Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise have had very different careers. Lowe was a member of the Brat Pack, participating in teen movies of the '80s, before transitioning to television with hits like The West Wing and Parks and Recreation. Cruise became one of the biggest movie stars in the world, focusing on director-driven projects before solidifying himself as a certified action star. However, back in 1983, their career paths intersected when they both starred in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders. Lowe recently posted a throwback to that moment in time, specifically showing that he and Cruise shared a hotel floor while shooting the film.
The St. Elmo’s Fire alum posted a recent photo on Instagram that shows the hotel assignments amid filming on The Outsiders. The assignment sheet was typewritten (a fact that now indicates the time period) and featured some very notable names like Patrick Swayze and Matt Dillon. The photo also shows that Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were just a stone throw away from each other during production. You can see the photo below:
While it’s hard to imagine so many A-listers in one hotel at the same time, in the '80s it probably didn’t seem that way. The Outsiders caught the celebs right before they hit it big and essentially launched their careers. Not many of them were very established at the time, and were all considered to be “up and comers.” That freshness is part of the reason the film feels like such a cultural touchstone. It perfectly captures the '80s style of movie-making and just so happens to include stars that became some of the most important of the decade.
It seems Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise spent a lot of time together while making the flick. The Unstable actor previously recounted that they once stayed in strangers' homes together in order to get a better feel for their characters. Today, heartthrobs probably couldn’t travel anywhere together without massive media attention. But back then, they were just two young actors doing character research at the insistence of their director. I’m sure the close-quarters aspect of this production resulted in many great anecdotes that I'm just dying to hear more about.
It’s been 40 years since The Outsiders came out but, based on this post from Rob Lowe, he still thinks about this time in his life fondly. The source text for the movie has long been required reading for schools across the country. And as a result, many continue to discover the magic of the classic every year. The cast's young '80s stars have moved on to bigger and better things, but they all have a shared history of life on Floor 6 in a hotel while filming one of the most iconic movies of all time. I love that Lowe shared this cool memory with his fans and that he still kept the assignment sheet after all these years.
You can check out The Outsiders, as it's currently available to stream with a Max subscription. If you're a fan nostalgic for other films of the decade, read about the best '80s movies and how to watch them.
