Hollywood movies and shows have several such cult classic roles that we cannot imagine anyone else playing other than the original actors. However, there’s no denying that the directors and producers initially chose someone else for those roles. Apparently, Footloose is one such acclaimed project that sought Tom Cruise over the OG, Kevin Bacon.
While it’s hard to imagine Footloose without Kevin Bacon’s brand of charm, it has been reported that Tom Cruise was the initial choice for the play city-boy transplant Ren. Apparently, the filmmaker dove right in with the project keeping Cruise in his mind. However, eventually, the Hollywood A-lister faced a scheduling issue that forced him to drop out of the cult classic movie.
Tom Cruise Turned Down Footloose For All the Right Moves
Being a popular face in Hollywood, Tom Cruise has been offered several acclaimed projects throughout his career. Jam-packed with movies, the actor refused most of the projects due to scheduling issues. However, one movie that stands out in Cruise’s heap of tossed away scripts, is Footloose.
Apparently, Hollywood heartthrob Tom Cruise was initially eyed for the role of Ren McCormack in the 1984 dance musical, which turned out to be a cinematic spectacle of that era. Given his charm and good looks, Cruise was indeed a great choice for the lead role.
The film director Herbert Ross was hellbent on casting Cruise as Ren in the 1984 cult classic. Finding it hard to imagine someone else playing the titular role, Ross deliberately sought after the Top Gun actor. Unfortunately, despite the director’s persuasion, Tom Cruise failed to appear in the movie due to scheduling issues surrounding his $17M movie, All the Right Moves.
Footloose Turned Kevin Bacon Into A Cult Icon
Jam-packed with movies on his end, Tom Cruise was willing to offer his time and skills in the sports drama All the Right Moves, over Herbert Ross’ Footloose. Apparently, having a conflict with the filming schedule, Cruise chose Michael Chapman’s forgettable $17M movie over the cult classic. Thus, eventually, Kevin Bacon was offered the role of Ren McCormack.
Following Bacon’s appearance in the 1984 Footloose, audiences lost their mind over his natural charm and charisma. Thereafter, the actor turned into a fan-favorite celebrity who was catapulted to fame and was hailed by fans. While Tom Cruise became a global star, Bacon was turned into a cult icon, with Footloose.
Kevin Bacon delivered a phenomenal performance in the 1984 movie and received overall positive reviews. The movie was further considered a fun and very lighthearted motion picture that received a 53% RT rating. Bacon’s appearance pleased the audiences which ended up boosting the movie’s success in the global box office. Budgeted at $25M, Footloose earned a staggering $80M at the box office.
Watch Footloose on Max.
Source: Popsugar
