How Tom Cruise Went Above And Beyond For His Top Gun: Maverick Co-Star When She Wanted To Work On A Complete Unknown
Tom Cruise is someone you definitely want in your corner.
Tom Cruise has been working in the entertainment industry for decades now and continues to thrive. All the while, the star has seemingly shared his experience and knowledge with some of the newer actors to hit the scene. One such person is Monica Barbaro, who famously starred alongside Cruise in the box office hit Top Gun: Maverick. Barbaro recently explained how her co-star recently went to bat for her when it came to her involvement in the 2024 movie schedule entry A Complete Unknown, and the comments are so sweet.
In James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, Monica Barbaro took on the role of legendary folk singer Joan Baez and acted alongside Timothée Chalamet (who played lead character Bob Dylan). Barbaro really wanted the role and, as she has explained during the film’s press tour, she put in a lot of work to secure the part. Though the FUBAR star’s casting can mostly be attributed to her dedication and talent, it turns out she had someone to vouch for her. Barbaro recently revealed that said person was Mr. Cruise, who she had some kind words for:
To say that Tom Cruise is one of the most influential people in Hollywood would be a gross understatement, as the man has amassed some serious influence. However, his decision to reach out to the Ford v. Ferrari filmmaker on Monica Barabaro’s behalf could also be due to the fact that Cruise and Mangold worked together on Knight and Day. Regardless of that, it was incredibly sweet for Cruise to vouch for Barbaro. During that same interview with Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast, the actress further sang her co-star’s praises:
Few would likely deny that the Jerry Maguire star is one of the hardest working people in show business. Over the past few years, he’s been devoting a great deal of time to the highly anticipated Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is set to hit theatres as part of the 2025 movie schedule. It would seem that the leading man performed more massive stunts for the film, based on the first M:I 8 trailer. Of course, it’s likely that he continued to exercise the safety approach that his Maverick co-star mentioned.
I’d say that Tom Cruise’s belief that Monica Barbaro was the right actress for the role of Joan Baez was correct. Barbaro has since received several awards nominations, including a Golden Globe nod, which she’s over the moon about. She also recently had the chance to reunite with Cruise for a screening of James Mangold’s latest flick. Overall, I love that these two stars remain close and support each other. Here’s hoping that their professional and personal bond remains strong for years to come.
A Complete Unknown is playing in theaters now, so head over to your local cinema to check it out. Also, anyone with an active Paramount+ subscription can see Tom Cruise and Monica Barbaro share the screen in Top Gun: Maverick.
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Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.