Tom Cruise Had A Second Role On One Of His Most Underrated Hits

Ever since Tom Cruise became a certifiable superstar with "Top Gun," he has exerted a considerable amount of control over the making of his movies. There are exceptions, most notably Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" and his collaborations with Steven Spielberg, but, typically, Cruise is an idea machine early in the production and a motivational force throughout the shoot. This could be viewed as overbearing, but most people who've worked with him speak highly of his work ethic (the cliche "first on set, last to leave" is often applied), as well as his genial demeanor. He makes people want to work hard for him, but isn't above cracking the whip (as he did on the set of "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning" when he felt Covid health protocols were being skirted).

Still, Cruise isn't a credit hog. He's fine with being a star and, most of the time nowadays, a producer. But given that his movies have grossed a combined $13 billion at the worldwide box office, he's earned the right to have a say in other areas of production.

There was, however, one instance of Cruise taking a co-story credit, and it was well-deserved considering that it was his idea to hit the racetrack and make "Days of Thunder." He could probably have lobbied for a co-story credit on some of his other movies, but "Days of Thunder" was special for the actor.

Directed by Tony Scott, "Days of Thunder" stars Cruise as NASCAR star Cole Trickle, whose chronic need for speed is both a strength and a near-fatal flaw. His recklessness lands him in the hospital after a horrific crash, but he ultimately develops the skills to drive hard without constantly putting his life (and the lives of others) in jeopardy.

Cruise's car racing obsession was ignited by Paul Newman, his co-star in Martin Scorsese's "The Color of Money." The two attended a press event held by Hendrick Motorsports, and the one-two punch of driving a race car and dining with the Hendrick crew, where many wild stories were told, convinced Cruise that there was a movie there.

Cruise initially worked on the script for "Days of Thunder" with Warren Skaaren, who'd done rewrites for "Top Gun." Skaaren spent two years on the project, writing ten drafts that would ultimately be scrapped when Cruise convinced "Chinatown" screenwriter Robert Towne to come on board. Towne started from scratch, but the bones of the story were still Cruise's. There would be many, many drafts, which delayed the start of principal photography. The making of "Days of Thunder" is a crazy story in itself, but all that matters is that they got the would-be blockbuster past the finish line for a June 27, 1990 release.

"Days of Thunder" received mostly negative reviews and underperformed at the box office with a $158 million gross against a $60 million budget. But thanks to heavy rotation on television over the years, the film has apparently found a sizable following. I sure hope it's sizable, because we're getting "Days of Thunder 2" (on June 2, 2028). We'll have to wait and see if Cruise gets another co-story credit.