Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx are both major names in Hollywood, with the former being one of the biggest movie stars of all time. Cruise is widely known for his work in the Mission: Impossible franchise and the two Top Gun movies, as well as for films like Jerry Maguire (1996) and Risky Business (1983). He can next be seen in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning this spring, his potentially last time playing the superspy Ethan Hunt. The actor has become a worldwide sensation, having grossed over $10 billion as a leading man at the box office throughout his career.

Foxx, on the other hand, is known not just for being a movie star, but also for being a comedian and an R&B singer. Ray (2004) marked one of Foxx’s first major leading big screen roles, and he ended up winning the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as musician Ray Charles. Foxx is just as well known for his role in Django Unchained (2012), in addition to a 2004 thriller that saw him starring opposite Cruise. Unlike Cruise, Foxx has earned around $7 billion through all his roles and just $1 billion as a leading star.

Jamie Foxx Recalls A Dangerous Car Problem While Filming Collateral

He & Tom Cruise Were Having Trouble Staying Awake

Foxx reveals that he worried about killing Cruise while filming Collateral
due to a major car issue. Directed by Michael Mann, the 2004 thriller features Cruise starring as Vincent, a hitman who takes cab driver Max (Foxx) hostage as he embarks on a night of murders. Collateral was a hit, and it ultimately earned Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Fox and for Best Film Editing. The film features extended sequences that take place within Max’s cab, and these vehicle scenes seemingly weren’t without their dangers.

During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Foxx recalls one incident while filming Collateral in which exhaust fumes were being accidentally sent into their vehicle. According to the star, this led to both stars feeling extreme exhaustion. The low visibility and lack of sleep made the effects even more of an issue, and it put both of their lives in danger. As he was driving, Foxx was worried that he could potentially kill his costar while behind the wheel. Check out Foxx’s recollection of events below:

The car that’s pulling us, the exhaust was somehow floating into the car. And I had slept maybe 12, 13 hours because it’s Tom Cruise. Soon as I get in there, it’s [mimes dozing off]. I said, “What the hell? Why am I sleeping?” And the director, “Wake your ᴀss!” I said, “I don’t know what’s wrong.”

And they found out that the exhaust was… so they had to switch it around ‘cause I was snoozin’. You know how you fall asleep and don’t know you asleep, and then it hit you? Yeah, Tom, Top Gun. He was asleep too.

We sH๏τ that on video. It was in film. So Michael Mann loves to do long takes. I’m driving the cab, Tom’s in the back, and we’re just driving, but the takes were long. And we sH๏τ at night. So imagine five in the morning, and I was like, “Whew, I hope I don’t kill the Top Gun.”

What Collateral Meant For Jamie Foxx & Tom Cruise

The Michael Mann Film Was A Success

Cruise was already a pretty major movie star when Collateral came out, but the film marked an interesting departure for him as an actor. Although Vincent is charismatic as one of the lead characters, he is also undoubtedly the film’s central villain. This was a kind of character Cruise hadn’t played before. He typically defaulted to heroic roles, owing to his legacy as Top Gun‘s star, Maverick. For Foxx, Collateral hit theaters only months before Ray, and its critical and commercial success helped to make 2004 a seminal year for the actor. It was an important role for both stars.

Despite the movie’s success, Foxx and Cruise have yet to work together again. There has never been any indication that this is because of the exhaust issue, especially since both actors were suffering from exhaust-driven sleepiness. Both of their careers have gone in different directions, with Cruise embracing his action-hero persona with Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and the Mission: Impossible movies. Foxx, on the other hand, leaned into comedies and dramas, though he also occasionally stars in thrillers and action movies. Clearly, though, both Foxx and Cruise had an experience on Collateral that they’re sure not to forget anytime soon.

Our Take On The Collateral Exhaust Issue

This Was Possibly Cruise’s Most Dangerous Stunt

Cruise is best known for partaking in death-defying stunts. Throughout his career, the star has BASE-jumped from a skyscraper, climbed the world’s tallest building, and clung to a moving plane. He even managed to set Hollywood’s record for the longest time spent underwater without air, when he spent six minutes without oxygen for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015). The record would eventually be shattered by Kate Winslet for Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), but it was still a sign of his dedication and willingness to take risks.

Despite his many other treacherous stunts, the Collateral malfunction was likely one of the most dangerous positions of his career. With neither actor processing the world well while fighting exhaustion in low visibility, Foxx easily could have driven off the road and severely injured or killed them both. It would certainly not have been Fox’s fault, but the issue was a dangerous one. Even Tom Cruise’s best action movies would make sure the stunts are safe, checked, and highly coordinated. Collateral was a thrilling movie, but it could have been devastating, had the exhaust not been checked.

Source: Vanity Fair