Brad Pitt Reveals Why He and Tom Cruise Passed on Ford v Ferrari Roles—And Hints at Future Collaboration
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise’s recent reunion at the F1 London premiere in June sparked excitement, marking their first public appearance together in 24 years. But the two Hollywood heavyweights almost teamed up professionally over a decade earlier in an early iteration of the acclaimed racing drama Ford v Ferrari—a collaboration that ultimately didn’t materialize.
In a candid interview with The National published July 2, Pitt revealed, “Tom and I, for a while there, were on Ford v Ferrari. This was about 10 years before the guys who actually made it—and made it a great movie.” The 2019 film starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale went on to receive widespread acclaim, including two Oscars and a Best Picture nomination.
Pitt explained the reason their involvement fell through: “What it came down to is that we both wanted to drive. He wanted to play [Carroll] 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.” The difference in their preferred roles and the desire for more on-screen driving time ultimately halted negotiations.
Despite the missed opportunity, Pitt expressed enthusiasm for working with Cruise again, even hinting at a possible F1 sequel: “I’m not sure how that’s going to work, but we’ll give it a go. I’d love to.”
However, Pitt has also set clear boundaries for any future collaboration. In a recent interview with E! News, he admitted he’s not interested in matching Cruise’s famed stunt work: “I’m not gonna hang my ass off an airplane [and] s–t like that.” He clarified that he’d prefer to team up with Cruise on a project “when he does something again that’s on the ground.”
The prospect of these two iconic actors sharing the screen again—whether in high-octane racing or grounded storytelling—has fans eager for what’s next. For now, their story remains one of near-misses and mutual respect, with the door wide open for future collaboration.
