Rob Lowe Recalls When Tom Cruise “Completely Knocked Me Out” During Sparring Match

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As a huge fan of Hollywood history and classic films, I can’t help but be in awe of the stories behind the making of iconic movies like “The Outsiders.” And among those stories, none quite capture my imagination like the one about Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise‘s sparring matches during the filming of this 1983 masterpiece.

What might teenage boys do when they’re stuck in a hotel while filming 1983’s The Outsiders? Well, if it was Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise, they’re going to have a sparring match.

In a recent interview on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Monday, the actor from “9-1-1: Lone Star” was asked to share his favorite memory with Tom Cruise. Instantly, their collaborative experience filming under the direction of Francis Ford Coppola stood out, particularly when they would amuse themselves off-set.

I remember back when we were filming “Outsiders” at that hotel, Cruise was so fiercely competitive that we’d end up having impromptu boxing matches in the hallway. It was intense, full of teenage testosterone. Being stuck on location, we made do with what we had. We’d put on headgear and mouthpieces for safety, but we’d truly go at it during our breaks.

Lowe observed that the “Mission: Impossible” actor looked more fit and toned than him at the time due to his regular workout routine.

Tom behaved just like an aggressive beast, and in response, I gave him a solid hit. Suddenly, I found myself lying on the floor, having been rendered unconscious by his unexpected force.

The West Wing alum believes Cruise’s defensive instincts kicked in at that moment because “I hit him hard and his eyes went black.” Lowe later quipped, “But that’s the stuff we did, that’s what guys do, it’s like Fight Club.”

In “The Outsiders,” starring Cruise and Lowe alongside C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, and Patrick Swayze, the story unfolds based on S.E. Hinton’s novel of the same name. The movie is set in a small Oklahoma town during 1964 and revolves around the intense rivalry between two street gangs that reaches boiling point when one member accidentally takes the life of a member from the opposing group.

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2024-07-17 04:24