Actors and actresses have time and again confessed how lonely it gets in a place like Hollywood. Without friends, survival in a cut-throat industry like this can be extremely difficult. However, there are a few lucky ones like Jada Pinkett Smith who could find a great partner in Will Smith and a dependable friend in the Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise.
Cruise and Pinkett have worked together in Michael Mann’s Collateral and their friendship began on the sets of the film. Being a woman of color, she has always been underconfident about her appearance as she was never told that she looked beautiful during her initial days in the industry.
The actress however has been able to find a new perspective on things as she faced intense racism and suffered an unstable married life with her husband. One thing that has definitely worked out in her favor while being friends with Tom Cruise is that she started to see her actual worth. Cruise has helped many actors in the industry with his star power and is said to have a heart of gold.
Jada Pinkett Smith Could Not Take Compliments
Despite her ability to remain upbeat in an industry that has put her through some of the most challenging phases of her life, she could not do well with the compliments that people gave her.
In an interview with Redbook publications back in 2011, Jada Pinkett Smith shared that while the filming of Collateral (2004) was underway, Tom Cruise used to give compliments to her but she always dodged them believing that she wasn’t worthy.
As a kid, nobody told her how ‘beautiful’ she was. Years later when she came across Cruise, she got to learn that she should ‘let go’ of all the ‘doubts’ she had about her personality and accept compliments that people gave her.
‘You Need To Stop Doing That’ – Tom Cruise Advice To Jada Smith
When Tom Cruise says something, you listen! On the sets of Collateral, he could not tolerate Smith’s rejection of compliments. Given Cruise’s dedication to his work and how confident he is, he always likes to see his co-actors exuberate the same confidence.
According to the 51-year-old actor, Cruise said –
“Every time I compliment you, you always reject it. You need to stop doing that. Just say, ‘Thank you.’”
Since then, Jada Pinkett Smith has always thanked Cruise for his words of wisdom, as she has been able to tap into her inner light.
Tom Cruise will be next seen in his upcoming Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 coming this July 12.
Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet
