Tom Cruise has always been an actor in the spotlight. If there is a role up for grabs, he would take it and turn it into one that would be remembered for a lifetime. He has done movies that have charted the box office like anything and those that bombed in the most unfortunate manner possible. Whatever the movie may be about, no matter how big or small his role may be, Cruise would always give his best.
Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick | Credit: Paramount Pictures
He had always been someone to take on a challenge head first and never shied away. However, one movie in particular took everything out of him. So much so that Cruise swore never to take up such a challenge again, especially with the way his career was going. The Top Gun actor needed a giant boost.

Tom Cruise Got Stuck in a Ridley Scott Movie

During the years 1984 and 1985, Tom Cruise was rarely ever seen in the public eye. The reason for this was his dedication to Ridley Scott’s Legend. The actor was busy filming in London, surrounded by mostly his own company away from any prying eyes. The filming process was a hassle on its own with the set even catching on fire. As stated by The Rolling Stone, Cruise wasn’t very fond of his character either.
Tom Cruise as Lestat de Lioncourt | Credit: Warner Bros.

I’ll never want to do another picture like that again.

The actor went so far as to say that a movie such as one that demanded him to play Jack of the Green wasn’t something he would be up for again, ever. Struggle upon struggle led for the movie to finally get a release date only for it to then be thrashed by audiences and critics. At the end of the day, neither Cruise was happy about the film nor his fans.

It took a year out of his life that could have been invested elsewhere with a better project. He could have spent it on a more productive project where his skills would have been put to better use.

Tom Cruise Developed a New Skill

It may seem that Tom Cruise wasted a big year of his life on a movie that accounted for nothing in his filmography, but that was far from the case. He found himself enjoying his own company away from the public eye. He saw a break from his normal life and even took pleasure in performing as a character who was as innocent as one gets.
Tom Cruise in Legend | Credit: Universal Pictures
So while it may seem that more than a year of his life was swept away into nothing, Cruise didn’t see it that way. He introspected and found a connection with his past self. In a way reconnecting with the boy he once was. In that one year, he grew massively as a person.

He learned the art of forgiveness and acceptance. He learned to move on and find the joys in life without having the constant burden of anxiety about what will come next. Although the movie wasn’t the greatest in the lot, the year was ever-changing for Tom Cruise.