Mickey Rourke calls Top Gun's Tom Cruise 'irrelevant' Published By Tribute on Jul 13, 2022

Mickey Rourke is not impressed with Tom Cruise's recent work in the box office success, Top Gun: Maverick.

On July 11, while appearing as a guest on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Rourke was asked for his thoughts on Cruise reprising his role as Pete Mitchell in the sequel to the popular action movie.

"When you see someone like Tom Cruise grossing a billion dollars with Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel, 35 years or so after the first one, what do you think of that?" Morgan asked.

"That doesn't mean sh–t to me, the guy's been doing the same effing part for 35 years. I got no respect for that," the actor answered. "I don't care about money and power."

Rourke explained that Hollywood greats such as Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Robert De Niro, are who he looks up to, career-wise. "That's the kind of actor I want to be like, a lot of guys who tried to stretch as actors."

Before changing the topic, Morgan asked, "You don't think Tom Cruise is a good actor?"

Rourke didn't hesitate, replying, "I think he's irrelevant, in my world."

The clip, as well as the full conversation, is available to watch on YouTube.

In its first three days, Top Gun: Maverick made over $100 million. By the end of June, the movie broke $1 billion globally. ~Claudia Minardi

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Comments & Discussion

CDubya - 7/13/2022 8:07:09 PM

...So he can't congratulate his pier who's been in the business for decades on finally being in a movie that broke the billion dollar mark!? He has to say the guy has been playing the same effing part for 35yrs? Ummm a disabled war vet in Born on the 4th of July does not in anyway mirror Pete Mitchell in Top Gun. Neither does Tom's roll in Interview With a Vampire or Magnolia or a hitman (bad guy) in Collateral or a father trying to save his kids from aliens in War of the Worlds, or the brother of an autistic savant in Rain Man. Mickey Rourke also puts down Marvel movies when he freaking signed up and was the main villain in Iron Man 2 (which I actually liked his character and was hoping he'd be back in another film)!!!!! Otherwise what is Mickey known for? 9 1/2weeks...really I think that one belonged to Kim Basinger. Or Barfly?? Maybe Sin City?? Or his most acclaimed effort due to his steriod body and mangled face was The Wrestler. Sorry Mickey, you've made a lot of bad turns in your life and of all the Hollywood actors, Tom Cruise (however you may think of him and his religion) is one of the most versatile and consistent money making stars ever. Top Gun Maverick didn't have an ensamble cast and the movie was not riddles with CGI, he put in the effort and training to film a movie that really was unique considering it was a sequel. The filming was better, the action was better, the acting was even better, even for Tom. I may sound like Tom's biggest supporter, but really I'm just pointing out flaws in Mickey's comment and pointing out that Tom Cruise is very versatile and honestly, try to find a movie where he phoned it in or just made the movie just to build a new deck on his house. Nope, he puts incredible amount of effort into his flicks and it shows.
Pat - 7/13/2022 11:31:11 PM

"Tier"?!? Hahaha!
Gail O'Neill - 7/14/2022 12:32:47 AM

Top Gun with Tom Cruise is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. I've now seen it at least 8 or more times and will see it another 8 times. As far as I'm concerned Rourke opinion doesn't matter & if he doesn't like it it's no loss to Tom Cruise. There is a valid reason that it has made over a BILLION DOLLARS.
James - 7/14/2022 9:40:02 AM

Thank you, Mackey, for saying what most of us are thinking. Top Gun was pretty and all, but it's just the same movie. A couple guys flying around making me sick. That billion USD would gave been better spent supporting local air shows. But, hey, at least Tom Cruise didn't make another Mission Impossible movie.....this year...
J - 7/14/2022 9:52:10 AM

Just want to say Mickey is looking pretty decent these days....was looking kind of rough for a while!!
Paula - 7/14/2022 10:08:45 AM

I agree with James. Thank you Mickey for saying what most of us are thinking!! Cruise has got to be THE most egotistical, self-centered actor in Hollywood ewho was basically made famous by one role - Top Gun .... which sadly keeps getting reprised to make him a buck. Guess another Mission Impossible is coming next year?!
Debbie - 7/14/2022 10:36:15 AM

Hello: I do not like Tom Cruise, but he has played versatile parts, which some have been well made. I also think that he has overdone the 'same' movies, like Top Gun and Mission Impossible. So, I agree with both sides of the comments. Not much to add here. He is 'irrelevant' to me.
quinn - 7/14/2022 10:43:48 AM

There is room for Mickey Rourke and Tom Cruise.
Kris Coghlan - 7/14/2022 10:50:53 AM

And Mickey Rourke is relevant? Really? really? Nasty piece of work - why try to bring others down?
thekat - 7/14/2022 11:42:41 AM

I enjoy both actors' work....but for very different reasons. Tom Cruise strikes me as "the public's actor" ~ he delivers performances onstage and off. I agree that he plays "Tom Cruise" in most of his movies...but then Kevin Costner plays "Kevin Costner" in most of his too. I enjoy both. Mickey Rourke is an "actor's actor". He is edgey, gritty and pulls from his soul, He pushes his craft to the limit. You may not like Mickey Rourke the person but you can't question his commitment to his craft when you watch "A Prayer for the Dying" or "Nine and a Half Weeks" or "The Pope of Greenwich Village". You want to sit on the edge of your seat and gobble down popcorn, Tom is your guy. You want to feel like you have been punched in the gut and begin question things that you have believed, then you need to "Rourke out".
Terry - 7/14/2022 12:29:46 PM

Rourke is an oily, greasy slimeball & seems to be jealous that Cruise has made so much money from his movies. I agree with others that Cruise is a self obsessed, arrogant, egotist but I've always thought he was a talented actor & even does his own stunts & that is very risky when he has so much to lose. Brave or stupid??? Who knows....is there a difference? Or -- perhaps thinks he is invincible.....most narcissists think that. Any actor who puts down a fellow actor makes themselves look cheap. I haven't seen Rourke in a movie for years.
J oneil - 7/14/2022 3:16:12 PM

Mickey Rourke is one of those actors that you thought he died years agoâ€¦ then he shows up again with some bull or a movieâ€¦ then disappears and you think heâ€™s dead again. He is the definition of IRRELEVANTâ€¦. And Morgan needs to get off the air in every manner (tv, film, radio, stage, paper).
diane fraser - 7/15/2022 2:04:56 AM

Micky Rourke didnâ€™t say Tom Cruise is irrelevant he said heâ€™s irrelevant to him - an entirely different point - nothing wrong with that Mickey Rourke was and is an amazing actor At a certain point in his career Tom Cruise did work on stretching himself as an actor but heâ€™s definitely found monetary success and probably a hell of a lot of fun making his mission impossible and now top gun movies (Iâ€™m sure thereâ€™s going to be another one in the works lol) Good for him
Yawnie - 7/15/2022 7:36:47 AM

I agree with Rourke. Cruise is irrelevant. He's a teo-bit, over paid wanna be. He wouldn't know how to act his way out of a wet paper bag. The money made on his movies comes from Scientologisy who support each other and those who don't care that they pay to watch the same monotonous acts repeatedly. I agree with Rourke on Pacino, De Niro. Add to that list Robin Williams who stretched to do drama as well as comedy and I'd pay to see those actors any day
Todd - 7/15/2022 9:21:31 AM

Mickey was commenting on Tom Cruise as an actor to emulate. I.e., he was commenting professional to professional. Tom doesn't stretch himself is what Mickey is saying. Cruise is a fine actor, but Mickey is right ... Tom just does the money-making thing on repeat. The actors who are relevant to him work harder on their craft. Therefore, Tom is not relevant to him. I don't see this as an insult per se. It's just rather coldly matter-of-fact. I haven't seen the new Top Gun. The old one is a fun-to-watch adolescent homoerotic bro flick. I hear the new one stays in that lane. I am sure we will watch it soon enough. Heh. I look forward to more films leveraging Mickey Rourke's unique gravitas. Rourke is also a fine actor. But one who stretches himself.
tom boyle - 7/15/2022 12:02:37 PM

I liked the movie
Katherine - 7/15/2022 12:23:07 PM

I think Top Gun Maverick was a very good movie!! Tom Cruise is a good actor. I also enjoyed the first Top Gun. I have probably watched that one many times. There are a lot of movies out there right now That I would not see like The Phone, Thor, etc. I did see Elvis the other day and I liked it very much. I had a crush on Elvis since I watched him on The Ed Sullivan Show. I saw him 3 times when he was appearing in Las Vegas. I was in my 20’s and acted crazy just like all the ladies.?? Star Wars came out and I saw a few of them with my Sons. My gosh they loved and saw everyone more than a Few times. I am not a movie critic and I went and saw movies I enjoyed. I took my Sons to movies they wanted to see. We all like different things, movies. Resturants, Etc. We have the capability of Agreeing to disagree. I go to things that I do not really want to but, my sons or a friend wants to see and I go because they asked me to go with them. Everyone enjoys things differently.
Holly - 7/15/2022 4:27:44 PM

Just a tad jealous huh Mickey.
Keith schramm - 7/15/2022 8:31:23 PM

I liked Maverick and Cruise is a good actor, but he's No Mickey R- who is a very good actor. I thought Elvis was outstanding, and the young actor playing Elvis was Great.
Philip Miller - 7/16/2022 12:29:12 AM

Mikey can’t spell congratulate! ?????
Gregory S Dietlein - 7/16/2022 3:45:07 PM

Loved Rourk in " Diner". Couldn't wait to see him again in a movie. He put up both fingers to Hollywood. Did things his way. When he had a movie coming out, Premier night he would be in the ring BOXING. That's why he never made it big in Hollywood. What he's saying he didn't follow the money. Just his honest opinion. I like them both. I wish Rourk would make a comeback, I guess he never became the big star I thought he would be. I think that may have been by his own design. Whether he knew it or not. I wish him happiness, peace, and love. My heart goes out to him. " Diner" watch it. Another movie where 6 unknown actors went on to be famous.
Neil Psalters - 7/19/2022 5:14:20 PM

Mickey is an excellent actor even though his movies are hard to understand. Like Man of God or Adverse. You can’t hold him responsible for not respecting women and for supporting violence by the IRA . It is all part of his ethnic makeup which makes him the outstanding actor he is becoming. The French audience adores him for being absurd. He is working hard to deal with his addictions. Has a great movie coming out about an Irish criminal who destroys everything and everyone he loves. He makes it so true to life and almost like second nature. He is not afraid of telling it like it is even if he offends someone. Why doesn’t he help out his family members? He feels they never supported him when he was down and out. Why is he so obsessed with Sarah Silverman? He relates to her self satisfaction. But his number one is still Debra Messing and he will convince her to co star with him in the movie he is considering where he plays Gerry Adams!
Joan Zerante - 7/20/2022 9:48:08 AM

I think the interviewer was asking him for his opinion, which as we all know we all have...
Angela Wilson - 7/20/2022 7:37:36 PM

I agree with Mickey. He has grit and he respects other actors who have grit. Tom Cruise is "meh". But to each his own

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