We were all wondering why Tom Cruise didn’t attend the Oscars, since he was a big part of last year’s theatrical revival with the success of “Top Gun: Maverick,” and audiences would have loved to have seen him in attendance.
If Variety’s behind-the-scenes story is anything to go by, it might have had something to do with Judd Apatow.
The trade is reporting that Cruise caught wind that Apatow was helping with host Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue. If you remember, Apatow skewed Cruise when he was hosting the DGA awards last month.
Kimmel did insert a “L. Ron Hubba Hubba” joke into his opening bit but that was it. The comedian did confirm that he had a good three minutes dedicated to Cruise, but he scrapped it after he learned that the ‘Maverick’ star wouldn’t attend:
We had about a three minute chunk of the monologue dedicated to Tom Cruise, honoring him and his role in reviving the movie industry. We were so disappointed when we learned a few days before the Oscars that he wouldn’t be there. Jimmy loves him and really wanted to celebrate him.
Variety’s Insiders hinted that Cruise pulled out because of the Judd Apatow connection, but “Jimmy Kimmel Live” executive producer (and Kimmel’s wife) Molly McNearney says she hopes that’s not the reason Cruise didn’t show up.
On 02.21.23 I wrote about Apatow’s nasty Cruise jokes at the DGA. Apatow, the filmmaker behind “Knocked Up” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” had a monologue filled with vitriolic and personal attacks, including mocking Cruise’s height and calling him a “lunatic.”