The Poster Memorabilia blog

The Tom Cruise Influence on Modern Movie Stars

Watching Hollywood's last true movie star outshine a carrier deck full of them at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

When it comes to modern-day movie stars, I've yet to see one who can hold a candle to Tom Cruise. The guy is Hollywood incarnate: god-tier looks, supreme charisma, and insane aura. What do the kids say these days? Looksmaxxing? Mogging? I saw Cruise do exactly that to his younger co-stars at the San Diego premiere of Top Gun: Maverick.

Don't get me wrong, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, and even Lewis Pullman are all handsome men. They're not all my type, but I get the appeal. They all looked great that night too, decked out in tailored suits and sleek sunglasses. I got why the younger girls at the fan pit with me were screaming their hearts out.

Respectfully, however, Tom Cruise blew all of them out of the water. Despite being one of the shortest men in the cast, he overpowered everyone on that red carpet. The wind also messed up his hair at one point, but it barely did anything. I heard a fellow older millennial say that he looked sexier with disheveled hair. And you know what? I agree.

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What also struck me was how Tom Cruise's presence seemed to have affected his younger co-stars. When they stood in front of the cameras on their own or with their respective partners, they looked fine. Typical celebrities posing for photographers. But when Tom Cruise arrived and they started taking group photos, I noticed the men suddenly stood much straighter and smiled brighter.

“They went from Tom Hanks to Zoolander real quick.”

They went from Tom Hanks to Zoolander real quick, and it almost looked like they didn't want to be upstaged by the movie icon. Try as they might, however, Cruise will always win in my book. Even if they were contemporaries, say, if original 1986 Top Gun Cruise was on that red carpet with them, he'll still win hands down. Call me biased, but that man is the most handsome in Hollywood.

Luckily for me, the cast members were all up for signing autographs that night. I asked every single one of them to sign my poster, and no one refused. Tom Cruise naturally did it even before I asked, and it almost brought me to tears.

I've seen him in person before, but for some reason, this time had me feeling emotional. Perhaps it's because I know that this would be one of the last times I'll ever get to do this, and it was so special that I still got to see him up close and personal.

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I know I've been slightly dissing the rest of the male cast on this post, but I truly did find them incredibly handsome up close. Hamm and Teller were especially striking, and I'm sure the latter has another decade or so of being thirsted over by legions of female fans. Powell and Pullman also looked cute, but they just seemed too young for lil ol' me.

And the women? All stunning. I've always considered Jennifer Connelly as one of the most beautiful actresses to ever live, and seeing her with Cruise makes for a picture-perfect movie pair. Monica Barbaro was also beautiful, and I found her the most compelling among the younger cast in the film. I’m sure she has a great career ahead of her.

Unfortunately, we missed Jay Ellis in all the chaos that night, so I didn't get the entire cast to sign my poster. He did, however, show up at the New York premiere, and I had a friend go there with it just in case. She got the actor to sign it, and she returned it to me with all of their autographs.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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