral | Credit: Paramount Pictures

At the same time, few of his iconic roles are as beloved as Tropic Thunder. In the 2008 film, the actor ended up playing one of his most memorable characters to date, adorning a fatsuit and fully committing to the bit of the comedy film. However, one cannot help but wonder the reason why he decided to join Ben Stiller’s film in the first place.

During an interview, Stiller revealed exactly this, and his confession sheds light on how lighthearted Cruise actually is.

Tom Cruise—The Butt of a Joke?

The cast of Tropic Thunder is adjacent to big-scale productions, featuring Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., and Tom Cruise. However, the film manages to go knee-deep into its genre of satire, having some of the most iconic characters of all time and even stirring up some controversy. Most famously, Downey Jr. played the role of an African-American man, being one of the most controversial moments in his career.

Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr, and Ben Stiller in Tropic Thunder | Credit: Paramount Pictures

However, Cruise’s character wasn’t any less jarring. Up until that point, he was seen as the perfect Hollywood celebrity, being glamorous regardless of whether he was in an action film or a romance one. With this, fans suddenly got to see the actor in a completely different light, wearing a fat suit, dropping f-bombs, and dancing in the most satisfying ways possible.

During an interview with Collider, Stiller, who was also the director of the film, was asked how he managed to convince Cruise to star in such a role. It would seem that the A-list actor did not mind being the butt of a joke in the slightest. In fact, this all began in 1990 on The Ben Stiller Show (via YouTube), where the actor ended up being the subject of a sketch.

Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey in Tropic Thunder | Credit: Paramount Pictures

This sketch made fun of some of his classic works at the time, ranging from Top Gun to Born on the Fourth of July.

Ben Stiller Would Not Be Able to Take What He Dished Out

The skit did not necessarily make fun of something specific about Tom Cruise, with Ben Stiller simply bizarrely playing him. At the same time, actors have been known to get offended because of such mockery. It would seem, however, that Cruise was not the kind to take offense so easily, as revealed by Stiller during his interview.

He saw it somewhere, but then we did the Ben Stiller Show and we did the Cruise thing too and a friend of mine was in The Firm at the time, and I showed it to him down there and he loved it.

Cruise as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder | Credit: Paramount Pictures

The comedian revealed that he ended up showing the skit to Cruise in person while he was working on his 1993 film, The Firm. The actor found it to be quite hilarious and ended up even doing a skit with Stiller himself during the MTV Awards (via YouTube).

I mean, I would probably not have loved it if I saw somebody gave me somebody doing me. I always give him credit for that.

Stiller took a turn during the interview and mentioned that Cruise was quite positive about being made fun of. He mentioned that if the tables were reversed, he would not have enjoyed being made fun of in such a manner. Due to this, Stiller had a lot of respect for the actor.

Tropic Thunder is available for streaming on Paramount+.