Rob Lowe has explained that Tom Cruise deprived him of two roles he wanted: Top Gun and Jerry Maguire. Lowe chose the term "dastardly" to sum up the heated contest. He was quick to note there is no hard feelings on either side.
Nicole Kidman, Cruise's former wife, once said she was close to leaving acting for him. Both of these remarks put him at the centre of major career turning points for the people in his orbit during the 1980s and 1990s.