Sometimes, as William Shakespeare once stated, “All that glitters is not gold”—even when it comes to icons like Brad Pitt. Did you know that the beloved star nearly hung up his cowboy boots before he fully embraced the role of Tristan Ludlow in Legends of the Fall? It’s as if Ed Zwick, the director, was handed a tough row to hoe when Tom Cruise bailed on the project over “ethical” concerns about the character.
Imagine stepping onto a film set with a director torn between his vision and a leading man second-guessing himself; it’s like dancing on a tightrope! And yet, the film turned out to be a cult classic, fascinating audiences worldwide. What led Pitt to stick it out, and how did he steer those tumultuous days on set?
Tom Cruise Almost Joined the Cast of Legends of the Fall
Ed Zwick’s candid reflections from his memoir, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood (via Vanity Fair), provide a revealing look behind the scenes of Legends of the Fall.
Before Brad Pitt donned the role of Tristan Ludlow, the film’s journey was almost derailed by Tom Cruise’s exit. Zwick admitted that the latter’s departure, citing the character’s “ethics” as a sticking point, left the project “in limbo.”
This time, Tom had some penetrating and helpful things to say about the script. But after an hour or so, he asked about Tristan’s ethics—to which I responded that he essentially had none, and that was at the heart of the character.
This pivot forced the director to embark on a new search for the film’s lead, but his optimism never wavered.
I never gave up hope on getting Legends made.
Meeting Pitt was like finding a needle in a haystack, and Zwick was invigorated by the actor’s genuine passion for the script and his strong connection to the character.
Even after Pitt was cast, the road to production was anything but smooth. The actor’s enthusiasm was initially dampened during a table read, leading to a dramatic phone call from Pitt’s agent expressing a desire to quit. Producer Marshall Herskovitz stepped in as a mediator, convincing Pitt to stay on board, revealing the“deeper springs of emotion roiling inside” him, as noted by Zwick.
Production wasn’t without its hiccups. Zwick recalled battling the “wettest summer in Alberta history,” a “hellscape of mud,” and an “overage of a million dollars in costumes.” Amid these challenges, Zwick and Pitt had their fair share of creative spats, including one memorable clash where the latter insisted on his interpretation of the character.
“In his defense, I was pushing him to do something he felt was either wrong for the character,” Zwick wrote, describing how their disagreements would sometimes get loud and heated. Yet, despite these fiery exchanges, the crew became accustomed to their “dustups”, and Zwick and Pitt always managed to patch things up.
Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt: The Long-Standing Feud That Just Won’t Die
In the entertainment industry, where stars often shine brightly together, sometimes they cast shadows that are anything but flattering. Such is the case with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, whose simmering rivalry began with their shared screen time in the 1994 gothic classic Interview with the Vampire.
Instead of a match made in cinematic heaven, their collaboration was more akin to a clash of titans. Pitt, reflecting on their time working together, painted a vivid picture of their interactions. He described their relationship as being “poles apart”. The actor told Premiere Magazine:
You gotta understand, Tom and I are… we walk in different directions. He’s North Pole. I’m South.
According to Pitt, though their professional relationship never turned “nasty”, it was marred by a persistent “underlying competition.” Fast forward to today, and their rivalry seems to have turned a new page with Pitt diving into the production of F1. As the saying goes, old flames die hard, and this one’s burning bright again. According to Closer Magazine:
There’s a reason they haven’t worked together in 30 years. They clashed so badly when they shot Interview with the Vampire, neither of them has ever been able to move past it. They play it down publicly, but it’s no secret they can’t stand each other.
Their on-screen chemistry might have fizzled, but it seems their off-screen drama is still alive and kicking, adding another layer to their long-standing feud.