How Tom Cruise Helped Robert Downey Jr. Achieve His Second Oscar Nomination After Iron Man

Hollywood’s stunt-action star, Tom Cruise, has tackled various genres throughout his illustrious career. From action-packed blockbusters like Top Gun and the Mission: Impossible series to dramatic roles in Rain Man and Jerry Maguire, the actor has taken the industry by storm. One of his most memorable performances came in the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder, where he brought to life the iconic character Les Grossman. While he reigned over the industry mainly through action franchises, his versatility shines in multiple roles.

Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder is a satirical action-comedy about a group of actors filming a war movie who unwittingly find themselves in a real-life conflict. Apart from Cruise, the film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Kirk Lazarus, a method actor who controversially undergoes a surgical skin-darkening procedure for his role. Downey‘s performance stole the spotlight, earning him an Oscar nomination—his second, following his first for Chaplin in 1993.

Despite the Blackface controversy, the movie remains a cult classic, largely due to Cruise’s outrageous character, Les Grossman. This morally and ethically “gross man” is one of Tropic Thunder‘s funniest elements. Cruise’s portrayal of this vile, power-hungry Hollywood producer was nothing short of brilliant. Additionally, the iconic opening dance sequence—a suggestion by Cruise—added depth to the character.

However, this iconic role almost didn’t happen. Stiller, who had been working on the script for eight years, once admitted that something crucial was missing. The movie’s screenwriter, Etan Cohen, confirmed this, explaining they struggled to figure out why the actors would be stranded without anyone realizing these big stars were missing.

This is where Cruise stepped in. After reading the script, he proposed the idea of a criminal studio head who “represents the gross part of Hollywood.” This suggestion gave birth to Les Grossman, turning what started as an idea into one of modern comedy’s funniest and most iconic characters.

Tropic Thunder is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

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