Jake Johnson may have broken out with the sitcom New Girl, but never wants to be the It guy, saying a monumental amount of fame is completely unappealing to him, citing an evening with Tom Cruise, whose level of stardom came with some stipulations.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Jake Johnson said seeing how Tom Cruise is forced to deal with fame even in daily scenarios put him off of the idea. “I went to dinner with Tom Cruise in Africa when we were doing The Mummy. We had an entire meal and I couldn’t believe that people didn’t approach him. But when we walk out, his security makes an announcement. The restaurant stops operation, they all follow outside and line up. He takes a photo with everybody. We found out later they’d told the staff, ‘Let him enjoy his meal and then he’ll take all your photos.’” Wonder how it would have turned out if this took place after filming The Mummy…He continued, “That was it for me. I don’t want that. I love being a highly respected second-tier player. I love being next to Michael Jordan, but I don’t want his shots.”
For those that do want the Tom Cruise fame and all that comes with it, Johnson says, “I think it’s wonderful if you like it. I just want a very regular life. And when everything was popping, I’d go to a restaurant and it would be weird for people to notice me.” But even if he didn’t cause a Nick Miller-level scene at the table, certainly some would recognize him.
While Jake Johnson neither wants nor would achieve the level of fame Tom Cruise has, he has been steady on the scene since New Girl went off the air in 2018, turning up on ABC’s short-lived Stumptown, the wonderful Netflix series Lost Ollie and Minx, which will move to Starz for its second season, due out on July 21st.
Do you think major stars like Tom Cruise are comfortable with their fame on a regular basis? Could they make it through a day without a team of handlers, security, etc.? Give us your take on superstardom in the comments section below.