Rob Lowe says Tom Cruise repeatedly beat him to coveted 80s-90s film roles

Rob Lowe revealed in an interview that throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Tom Cruise was the actor who repeatedly secured the roles Lowe had pursued, citing examples like Jerry Maguire and Top Gun. He dismissed the rumor that he once vied for the lead in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, noting that director John Hughes never showed interest in casting him. Lowe speculated that Hughes preferred unknown talent, whereas Lowe felt his own rising fame worked against him.

The conversation also touched on Lowe’s early career, including his breakout in The Outsiders and later films such as St. Elmo’s Fire. He announced his upcoming movie The Musical, in which he plays a middle-school principal entangled in a romantic subplot, slated for a September 18 release. Additionally, Lowe reflected on his teenage years as an outcast after moving from Dayton, Ohio, to Malibu, California.