Rob Lowe says that Tom Cruise cost him two roles he was keen to land: Top Gun and Jerry Maguire. Lowe chose the term "dastardly" to sum up the heated contest. He was quick to note there is no hard feelings on either side.
Nicole Kidman, Cruise's former wife, once said she almost gave up acting because of him. Both of these remarks place him at the centre of major career turning points for people around him during the 1980s and 1990s.