How Tom Cruise became Timothée Chalamet’s mentor

The young Franco-American actor adores Tom Cruise and even admits: “Top Gun inspired me enormously last summer when we were making Dune 2!”

More than thirty years separate them. Two stars from two different generations and a handover by email. In a portrait in GQ magazine, Timothée Chalamet reveals how Tom Cruise contacted him to advise him. After the two stars met, during the production of Dunethe action hero of Impossible mission sent an email to the young talent of Call me by your Name : “I met Tom Cruiseright after finishing the first Dune. And he sent me a most wonderfully inspiring email” tell Timothée Chalamet .

In his message, Tom Cruise was trying to guide his rising colleague, through the twists and turns of Hollywood, to the point of passing on contacts that had become indispensable: coaches of all kinds, for stunts, for riding motorcycles and more. In short, the guide to becoming the new business superstar, to becoming the new Tom Cruise.

“He was basically telling me that in old Hollywood, you were naturally given training in dance or fighting. But no one is going to make you do that today. So it’s up to you if you want to train. L “The email in question really sounded like a battle cry, a rallying cry.”

And Chalamet listened. Because he is a big fan of Tom Cruise. The kind who went to see 8 times (!) Top: Gun Maverick at the cinema, while he was filming in Budapest Dune: Part 2during the summer of 2022. The actor even blocked an entire room, one evening, to take all the actors and crews of Dune 2 Watch the movie.

“Top Gun 2 inspired me enormously last summer when we did Dune 2. Some of the crew were a little scoffed at going there, but in my opinion it’s just one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen.”

SO Timothée Chalamet will he become the new Tom Cruise ? Will he change his career after Wonka, become an action movie star? Will he take back the Impossible mission When Tom Cruise finished with Ethan Hunt? For the moment, the actor does not say whether or not he contacted the coaches recommended by his idol/mentor. But Denis Villeneuve finds that its young star has made enormous progress in this area:

“In terms of action, I felt he was much more trained than in the first part. I found him ready for the fight sequences. I was impressed by his level of discipline. You know, when you are the leader of a film, there is a presence, the way you approach your work and your discipline will inevitably have an emulating effect on the rest of the teams. Timothée was the first on set, always ready. And I was very happy and impressed by this new discipline. He became, for me, a real leader.”

Already the effect Tom Cruise ?