Tom Cruise almost ruined his pretty face after he suffered a small injury while filming an intimate scene with Gina Gershon in the 1988 film Cocktail. Before he became a staple icon in the action genre, the famed A-lister once dominated the romantic-comedy scene as a heartthrob.
The actor has come a long way in his career, and being a seasoned star encouraged him to help out and guide his rookie costars. This was exactly what he did when he worked with Gershon in the said movie, though he sort of slipped up and it backfired on him.
Gina Gershon Almost Broke Tom Cruise’s Nose During a Love Scene
Gina Gershon was a mildly famous actress when she took the opportunity to collaborate with Tom Cruise in Cocktail. At the time, she had only done four movie projects, which pushed her to give her best performance and prove that she was a worthy star.
While appearing as a guest on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Gershon revealed that her love scene with the veteran actor did not go as planned. While performing the steamy act, her onscreen partner started off under the covers and ended up making her feel ticklish. She told Cruise, “No, no, don’t ever do that.”
During another take, the actor completely forgot his costar’s warning and grabbed her stomach to evoke a natural reaction. “I kneed him right in the nose,” Gershon confessed. She got genuinely scared that she might have broken Cruise’s nose, but the latter admitted he was fine and it was his fault.
The 62-year-old actress recalled how the Mission: Impossible star was very gentlemanly throughout their bed scenes and even protective of her despite the little accident.
Cocktail was far from the successful blockbuster franchises Cruise has under his belt. Although it was a commercial hit, the reviews and ratings were astoundingly harsh. On Rotten Tomatoes, it earned an embarrassing 9% approval rating.
To make it worse, the film won two Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay, while Cruise was nominated for the Worst Actor category. Well, this fiasco evidently did not tarnish his career as he has become one of the most bankable stars today.
Did Gina Gershon and Tom Cruise Have a Romantic Affair?
In the same conversation, Gershon was asked if she hooked up with the actor while making the film. While she neither confirmed nor denied, the actress responded, “We did kiss as much as we could.”
Interestingly, the actor’s first wife, Mimi Rogers, was also present on the set. Both Gershon and Cruise were aware of the amount of love scenes they had to do in Cocktail, and they were both professional about it.
Despite the film sustaining major blows from critics, it ended up becoming a cult-classic favorite among fans of Cruise and the rom-com genre.