Given that he was named one of the highest-paid performers in the world, Cruise, 60, is essentially Hollywood‘s go-to action hero.
You probably know him
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is an American actor and producer who was born on July 3, 1962. He is one of the highest-paid performers in the world and has won numerous honors, including three Golden Globe Awards, an Honorary Palme d’Or, and four Academy Award nominations.
He is one of the highest-earning movie actors of all time with over $4 billion in North American and over $11.5 billion worldwide in box office receipts for his films.
Early in the 1980s, Cruise started acting, and his breakthrough came with the comedy Risky Business (1983) and the action movie Top Gun (1986). His performances in the dramas The Color of Money (1986), Rain Man (1988), and Born on the Fourth of July brought him critical recognition (1989).
That ain’t odd
The actor’s preferred film genre to star in is without a doubt action, from Jack Reacher to Mission Impossible.
Top Gun: Maverick, the star’s most recent film, shattered records by becoming the year’s highest-grossing film and collecting $1.4 billion in total worldwide box office receipts.
That’s decent for a sequel that was released 36 years after the first film.
With that said, it is said that Cruise has a rather peculiar clause in his contract that appears to be at odds with the genre in which he frequently appears.
As moviegoers go to the huge screen to watch their favorite stories of adventure, discovery, and battle, some may want something a little smaller, even something portable, to remember their favorite film by.
This is likely the reason why action figurines have consistently had a prominent position on numerous toy shelves, collector’s cabinets, and retail counters.
Given Cruise’s enormous fan base, it goes without saying that they were eager to obtain some official merchandise.
However, many soon realized that this was far more difficult than just purchasing a Spider-Man doll or Superman figurine from their neighborhood toy shop.
And this is due to a specific clause that forbids the use of the Mission: Impossible actor’s likeness in the manufacture of any goods.
Hence, toys and video games with Cruise’s face on them would be prohibited.
The Edge of Tomorrow actor reportedly objected to having his likeness used in the War of the Worlds and Mission: Impossible III PlayStation games in 2006.
In the Minority Report video game from 2002, the lead character had short blonde hair, which was a sharp contrast to Cruise’s recognizable dark shag.
When asked about using his likeness in a game, Cruise’s agent reportedly remained silent, according to MTV at the time.
And while there may be some unauthorized merchandise featuring the A-lister in circulation, it has been proven that neither Cruise nor the production company have granted any legitimate licenses for any of these items.
Although a little bizarre, Cruise is not the only actor with a peculiar provision.
The Wall Street Journal says that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who insisted that his Fast and Furious character not lose fights to co-stars Jason Statham and Vin Diesel in action scenes, has joined Cruise in the strange contract stipulation.
Strange, but there you go.