Quite frankly, I'm flabbergasted. Not because Cruise isn't a good actor - he is far better than many people give him credit for. Just check out Born on the Fourth of July, amongst several very good dramatic roles, or his self-deprecating cameo in Tropic Thunder. The man might have built a career on good looks, but like Brad Pitt, he can also act when given the right roles.
But as everyone knows, Cruise is at the shorter end of the height spectrum, while Child's Reacher is, well, clearly not. At 6 foot 5 and weighing a muscled 230 (105kgs or so for metric system readers), Reacher is quite the physical specimen in Child's bestselling series. Cruise has 'muscled up' for several roles, and is undoubtedly a fit and active actor, but he's not a Reacher-type. And surely there must be plenty of great actors out there, big names or up-and-comers, who might suit the role better.
If the rumours are true, and Cruise is interested in or considering the role, it seems to me like one of those 'big star wants to play a popular character, potential franchise of films' type deal, rather than because he is suited to the role. What do you think? Could Cruise pull off Jack Reacher? If not, who would you like to see in the role? What have been some of your most and least favourite castings for crime fiction adaptations (Clint Eastwood as Terry McCaleb in Blood Work? Alec Baldwin (Heaven's Prisoners) or Tommy Lee Jones (In the Electiric Mist) as Dave Robicheaux? Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep?). Would love to get your thoughts on the matter.
Hat tip to Crimespree magazine for the heads-up re: the Cruise rumours.
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