Legendary British actor Sir Michael Caine recently shared his memory of meeting a young Tom Cruise over 40 years ago, offering insight into the dedication that has fueled Cruise’s success. In a new interview promoting his memoir, Caine recounted an encounter with Cruise around 1983 after the premiere of Caine’s film “Educating Rita.”
At the time, Cruise was just breaking out with his role in “Risky Business” but was remarkably humble and inquisitive. “I turned around and there was this polite young actor asking me questions about avoiding being a one-hit wonder,” Caine said. While he can’t recall his exact advice, Caine remarked it clearly served Cruise well as his star rose quickly.
Even early in his career, Caine saw Cruise’s special qualities. “He had a great attitude and self-assurance for someone just starting out,” Caine observed. Today, Cruise remains one of the few true movie stars people will see a film for alone, according to Caine. Their friendship has lasted through the decades, with Cruise surprising Caine for his 90th birthday party in London.
Reflecting on changes in the film industry, Caine named a few modern actors like Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman who still command great audiences. However, he noted stars of Hollywood’s golden age like John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, and Cary Grant once had an even larger-than-life appeal. With a incredible acting career spanning over 150 films in seven decades, Sir Michael Caine is himself a respected legend of cinema
