When Tom Cruise was going to be Jim Morrison…..

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Tom Cruise, boasting three Oscar nominations under his belt, is still waiting to claim one (one might think an honorary award isn’t far off)). Following his nod for the film ‘Born on the Fourth of July’, directed by Oliver Stone, he expressed interest in collaborating with Stone again. This collaboration would materialize in Stone’s subsequent project, which was none other than ‘The Doors’. Tom Cruise had aspirations to play Jim Morrison in this film. However, his agent reached out to Stone and producer Mario Kassar from Carolco Productions (known for hits like Terminator 2 and Total Recall) to discuss this potential role.

A meeting was arranged due to Cruise’s agent stating that he was eager to portray Jim Morrison. This idea excited Kassar, as he contemplated how Tom Cruise would boost foreign sales and the movie’s budget. The producer even thought Cruise was almost insisting on the role. However, all efforts were fruitless as Stone had already chosen another actor, stating, “I don’t believe he’s suitable. I have someone else in mind.” Stone then displayed Val Kilmer in character to Kassar. Immediately, Kassar agreed, “You know what? Damn it, you’re correct. Why do you always have to be right? He looked just like him. Go ahead. Val was outstanding in the role, without a doubt the best choice.

Val Kilmer received widespread praise for his role, but unfortunately, The Doors didn’t receive any Oscar nominations during that time and managed to gross only $34 million at the box office. On the other hand, Tom Cruise moved forward to collaborate with Nicole Kidman on ‘Far and Away’, which brought in a substantial $137 million. To give credit where it’s due, Cruise did have an opportunity to portray a rocker in the film ‘Rock of Ages’ (2012).

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2025-05-01 02:23