Whenever one talks about the OGs of Hollywood, it is a rare occasion that two names are missed out on – Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise. Both actors have made their mark in the industry and forgetting any of the two is quite impossible. The portfolios of both these actors speak loud and clear about why they are two of the most loved actors in Hollywood.
However, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise being celebrities of the same caliber, it is quite strange that the two have never appeared in a movie together. A movie starring both actors side by side is sure to do wonders at the box office. So, why hasn’t this been a thing yet? Well, the Internet has a theory.
Fan Theory about Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise
Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Fans were wondering why Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise have never appeared on the big screens together, given that they are both huge stars in the industry. Well, this just might be the reason why. The conversation started on Quora and almost everyone seemed to agree that both of the actors are just too big to star together. A user wrote that the two are “apex predators” working in the same niche.
“I’d argue Cruise and DiCaprio function as professional adversaries, two apex predators competing for parts under increasingly converging niches. And frankly, they seem to know it.”
The user also stated that DiCaprio replaces Cruise for Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Although, that is not the case and there seems to have been a mix-up of facts as Cruise was offered another role in the film, one which was later played by actor Brad Pitt.
Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio were Almost in a Movie?
Appearing on the HappySadConfused podcast, Tarantino confessed that Cruise was one of the actors who were considered for the role of Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. As we know it, that’s not what ended up happening as the role was played by Pitt. So, why didn’t Tarantino think it was a good idea to go with Cruise?
Tarantino stated that although Cruise and he really hit it off when they talked about the movie, he had a different idea of what Cliff and Rick Dalton looked like together. He stated that when you cast actors where one guy plays the double of the other, you have to have it line up a certain way. The two actors complimenting each other had to work out perfectly since the movie focuses on the lives of an actor and his stunt double, and DiCaprio and Cruise simply didn’t feel right to the director.
“The reality is, was it always these two guys? It’s the casting coup of the decade. You can’t count on that. They both have to respond to it, they both have to want to play those roles, they both have to be available, there’s a whole lot of stuff there. And if you’re casting an actor, casting a team, where the one guy is a double of another guy then they have to match up in the right kind of way.”
Well, everything worked out for the better in the end as both DiCaprio and Pitt were praised for their work in the movie and even got Oscar nominations for their roles. While Pitt ended up taking the award home, DiCaprio lost it to Joaquin Phoenix for Joker.
