Had it not been Tom Cruise, the world would still be watching movies on streaming services. But with ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ Cruise brought back the cinema-going experience we’ve been missing for years and all its joys. But long before saving the cinema, he also inspired the creation of Aladdin, the iconic Disney character. 

Usually, an achievement like this is credited to an industry veteran. But ever since his debut, Tom Cruise has been an unstoppable force. He attained his movie star status very early on and has since never let go of it. Both Tom Cruise and the characters he has played have inspired generations of aspiring talents. 

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Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ Was Based On Tom Cruise

During the production of ‘Aladdin,’ the designers looked at Michael J. Fox as core inspiration. Aladdin was initially meant to be 13 with the ‘Back To The Future’ actor’s features. But Disney Chief Jeffrey Katzenberg suggested something more enigmatic, Tom Cruise himself. Soon, the gears shifted. The iconic pauper-turned-prince was now 18 and based on Tom Cruise’s youthful looks.

Years later, animator Glen Keane told the Los Angeles Times of this change of heart. He told the outlet, “I originally was thinking of him like a Michael J. Fox character, short in stature but with a big ego and lots of dreams. In all [Cruise`s] poses, I noticed there was a confidence, a look in the eyebrows, that gives him intensity and at the same time a smile that has kind of an impish look like he’s got something up his sleeve.

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The ‘Mission: Impossible’ Star Also Inspired Patrick Bateman From ‘American Psycho’

Tom Cruise’s versatility would serve as a starting point for another unforgettable literary and cinematic character. The ‘Jerry Maguire’ actor inspired the character of Patrick Bateman, the possibly schizophrenic murderer from the novel ‘American Psycho.‘ Bret Easton Ellis’s novel is a satire about the desire for a real connection, even if it takes various forms of senseless violence.

Christian Bale brought Ellis’ creation to life in the book’s cinematic adaptation. The actor found the inspiration to play the character when he saw Tom Cruise being interviewed by David Letterman. He was taken by the ‘Mission: Impossible’ star’s “intense friendliness,” with nothing behind the eye, and this moment helped him craft a memorable career performance.

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