It seems that even in 1996 Tom Crusie had a reputation for being an actor who took control of the movies he starred in, and Crowe’s friends were afraid the director would lose control of the project if he cast the Top Gun star.
Tom Cruise has been a huge action movie star for decades, but his biggest role may have been when he took a turn for the dramatic in Jerry Maguire.
It turns out, some tried to talk director Cameron Crowe out of casting Cruise.