Two decades ago, Tom Cruise played one role that deviated from his usual good guy roles and proved his acting chops

Tom Cruise was roped in to play a cold-blooded hitman in Michael Mann’s Collateral. The role was originally meant for Russell Crowe. But when the Gladiator actor passed on the role, Cruise got the opportunity of his lifetime to portray a role that would break the Hollywood notions about him. According to Mann, Cruise went full method to portray his rare villain role.

Tom Cruise in a still from Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Mann wanted to make Cruise appear as skillful and covert as a hitman and gave him challenges that the actor aced during the preparation for the role. Jamie Foxx also appeared alongside Cruise in the film as a cab driver and went on to earn the Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.

Tom Cruise’s Method Acting For Collateral Was Unlike Any Of His Other Roles

Tom Cruise in a still from Collateral | Credits: DreamWorks Pictures

Collateral director Michael Mann opened up about his film and Tom Cruise‘s preparation to play a villain in a recent interview. Speaking to Empire two decades after the film hit the screens, Mann shared that Cruise underwent intense training to transform into a hitman for the film.

While the Mission: Impossible actor underwent the usual fight and weapons training, he also took on some unconventional preparations. Mann shared that Cruise would stalk the film’s assistant director as if the AD was a target of Vincent, his character in the film. Mann shared that they identified the AD’s routines and went on to find the perfect place to “get him”. Mann shared with Empire (via ScreenRant):

We knew that [the assistant director] went to the gym three mornings a week, and that he came to work early at 7.30. And here’s where he parked, and that’s the place to get him because there was one way in and three exits. Which is good tradecraft.

Mann further shared his role in Cruise’s Method preparation, sharing that he made him pose as a deliveryman. Cruise’s task was not to get recognized by the people in the liquor store where he was sent. The Top Gun actor was successful as Mann shared that no one recognized him due to the FedEx sign on his shirt and hat. Mann shared:

I had him deliver a calendar to a liquor store in downtown Los Angeles, strike up conversations with three people, and nobody knew it was Tom Cruise. There was a sign on him that said ‘FedEx’ and he had a cap that said ‘FedEx’ and when people see a sign, they believe it.

In the 2004 film, Cruise’s hitman is unwittingly picked up by a cab driver Max, played by Jamie Foxx. As the story unfolds through the night, fans get to see Vincent unleash his cold, calculating, and ruthless self in a chilling performance by Cruise. The film also stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, and Javier Bardem.

Tom Cruise’s Role Broke The Longstanding Hollywood Notion About Him

Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx in a still from Collateral | Credits: DreamWorks Pictures

Before Collateral, Tom Cruise was the charming leading man in the industry. He played a couple of complex characters, but never treaded the full-on villain territory until the 2004 film. Neither the industry nor fans knew that Cruise could pull off such a role with ease. With his silver hair and a suit matching his hair, his look itself screamed a terrifying villain.

Cruise’s iconic villain may have been overshadowed by Jamie Foxx’s cab driver, whose performance was lauded by the critics and was nominated for Oscars. However, directors never took the Michael Mann route again and cast him as a ruthless villain again, which actually works pretty well for the Minority Report actor.

Collateral went on to receive critical acclaim and a strong 86% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film grossed $220.2 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). It is now available for streaming on Paramount+.