Ben Stiller recently opened up about how Tom Cruise played a key role in shaping Tropic Thunder in a conversation on the New Heights Podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce. Stiller shared the surprising story of how Cruise came up with one of the film’s most memorable characters, Les Grossman.
According to Stiller, his friendship with Tom Cruise began years earlier when they worked on a quirky short film for the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. After that, they stayed in touch, although they hadn’t figured out another project to work on together. Later, while Stiller was writing the script for Tropic Thunder, their paths crossed again in an unexpected way.
During the podcast, Stiller explained how he had made a funny homemade video for his wife, Christine Taylor, on her birthday. It was a spoof of the TV show 24, and he had cast his brother-in-law, Brian Taylor, in it. Stiller joked that Brian was “the worst actor ever,” which made the video even funnier. Stiller thought it would be hilarious to have Tom Cruise appear in the video alongside Brian. He asked Cruise if he would do a scene where Brian recited Jack Nicholson’s famous courtroom speech from A Few Good Men to him. Cruise agreed right away and acted like a true professional during the shoot.
After they finished filming the parody video, Stiller decided to ask Cruise if he would be interested in playing a role in Tropic Thunder. Cruise read the script and liked it, but he told Stiller something was missing. Cruise pointed out that while the film poked fun at actors and agents, it didn’t make fun of studio executives—the powerful people who run the movie business.
That’s when Cruise suggested creating a new character: a loud, foul-mouthed Hollywood producer. This idea became Les Grossman. Stiller said the character didn’t exist until Cruise came up with it, just three months before they started shooting the movie. Not only did Cruise suggest Les Grossman, but he also came up with the idea that the character should dance in the film. Those wild dance moves helped define Grossman’s over-the-top personality.
Ben Stiller, who directed, co-wrote, produced, and starred in Tropic Thunder, said Cruise’s input was a game-changer. He credited Cruise for making Les Grossman such an important and unforgettable part of the movie.
