Brad Pitt Reveals Why Tom Cruise Quit Iconic Racing Role

Brad Pitt is finally setting the record straight on why his highly anticipated collaboration with Tom Cruise in “Ford v Ferrari” never happened.

The two Hollywood heavyweights were initially set to star in the racing drama, but the project hit a roadblock before it could take off.

According to Pitt, things fell apart because the 62-year-old was dissatisfied with his role. The actor shared that Cruise walked away after he found out his character wouldn’t be doing much driving, bringing their collaboration to a halt.

In a candid interview with The National, Brad Pitt confirmed that he and Cruise had been eyeing the lead roles in “Ford v Ferrari” under director James Mangold, not Joseph Kosinski, well before the film eventually hit the screens in 2019.

“Tom and I, for a while there, were on ‘Ford v Ferrari’ with Joe [to direct]. This was about 10 years before the guys who actually made it — and made it a great movie,” he recalled.

However, Cruise ditched the movie after he found out his character wouldn’t be behind the wheel so much.

“What it came down to is that we both wanted to drive, and he wanted to play Shelby, and I wanted to play Ken Miles. And when Tom realized that Carroll Shelby would not be driving much in the movie, it didn’t come through,” Pitt said.

Eventually, the roles of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles were played by Matt Damon and Christian Bale, respectively.

Speaking exclusively to E! News in an interview that aired on June 12, Pitt said he would consider working with his “Interview with the Vampire” co-star, but only on one condition.

The Grammy Award winner said the project must stay “on the ground” and not involve Cruise’s signature death-defying stunts.

“Well, I’m not gonna hang my -ss off airplanes and sh– like that,” Pitt joked. “So when he does something again that’s on the ground,” he noted, making it clear that he was ready to reconnect, but with boundaries.

Days later, Pitt and Cruise sparked a wave of nostalgia and excitement when they reunited on the red carpet at the London premiere of “F1: The Movie” on June 23.

The event marked their first public appearance together in over three decades since they co-starred in the 1994 classic “Interview with the Vampire.”

Photos shared by Cruise on X showed Pitt looking dapper in a green double-breasted suit, a crisp white shirt, and flashy orange glasses.

On the other hand, the film producer opted for a charcoal-gray suit, a gray shirt, and his signature aviator sunglasses.

Guests watched as the two icons shared a warm embrace, posed arm in arm, and flashed big smiles for the cameras.

“Great night at the movies with my friends!! You guys crushed it,” Cruise captioned the pictures.

Since the premiere of “F1: The Movie,” there have been reports of a sequel in the works.

While chatting with The National, Brad Pitt admitted wanting to return in a sequel. “I would want to drive again, selfishly speaking,” he said.

However, the actor wasn’t sure of the possibility, considering his character, Sonny Hayes, left Formula One racing by the end of the story.

“F1 is still the focus. It needs to be on Joshua Pierce, Damson Idris’ character, and the rest of the team fighting for a championship. Where does Sonny fit in? I’m not sure,” Pitt said.