Billy Wilder has been an absolute legend onscreen, but no one was as impressed by his work more than Cameron Crowe. Wanting Wilder to appear in the $273M movie Jerry Maguire alongside Tom Cruise, the acclaimed director recalled begging the Oscar-winning actor to accept the role. However, as one can see, Wilder didn’t accept the part.
Recalling the conversation he had with Billy Wilder, Cameron Crowe spoke with Deadline in retrospect. Discussing the incident in detail, the director mentioned visiting the actor along with Tom Cruise. However, Wilder repeatedly refused to accept the part in Jerry Maguire as a mentor to the protagonist. And somehow his refusal left Cruise and Crowe stunned.
Billy Wilder Refused To Play Dicky Fox In Cameron Crowe’s Movie
The 1996 American romantic sports comedy-drama film Jerry Maguire starring Tom Cruise had been a movie in the making for a long time, especially for director Cameron Crowe. Getting inspiration after watching The Apartment and Best Years of Our Lives, Crowe wished to deliver something warm just like the two movies.
Therefore, willing to bring in great characters, the director decided to create Jerry Maguire, with the protagonist’s mentor, Dicky Fox being the movie’s conscience. And thus, for the role of Dicky Fox, Cameron Crowe had his eyes fixed on the 7 times Oscar winner Billy Wilder.
“I started thinking, Billy Wilder could be so wonderful doing that Dicky Fox character.”
Thus, setting up an appointment with the actor, Crowe went to visit Billy Wilder, at his place, with a poster. However, the actor took his sweet time to appear, as he had no idea about the appointment. Wilder even confused Crowe with a CAA messenger.
“I’m a director. I realize he thought I was a messenger. So he says, come on in, I’ll sign your poster.”
However, after discussing the movie and its plot with Billy Wilder, the actor simply refused the role by stating, “I’m not an actor”. But Crowe wasn’t willing to let go of Wilder, thus he gifted him cigars and excitedly informed Tom Cruise and Bonnie Hunt that the role of Dicky Fox would be played by Billy Wilder.
Tom Cruise Personally Leaned In To Hire Billy Wilder For The Movie
Although Billy Wilder staunchly refused Cameron Crowe’s story and proposal to play Jerry Maguire’s mentor Dicky Fox in the $273M movie, the director was overly optimistic to cast no one but him. Thus, when shooting rehearsals started Tom Cruise was met with surprise when he didn’t find Wilder on the set. “Well, where’s Billy Wilder?” Cruise asked.
Cameron Crowe shared,
“I said, ‘Let me call him.’ He picks up his phone. Doesn’t really remember me, and really doesn’t remember saying he would be in the movie.”
That’s when Tom Cruise decided to intervene and help Crowe convince Billy Wilder to ay the role in the sports-romance movie. “Cruise says, let’s go talk him into it. We drive to Billy Wilder’s office.” the director recalled during his discussion with Deadline. He further mentioned how Wilder was excited to see Cruise, but had no recollection of Crowe.
“Tom says, ‘You got to play this.’ Billy Wilder says, no, and he continues to say no in so many different ways. It occurs to me, sitting there, that I don’t think Tom Cruise has heard the word ‘no’ this often, in a really long time.”
Despite Tom Cruise digging in more and trying to convince Wilder, the Oscar-winning actor repeatedly refused to be in the movie. However, to Crowe’s surprise, although Cruise was rejected by the actor, for an awful amount of time, “he loved Billy Wilder…wrote notes to Billy, and they developed a little bit of a friendship.” Although Wilder refused to be a part of Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise handled the rejection quite well, and the crew ended up casting Jared Jussim as Dicky Fox.
Watch Jerry Maguire on Amazon Video.
Source: Deadline
