2008 saw the release of Thunder in the Tropics, an irresistible parody of the war movie, in which Ben Stiller and his host of actors gleefully mocked classics of the seventh art, such as Platoon or Apocalypse Now.
Packed with scenes, each one more schoolboy and funny than the last (starting with fake trailers right from the start), the feature film owes its best scenes to Les Grossman’s character: this nasty and rude Hollywood producer who can take offense. Lots of drug dealers on the phone and hip-hop rocking in the end credits.
As you know, if you’ve seen Thunder in the Tropics, underneath the producer’s bald head and generous fatness is actually… Tom Cruise. But the Mission Impossible star didn’t just agree to play this hero, light years away from the ones he’s used to playing.
- Thunder in the Tropics: Tom Cruise unrecognizable and brilliant as a dirty producer, it was already 15 years ago
He read the script and came up with the idea for the character.
Indeed, as Ben Stiller said 2015 at the Grantland MicTom Cruise himself had the idea of integrating this incredible character into the movie script:
“I spoke to Tom about his part in the film”explained Stiller, who originally considered offering Tom Cruise the lead role before casting himself. He read the script and came up with the idea for the character.
And screenwriter Stewart Kornfeld adds:
“Tom read the script before Les Grossman and said, ‘I think you need another villain besides this 12-year-old drug lord. what do you think About a greedy studio producer who represents the crux of Hollywood?”
“I think you need another villain.”
“Okay He decided he was going to play Speedman And he got a call from Tom, who told him he couldn’t get the script off the ground. Tom asked what was left, Ben told him that the Les Grossman part hadn’t been cast yet, and Tom said, “I’ll play it.”
Therefore, we owe Tom Cruise not only a memorable interpretation of Les Grossman, but also the pure and simple invention of this character, which made every Thunder in the Tropics fan die of laughter. According to Ben Stiller, he even insisted on dancing in the film.
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Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
