Rob Lowe has explained that Tom Cruise cost him two roles he was keen to land: Top Gun and Jerry Maguire. Lowe settled on the phrase "dastardly" to explain the rivalry. He was quick to note there is no lingering resentment on either side.
Nicole Kidman, Cruise's former wife, has acknowledged she nearly quit acting for him. Both of these remarks place him at the centre of major career turning points for those around him during the 1980s and 1990s.