Tom Cruise helped elevate J.J. Abrams from the sets of Lost to directing Mission: Impossible III as Abrams remains forever in Cruise’s debt.

In a rare case of life imitating art, Tom Cruise has never taken on a task that he ever deemed impossible. From saving Hollywood by reviving the theatrical distribution system to greenlighting movies with a single phone call, nothing gets past the actor when it concerns the business of filmmaking.

Tom Cruise on the Mission: Impossible films [Credit: Paramount Pictures]

Yet, despite his busy schedule, Cruise remains an exemplary role model to the younger generation of performers, often taking them under his wing and teaching them to be an actor before they can evolve into global movie stars. The same applies in the case of directors as well, as was later revealed by the famous J.J. Abrams, co-creator of Lost.

Tom Cruise Gifts a Career to J.J. Abrams

J.J. Abrams was a television series director and showrunner before Tom Cruise hauled him over to the dark side. Hollywood, with its tentacled reaches and studio politics, presented a difficult climb to the peak, and yet Cruise’s support helped Abrams chart a clearly defined path to the very top.

In an extensive profile interview with Deadline, J.J. Abrams revealed the true extent of Cruise’s powers which include exploiting his sharp business acumen to solve the studio’s lineup problem. After recognizing a worthy storyteller in Abrams, Cruise immediately advocated for him to helm Mission: Impossible III, no questions asked. The sudden show of unbridled faith stirred awake the creative beast in J.J. Abrams, who in turn felt he owed it all to Tom Cruise.

I blame Tom Cruise entirely on my having a career. He did all the impossible heavy lifting I don’t think anyone could have done to give me a shot. I will be forever grateful for everything he did.

Later, watching the Mission: Impossible star stick his neck out for him led to a full weight of realization and the director came to understand the immense responsibility that Cruise placed on him with a mixture of pride and awe. After watching Cruise fight for his career in the industry, Abrams admitted:

I’m sitting there, watching him take a wild chance on someone who had never directed a feature before, and I couldn’t believe it was me. I came to learn that kind of thing is a normal Tuesday for Tom.

However, J.J. Abrams was not the only person to feel the full range of Tom Cruise’s benevolence on the sets of Mission: Impossible III. Due to the long production delays in the making of the film, several actors and directors who were attached to the film at various stages had to drop out citing scheduling conflicts. The list went on to include Kate Moss and Scarlett Johansson.

Although Johansson snagging the lead female role in a Cruise film in 2006 could have helped gain momentum for her career, one can hardly complain considering how well the A-list actress has fared even without the added notch of a Mission: Impossible film on her belt.

Today, Mission: Impossible III, the bland sequel featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman as an international criminal mastermind, remains the lowest-grossing entry out of the entire spy thriller franchise. Yet, it helped launch the impeccable career of J.J. Abrams who went on to launch the Star Trek reboot with Chris Pine and steered and produced the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

Tom Cruise Leaves a Treasured Legacy Behind

Tom Cruise leaves an infallible legacy with Top Gun: Maverick [Credit: Paramount Pictures]

When Tom Cruise asks for a certain task to be done in a certain way, everyone usually falls in line with his wishes. Ironically enough, Cruise does not exploit his authority within the industry to serve at his own leisure. Rather, the fabled actor does everything in his power to make sure every part of the filmmaking machinery works effectively and in tandem to make the best movie possible.

The power that Cruise wields over the Big Five, every high-level Hollywood executive, and guild-approved director is aimed at addressing the same query: “How do we create the most immersive, engaging experience for the widest possible audience?” and “How do we do all that with an emphasis on character and story first?” (as articulated by director Christopher McQuarrie).

Despite the larger-than-life personality that Cruise imposes on the people around him, the world’s biggest movie star would rather spend his birthday holding an 8-hour aviation meeting than blow out candles. Simply ask Doug Liman. And as for Tom Cruise, his reasoning has always been simple:

‘That’s what I want for my birthday. I want to be making a movie. That’s the best birthday present.’

Although making movies has always been the mantra for Tom Cruise, the actor has never lost his doe-eyed fascination involving the silver-screen industry even after 40+ years in Hollywood. Joseph Kosinski said it best when the Top Gun: Maverick director explained the magic recipe for Cruise’s career: “He approaches every day with the enthusiasm that it’s his first movie, and at the same time puts the effort into it like it’s his last movie.”

Mission: Impossible III is streaming on Paramount+.