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Ben Stiller's incredible impression of Tom Cruise has just gone viral 22 years on

An old clip has resurfaced of Ben Stiller doing an impression of Tom Cruise and it's truly the most joyful thing you'll see today.

Stiller parodied Cruise in Mission Impossible while at the MTV Movie Awards in 2000 and the Top Gun actor was genuinely caught off-guard.

The pair sat down for an interview as Stiller, who was dressed in a matching outfit, joked they'd worked together so long they could 'finish each other's sentences', before mimicking Cruise's every move.

Outstanding.

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This old Ben Stiller impression of Tom Cruise has just gone viral and it’s a most welcome 16 seconds escape

Poke Staff. Updated August 24th, 2022

For reasons that aren’t entirely clear or important, this old clip of Ben Stiller doing a hilarious impression of Tom Cruise – in front of Tom Cruise – has just gone wildly viral.

And not only is it a very welcome escape from everything else that is going on right now, it’s also very, very good.

Not for nothing did it go viral in the subReddit called r/contagiouslaughter.

‘Spot on.’ HuffnDobak ‘Which one is Tom Cruise again?’ OffbeatBat ‘And thus the friendship that would become Tropic Thunder began.’ GearJunkie82 ‘It started when Ben Stiller did “The Hustler of Money.” ‘They were supposed to do a Hardy Boys movie together called “Hardy Men” but it never happened, and we got Tropic Thunder instead.’ canteen_boy ‘F-ckk I want that movie.’ TMA_01 ‘These shorts during the MTV movie awards were amazing. “Now I’m just thinking crazy here, what if, just spit balling, what if right before Tom Cruise crashes into that guy mid air… time freezes, we zoom in on Tom..He turns to the camera, and says “this mission just got a hell of a lot more impossibler” SeedyRedwood

And the clip in full …

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How Tom Cruise Ended Up Casting Himself In Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder

• Tom Cruise's range as an actor extends beyond action films, as he has appeared in a variety of genres, including dramas and comedies.
• Cruise played the role of Les Grossman in Ben Stiller's film Tropic Thunder after giving Stiller the idea for the character and requesting to play him with specific conditions.
• Cruise and Stiller became friends after Stiller made fun of Cruise on his sketch comedy show, and they have collaborated on multiple projects together since then.

Tom Cruise got his big break in the romantic comedy Risky Business back in the early 1980s. Since then, he’s gone on to become Hollywood’s go-to actor for action flicks. After all, Cruise was the leading man in blockbusters such as Top Gun and the Mission: Impossible film franchise. It’s no surprise he’s one of the highest-paying actors of all time.

Today, Tom Cruise has a massive net worth, mostly due to his work in action films. However, the actor has shown his range by appearing in all kinds of movies, from dramas to comedies, such as Ben Stiller’s 2008 film Tropic Thunder . Believe it or not, Cruise cast himself in the role of Les Grossman in this film!

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Tom cruise cast himself as les grossman in ben stiller’s tropic thunder after reading the script a second time.

In 2008, Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller collaborated once again for the comedian’s film Thunder Tropic . The movie stars Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel, and Brandon T. Jackson as a group of actors making a Vietnam War film. After their director (Steve Coogan) tragically dies in an accident, they are forced to rely on their acting skills to survive.

Thunder Tropic was a huge success, grossing over $195 million at the box office worldwide . The main and ensemble cast were greatly praised for their performances, including Cruise, who played the ill-tempered studio executive Les Grossman.

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Funnily enough, Cruise gave Stiller the idea for the character of Les Grossman .

“We were watching a film and I said, ‘What are you working on?’ He says, ‘I’m working on this film Tropic Thunder, ’ and he says, ‘Look, would you mind reading the script and, you know, I’d like to talk to you about it.’ So I said, ‘Okay,’” Cruise explained in an interview.

“I read the script and he had all the characters except the studio wasn’t there, there was a structural compression missing down on those characters.”

Noting that the movie was missing something, Cruise gave Stiller some ideas. “I was like, ‘You need the studio.’ So he came back like a few weeks later and I started reading, and I read this character and I went, ‘Okay,’ I said, ‘This is fun.’”

Then, Cruise asked Stiller if he could play this character. But he had two conditions. “I said, ‘I wanna have fat hands and I wanna dance.’” Luckily, Stiller agreed.

Tom Cruise And Ben Stiller Became Friends Over A Joke

To this day, Ben Stiller is one of Tom Cruise’s closest friends in Hollywood . The two first met after Stiller made fun of the actor on his sketch comedy show.

“He saw it somewhere, but then we did the Ben Stiller Show and we did the Cruise thing too and a friend of mine was in The Firm at the time, and I showed it to him down there and he loved it,” Stiller told Collider in a 2008 interview. “I mean, I would probably not have loved it if I saw somebody gave me somebody doing me. I always give him credit for that.”

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Afterward, the two kept in touch, even collaborating on a parody a couple of years later. “Then we did this thing on the MTV Movie Awards like eight years ago and that was really fun,” Stiller explained.

“We had a good time where I was doing his stuntman and since then we stayed in touch and talked about stuff over the years.” The two actors remained close friends over the years. At one point Stiller and Cruise would even set playdates for their kids .

Ben Stiller Wanted To Cut One Of Tom Cruise's Most Iconic Scenes In Tropic Thunder

Tom Cruise looked almost unrecognizable as studio executive Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder , as he used a fat suit and a bald cap to completely change his appearance. Because of this, most viewers didn’t realize that it was Cruise in the role until the credits rolled out.

One of Cruise’s most iconic scenes in this film has to be, hands down, the credits where Grossman shows his best dance moves to Ludacris’ song ‘Get Back’. Believe it or not, Ben Stiller was hesitant to include this dance scene in the movie at first.

“Les Grossman was a fun character [to play],” Cruise revealed in an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s show. The host asked the Mission: Impossible star if it was true that he took hip-hop classes to prepare for that final scene. “I actually take classes all the time to learn things or I want to prove a skill [...] So, I take dance classes and I took hip-hop and then what I’ll do is find a character to put that with.”

When the opportunity to appear in Tropic Thunder came, Cruise knew that this was the time to bring out his best hip-hop moves.

That’s why Cruise requested Stiller that he let his character dance at some point during the film. Initially, Stiller wasn’t sure whether that was going to work.

“Ben, he just looks at me like, ‘you know he’s just like right out of the movies,” Cruise explained. “So, for a couple of months, he kept saying, ‘You know, maybe we don’t do the makeup and you just look like yourself.” But Cruise wouldn’t have it. “‘No Ben,’ I said, ‘I really need fat hands and I’m gonna dance.”

Ultimately, Stiller agreed to go with Cruise’s vision for the character and it turned out to be the right choice. Fans loved to see Cruise dancing dressed as Les Grossman. It’s no wonder why this uncredited cameo put Cruise right back on the map!

Ben Stiller Left His Honeymoon For 2000 Movie Awards Skit With Tom Cruise

It was nearly a decade ago that Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise hooked up for one of the most memorable MTV Movie Awards short films of all time. In a new special airing airing Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, "Movie Awards Confidential," we take a look at some of the most memorable moments in the show's history -- and one of those is the "Mission: Impossible II" stuntman film from 2000.

The short film stars Stiller as Tom Cruise's loyal and sometimes clueless stuntman, Tom Crooze. However, the funny clip almost didn't happen.

"I very much wanted Tom Cruise to be on the Movie Awards," Joel Gallen recalled. "But then he realized he had already committed to be at the ['Mission: Impossible II'] premiere in someplace in Korea, so there was no way he could be at our show that night."

Once they realized they could get Cruise for a short film to air that night, they knew they had to get Stiller onboard. But there was another problem -- Stiller was on his honeymoon and wasn't around to shoot it during Cruise's minimal time frame. But Cruise wouldn't do it with anyone but him.

"I wrote Ben an e-mail: 'I know it's your honeymoon and everything but what if you came back two days early? What do you think?' " Gallen said. Stiller later agreed. "Then he goes, 'I really do want to do this film.' "

So Stiller and his wife Christine Taylor packed up and headed back to the States to make the short film happen. "We just left a day early," Stiller remembered. "We had to fly 15 hours to get there, which made it even better."

The best part came when Stiller finally got the chance to meet the man he had been parodying for so long. "I never had the experience of actually doing him to his face, and he was sitting at the monitor and he started cracking up watching and I knew it was OK," he said. "The part where we're both laughing is kinda real, because we're both laughing at the absurdity of the moment."

Will the vampires grab more trophies than the slumdog? What was the year's ultimate onscreen WTF moment? It's up to you to decide the winners of the 2009 MTV Movie Awards . Vote now, and tune in on May 31 at 9 p.m. ET, when the big show airs live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more -- updated around the clock -- visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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Tom Cruise's Tropic Thunder dance is one of the most famous scenes from the movie, but director Ben Stiller had to be talked into filming it. Tropic Thunder is a 2008 all-star action-comedy, where a group of pampered movie stars making a Vietnam war movie run afoul of a drug cartel in the Golden Triangle. The movie received mostly good reviews and was a solid hit, but while it can be genuinely hilarious in its parody of Hollywood moviemaking, it attracted controversy for elements like Robert Downey Jr's character - an intense method actor - donning blackface to play a role.

Tropic Thunder  cast Tom Cruise in a surprise cameo as Les Grossman, the monstrous producer behind the movie the actors are filming. Cruise was going through something of a slow period in his career prior to Tropic Thunder , with 2006's Mission: Impossible III proving to be the lowest-grossing of the series while award baiting drama Lions For Lambs also underperformed. While Grossman is ultimately a small role, Cruise's sheer commitment to the role and endless stream of quotable dialogue made him a highlight.

Related: Edge of Tomorrow Is Tom Cruise's Best Chance At Another Mission: Impossible

Tom Cruise donned lots of prosthetics to portray Len, including a fat suit and a bald cap. Some viewers didn't even realize it was Cruise in the role until Tropic Thunder's credits, which also featured arguably the movie's comic highlight. This sees Grossman, bathing in the awards success of the movie he produced, pulling off some wicked dance moves in his office set to Ludacris’s “Get Back.” In 2019 Cruise reflected on the movie during an interview with Conan O'Brien, and revealed Ben Stiller was VERY hesitant about the dance and most of the actor's ideas for the part.

When Stiller first offered Cruise Les Grossman, it was the latter's suggestion for the character to dance and have " fat hands ." The director didn't quite gel with these ideas and asked if Cruise could just play the role looking like himself with zero dancing. Cruise followed his instincts for Tropic Thunder and decided to do a make-up test for Stiller, which included doing some dance moves. Stiller was still doubtful as he watched Cruise perform without any backing music, but afterward when took footage from this test and cut it to "Get Back," he realized he had gold.

The positive reaction to Cruise's role in Tropic Thunder almost led to the creation of a Les Grossman spinoff, but while a script was developed it yet to happen. It's strange that one of the most iconic moments in the comedy hit almost didn't happen, but it's a testament to Tom Cruise's commitment to a bit that it's still so fondly remembered.

Next: Tropic Thunder: Why RDJ's Blackface Wasn't Controversial

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Ben Stiller Confirms Tom Cruise Invented Tropic Thunder's Les Grossman Entirely on His Own

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

If you were one of the lucky filmgoers who saw Tropic Thunder on the big screen back in 2008, you left theaters with one image: Tom Cruise , almost unrecognizable, shaking his ass to Ludacris's "Get Back" during the end credits.

Known mostly for taking dramatic parts at the time, the world was surprised to see Cruise don prosthetics and go full-send into spoofdom to become Les Grossman, the evil studio executive pulling the strings behind Tropic Thunder 's film-within-a-film. Now, in a new interview for Esquire's "Explain This" video series Ben Stiller —who directed and starred in Tropic Thunder— opened up about Cruise's antics as Grossman. "Tom Cruise had the idea to play Les Grossman in the movie," Stiller says. "That part did not exist. He said, 'Well, there's no studio executive and that would be really fun to be that guy. And he had this whole idea of what the guy should look like. It was his idea to dance. And I remember when we did a makeup test, someone handed him a Diet Coke and then he just started moving."

Stiller's story matches what Cruise told told BBC Radio 1 back in 2017. "I read the script, and he had all of the characters, but the studio wasn’t there," he said. "There was a structural compression missing down on those characters, you know, that keeps the pressure on these guys that really drives the story. I was like, 'You need the studio.'"

We're still waiting for an update on the reported Les Grossman solo movie , but the image of Tom Cruise tripping out on Diet Coke will tide us over for now. You can watch Stiller's full "Explain This" interview above. Below? We left a little something for you to relive.

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Tom Cruise’s 7 Closest Hollywood Friends (And 6 Celebs He Avoids)

There are many different sides to Tom Cruise and it's unclear if anyone knows who he truly is. He has made some good friends and a few enemies.

• Tom Cruise has a polarizing reputation in Hollywood due to his support of Scientology and controversial opinions, but he also has a tight circle of friends.
• Cruise's closest friends include David Beckham and Jerry Seinfeld, with whom he has had strong bonds and long-lasting friendships.
• On the other hand, Cruise has feuded with individuals like Brad Pitt, and he has a contentious relationship with Leah Remini due to her criticism of Scientology and him personally.

There are many sides to Tom Cruise . He's one of the highest-grossing actors of all time and has starred in a string of classic movies, such as Top Gun, A Few Good Men and Jerry Maguire. He is also known for his role as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise.

However, Cruise is one of the most polarizing celebs in Hollywood. He has been vocal about his support of Scientology, and he sometimes shares controversial opinions. Cruise has a tight circle of friends, but he is always looking to expose more people to his world. At the same time, he has a few enemies that he's feuded with over the years. It's time to take a closer look at Cruise's buddies and rivals.

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Updated on October 2nd, 2023 by Abigail Thomas: Tom Cruise has continued to be a very polarizing actor. While some recent co-workers, like Miles Teller, have nothing but positive things to say about Cruise, others want nothing to do with the Top Gun: Maverick star. Rumors have also circulated that Cruise has stepped away from Scientology , which is surprising considering his previous commitment to the religion.

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The iconic soccer player David Beckham can genuinely do it all. He's a talented athlete and world-famous celeb, and he is hugely popular among both his fans and other celebrities. Beckham and Tom Cruise are good friends with a tight bond. They've often gone on late-night motorcycles rides together through the streets of Los Angeles. Cruise even attempted to convince Beckham to join Scientology. However, David and Victoria Beckham decided that it wasn't a good fit for them. Regardless, Beckham and Cruise remain the best of friends.

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Reportedly, the feud started when they worked together on the 1994 horror film Interview with a Vampire. Pitt admitted to feeling "miserable" during filming. He also found Cruise to be a bit annoying. There's a great deal of professional jealously and competition between them, as their films sometimes go head-to-head in the theaters. They both enjoy gloating when their movie wins at the box office.

11 Tom Cruise Has A Close Friendship With Fellow Actor Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise have a very close friendship and have been friends for years. At one point, Stiller and his then-wife Christine Taylor would go on family outings with Cruise and his then-wife Katie Holmes . Stiller and Cruise remain friends even after all these years, and they've supported each other through difficult times. Cruise also made a surprise appearance in Stiller's film Tropic Thunder. Cruise and Stiller's friendship is tight and unbreakable, which is rare in Hollywood.

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10 tom cruise tries to avoid brooke shields.

Brooke Shields and Tom Cruise had a very public feud that they eventually put behind them. Regardless, Cruise avoids running into Shields when he can. In 2005, Cruise criticized Shields for going on anti-depressants to help with her postpartum depression . Shields didn't back down and responded with some harsh words towards Cruise. They continued to feud for several months until Cruise apologized privately. Shields called the apology "heartfelt" and accepted it. Later, Shields attended Cruise and Katie Holmes' wedding.

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There was never any confrontation or behind -the-scenes drama. Bieber mocked Cruise and was confident that any company would want to sponsor the fight. Of course, Cruise ignored Bieber, and the feud died down. Later, Bieber claimed it was a prank, although he re-issued the challenge in 2020.

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In 2005, Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning starred in the sci-fi film War of the Worlds. At the time, Fanning was a child actor that was on the rise in Hollywood. Cruise and Fanning formed a tight friendship that continues to this day. Since Fanning's 11th birthday, Cruise has sent her a gift every year. Fanning admits that he usually sends her a new pair of shoes, but she is amazed he continues the tradition.

6 John Travolta And Tom Cruise Have A Rocky History

Tom Cruise and John Travolta have been both friends and enemies. They're two of Scientology's most famous celebs, however rumors suggest that Travolta and Cruise are bitter enemies . Former Scientology members claim Travolta and Cruise have been battling for the top spot in the church.

Travolta is jealous of Cruise being the church's favorite. According to sources, Travolta was furious when Cruise won the Freedom Medal of Valor . Travolta feels that he should be getting the same level of recognition as Cruise.

5 Comedian And Actor Jerry Seinfeld Is Friends With Tom Cruise

Iconic comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Tom Cruise have been good friends for years and they have a lot in common. They're both two of the wealthiest and most famous Hollywood stars. Seinfeld also admitted that he had some brief interest in Scientology in the 70s. The two Hollywood megastars have hung out in New York and Los Angeles. They're so close that they've even spent time with each other's families. Of course, they also make sure they have a lot of bro time, just the two of them.

How Close Are Larry David And Jerry Seinfeld Today?

4 why does tom cruise have a feud with leah remini.

Leah Remini was once a proud member of The Church of Scientology but is now an outspoken critic. She wrote a book and produced a series based on her experiences. Of course, Remini singled out several members, most notably Tom Cruise. She claims that Cruise is the most powerful member of the church and is fully aware of the abuses, though Cruise and the church deny all of Remini's claims.

Regardless, their feud continues to intensify. Remini even encouraged Katie Holmes to come forward and expose Cruise. It's safe to assume that Cruise and Remini won't be going out to dinner anytime soon.

3 Miles Teller Loves His 'Top Gun: Maverick' Co-Star Tom Cruise

Top Gun fans were over the moon when they learned that a sequel was finally in the works. The film of course starred Tom Cruise, and it also brought in actor Miles Teller. Though Teller had to be convinced by Cruise to join the film, Teller adored working with Cruise and has nothing but praise to say about the actor .

"I've said when I've been talking about Tom's performance in this film," Teller said of Cruise to Associated Press . "We give actors so much credit in movies for performing skills, for playing instruments or singing or gaining weight and losing weight. And the skills that Tom is putting on display in Top Gun and so many of his movies, that's a product of thousands of hours practice."

2 Tom Cruise Makes Shakira Uncomfortable

Tom Cruise and Shakira made headlines in May 2023 when they both attended the F1 Grand Prix in Miami, Florida. They were pictured spending time together, and it was clear that Cruise was mesmerized by the singer.

The feeling was sadly not mutual. Though Cruise spoke with his friends about the connection they had , Shakira did not feel a connection. Cruise reportedly sent Shakira flowers after the race, but she was not interested in pursuing a relationship with him. Shakira was begging for Cruise to stop flirting with her, as she had no interest.

1 Mark Wahlberg Is Not A Fan Of Tom Cruise

Mark Wahlberg made it clear to fans that despite being in the same business, he does not appreciate Tom Cruise. After Cruise made a comment comparing his job to "fighting in Afghanistan" in 2013, Wahlberg had quite a bit to say about how disrespectful the statement was.

"I don't give a f*ck what you did. You don't do what these guys did. For somebody to sit there and say my job was as difficult as somebody in the military's. How f*cking dare you. While you sit in a makeup chair for two hours."

Sources: usatoday.com, usmagazine.com, businessinsider.com

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Tom Cruise Lauds Ben Stiller as 'Great Artist'

As Ben Stiller gears up for the Christmas Day release of his new dramedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty , he was honored on Tuesday with the traditional handprint-footprint ceremony at Hollywood's famed TCL Chinese Theatre.

On hand for the ceremony was one of Stiller's biggest fans, Tom Cruise, who introduced the actor-director and praised him as a "great artist" who has demonstrated diverse filmmaking talent over the years and explained that it was Stiller who lured him to take a cameo role in the 2008 action-comedy Tropic Thunder .

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"To me that was such a gift to be able to play that character and Ben knows I love his comedies -- I see all of his films," Cruise said during his speech at the ceremony. "I know Ben, and I know what it takes to do what he does -- the commitment that he brings, the love of cinema, the love of storytelling, the love of an audience and entertaining an audience."

Stiller -- who directs The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and portrays the title character who decides to escape his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action -- also had his share of compliments for Cruise. "Tom, you are amazing. You're an amazing person and amazing actor. You literally have made most of the iconic movies in the last 25 years," he said. 

VIDEO: Ben Stiller Pulls Triple Duty On Set of Walter Mitty

"I've always loved the history of Hollywood and the history of the movies, it's very, very meaningful to me. And to be in any way a small part of it, is really a dream come true," Stiller added about being honored.

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