Rob Lowe Recalls Losing Two Major Movie Roles to Tom Cruise

Rob Lowe has opened up about some of the biggest roles he missed during the early years of his Hollywood career — and says Tom Cruise was often the actor standing in his way.

In a recent interview with the New York Post, Lowe, 62, looked back at his auditions in the 1980s and 1990s. He recalled reading for two major films, Top Gun and Jerry Maguire, only to learn that Cruise had been chosen.

“That dastardly Tom Cruise was always a nemesis,” Lowe joked.

Lowe said he remembers reading the script for Jerry Maguire and being told the role was going to Cruise. He had a similar experience with Top Gun.

“I remember reading Top Gun and going, ‘Oh, this movie is going to be f---ing massive.’ They were like, ‘Tom Cruise,’” he recalled.

Both films went on to become huge hits, with Cruise turning his roles into some of the most recognizable performances of his career.

Lowe Says He Was Never Really in the Running for Ferris Bueller

Lowe also addressed long-standing speculation that he was considered for the role of Ferris Bueller in the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The part eventually went to Matthew Broderick.

According to Lowe, however, he was never seriously considered for the role.

He said he met director John Hughes only once and claimed Hughes never showed much interest in casting him.

“John Hughes never got what I was selling,” Lowe said.

The actor pointed out that Hughes had plenty of roles that could have suited him, including parts in several of the director’s famous coming-of-age movies. But Lowe said he never got a call.

Why John Hughes Didn't Cast Him

Lowe has his own theory about why Hughes passed on him.

He believes he may have already been too well known for the director's style of filmmaking. Hughes was famous for helping young actors become stars, including the casts of The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

“He made people well known,” Lowe said. “At least that’s what I tell myself to make myself feel better for not getting a role in The Breakfast Club.”

Lowe and Cruise both rose to fame around the same time and even appeared together in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film The Outsiders. But their careers took different paths, with Cruise eventually becoming one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars.

Lowe Thought His Career Was Over

Lowe has previously admitted that there was a period in the 1990s when he worried his acting career had stalled.

In a 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight, he recalled waking up one day and realizing he had not worked in two years.

“At the time, I’d kind of taken my foot off the accelerator a little bit,” Lowe said.

He and his wife, Sheryl Berkoff, had also recently welcomed their sons, Matthew and John, who are now 32 and 30.

Despite the setback, Lowe's career was far from over.

He later became known for roles in projects including the Austin Powers franchise, where he played Number Two, as well as the hit TV series Parks and Recreation.

And fans may soon see him return to the Austin Powers world. Mike Myers has confirmed that a new film in the franchise is in development, with Lowe expected to return as the memorable villainous character.

While Lowe may not have landed Top Gun, Jerry Maguire or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, his career ultimately found its own successful path — proving that missing out on a blockbuster role does not always mean missing out on Hollywood stardom.