Rarely have Hollywood stars ever impressed upon the importance of filmmaking, the corresponding industry, and the necessity of its survival as much as Tom Cruise has. And Will Smith was perhaps one of the first few people to notice that visionary proponent of the theatres in Cruise back in the early ’00s. In his autobiography, the Bad Boys actor shares just how influential the Top Gun actor has been in the furthering of the movie industry and Smith’s own career in the filmmaking business.

Tom Cruise and Will Smith

Tom Cruise Catches Will Smith by Surprise

When one starts in the industry at a pace as Will Smith does, there is so much that could go wrong at the tip of a hat that one starts to become wary of everyone and everything around them. Smith’s Hollywood career skyrocketed with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air but his princely status was limited only to the televisions. That is until he began his shift to the silver screens.

Once inside the Hollywood sphere of the elites, the Bad Boys star’s fame then meant instant recognition, global success, and a fanbase so huge that Smith began comparing himself with (and competing against) Tom Cruise. But the latter was more interested in the proliferation of the movie industry than being one-upped by a newcomer and his contemporary – 

“Tom is one of the most open, honest and helpful people I’ve met in Hollywood […] I mean, how many people in his position would want me to win, want me to be a bigger and better movie star? […] I just didn’t get him at first. That blew my mind because that is not how this business works at all.”

Tom Cruise and Will Smith at the First Annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood

Fortunately for the Fresh Prince, Cruise’s vision for the diorama of the cinematic world meant building a better industry and making films that are representative of that vision. And tearing a fellow actor down or competing against them for bigger wins and numbers didn’t exactly fit with Cruise’s plans for a Hollywood that stands strong because of its stars.

Will Smith Finds an Unlikely Ally in Tom Cruise

Since the sitcom, The Fresh Prince, took off in the early 90s, Will Smith has resonated more with his forerunners like Eddie Murphy or Bill Cosby than with someone of the likes of Tom Cruise. But as he later observed, “they were older. Tom is my age,” which then automatically led to the afterthought, “there would be some competition between us.” To Smith’s surprise, that wasn’t the reception that he received from the Mission: Impossible star, because “[Cruise] looks over my scripts and everything.”

In an interview with Newsweek, the Oscar-winning actor revealed just how much that allyship extended between him and Tom Cruise:

“When I did ‘I Am Legend’, I sent him the script, and he sent me back four hours of notes and changes. He did more work on ‘I Am Legend’ than I did. Now we’re looking at some projects to work on together because we have that basic understanding of each other.”

I Am Legend (2007)

However, with the drama at the 94th Academy Awards, Hollywood has been divided over their reception of Will Smith back into the common circles. Although some stars (Dwayne Johnson) have extended a helping hand, the King Richard star still has a long way to go and it doesn’t seem like his project together with Tom Cruise will be developing anytime soon.

On the other hand, the infamous I Am Legend which has grossed over $585 million worldwide is now being developed for a sequel, 16 years after the original movie’s release. And given how closely the two were connected on the earlier project, there cannot be a better opportunity than this to bring the two stars together for the first time on the silver screen.