The Racing Connection: Brad Pitt and Tom Cruises Unlikely Friendship and Collaboration

Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, two of Hollywood's most iconic actors, recently made headlines when they were photographed together at the European premiere of the F1 movie. This reunion was a surprise for fans, as the two had not been seen together in over two decades. However, their shared love of racing dates back much further, to their time working together on the 1994 horror flick Interview with the Vampire. Cruise revealed at CinemaCon in the spring that their shared passion for racing dates back to that set, where they would go and race go-karts all night. "Brad's got a new movie with Jerry Bruckheimer and Joe Kosinski. I can't wait to see that this summer... He's very good at driving. Believe me, I've raced against him," he said. Despite their professional paths never crossing again, the pair's shared passion for racing nearly led to a second collaboration. In the late 2010s, F1 director Joe Kosinski was developing a racing film with both Pitt and Cruise set to star and do their own driving. However, when the studio balked at Kosinski’s budget, the project was scrapped, and James Mangold went on to make Ford v Ferrari with Christian Bale and Matt Damon instead. Cruise found massive success with Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer on the 2022 smash Top Gun: Maverick, while Pitt eventually stepped into the driver's seat for F1: The Movie. Still, the idea of a reunion lingered, with Pitt telling E! News he’d be open to working with Cruise again, with just one caveat: "I'm not gonna hang my ass off airplanes and shit like that. So, when he does something again that's on the ground, [then yes]." Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a driver of the fictional Apex APXGP F1 team in F1: The Movie. The film's action-vehicle supervisor, Graham Kelly, commented on the two actors' driving abilities: "We’d have had a crash if Tom was in it. Tom pushes it to the limit. I mean really to the limit. That terrifies me. I mean, I’ve done loads of Mission: Impossibles with Tom and it’s the most stressful experience for someone like me building cars for him, doing stunts with him." On the other hand, "Brad listens and he knows his abilities, and I think he’d be the first to say, 'Yeah, I’m not going to do that.'" Another thread that ties the two together is seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who co-produced the F1 flick. The Ferrari driver has become close with Pitt over the past four years, complimenting his driving skills and commending his work ethic. Hamilton has also been a fan of Cruise since he visited the Edge of Tomorrow film set in 2013 and reportedly "built a friendship" with him. When the second Top Gun film was in development, Hamilton begged to get involved, telling Cruise that he’d be willing to play a cleaner in the background. Although he was eventually offered the role of a fighter pilot, he was forced to turn it down due to his 2021 championship fight with Max Verstappen. Years later, he told GQ that it "broke his heart" to walk away from the opportunity, but he eventually got his moment in the spotlight with this year’s summer blockbuster. In conclusion, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise's shared love of racing has been a constant thread throughout their careers. Their reunion at the F1 movie premiere was a surprise for fans, but it was also a testament to their enduring friendship and passion for motorsport.