Rob Lowe says that Tom Cruise cost him two roles he wanted: Top Gun and Jerry Maguire. Lowe used the word "dastardly" to sum up the heated contest. He was quick to note there is no personal bad feeling on either side.

Nicole Kidman, Cruise's former wife, has said she nearly quit acting for him. Both of these remarks position him at the heart of big career moments for the people in his orbit during the 1980s and 1990s.