Ben Stiller recently shared insights on Jason and Travis Kelce’s New Heights Podcast regarding the unexpected origins of his most notable films, which were influenced by Tom Cruise.

Currently experiencing success with his Apple TV+ series Severance, Stiller reflected on his friendship with the star of Mission: Impossible and how it contributed to the development of some of the most memorable characters in 'Tropic Thunder.'

The two actors first connected while collaborating on a unique and entertaining short film for the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, maintaining their friendship over the years. “We kept in touch, and after a few years,” he noted.

“We had been discussing potential projects but hadn’t settled on anything, and then I began working on the script for Tropic Thunder.”

Stiller reveals how Cruise shaped the hilarious home video

During the production of Tropic Thunder, Stiller created a lighthearted homemade video for his wife, Christine Taylor's birthday. This video was a spoof of the Fox series 24 and included his brother-in-law, Brian Taylor, whom Stiller humorously referred to as “the worst actor ever.”

The star of Night at the Museum thought it would be entertaining to feature Brian alongside one of Hollywood's leading actors. “Tom, we’re making this home movie for Christine. Would you be willing to participate in a scene where my brother-in-law delivers the Jack Nicholson speech to you?” Stiller recounted, to which Cruise agreed.

Cruise participated in the video and displayed a high level of professionalism during the shoot. The scene depicts Brian delivering Jack Nicholson’s iconic speech from A Few Good Men directly to Cruise.

After finishing the parody, Stiller approached Cruise to see if he would be interested in a role in Tropic Thunder. Upon reviewing the script, Cruise sensed that something was lacking in the narrative.

Stiller remembered that Cruise suggested introducing a new character—Les Grossman, a loud, crude Hollywood producer. “He looked at me and said, 'You know, you poke fun at the actors, you make fun of everyone and the agents, but you haven’t made fun of the studio heads. You should include a studio head,'” Stiller recounted.

The concept for that character originated with him; it had not been conceived prior to his proposal.

"Subsequently, it evolved into a crucial element of the narrative—this was three months ahead of our filming schedule," Stiller shared with the Kelce brothers.

Cruise also proposed the notion of Les Grossman performing a dance in the film, which helped to define the character's flamboyant persona based on his intuition.

In Tropic Thunder, Stiller took on various roles, acting as the lead, directing, co-writing, and producing the film.

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