Ralph Macchio reminisces with Rob Lowe about Tom Cruise's early stunts during their Outsiders days on the podcast.
In a revealing discussion on the latest episode of Literally! With Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio discusses Tom Cruise stunts on Rob Lowe podcast, sharing stories from the set of The Outsiders and questioning whether Cruise’s legendary stuntwork began all the way back in the early 1980s. The conversation offers an inside look at how Cruise’s daredevil persona might have first evolved and raises questions about what happened behind the scenes on the classic film.
Reuniting on Rob Lowe’s Podcast to Reflect on The Outsiders
During the episode, Rob Lowe welcomed his longtime friend Ralph Macchio, who is starring in theaters with Karate Kid: Legends, for an in-depth talk about their shared history. Both actors had pivotal roles in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, a film noted for assembling a young cast of soon-to-be stars, including a then-unknown Tom Cruise. The pair reminisced about their experiences working alongside Cruise, who was already demonstrating an ambition for performing stunts, decades before becoming known around the world for his dangerous on-screen feats.
Behind the Scenes Gymnastics Training with Tom Cruise
Recalling their time on set, Lowe and Macchio remembered how director Francis Ford Coppola arranged for the young cast to train as gymnasts to prepare for the physical moments in the film. Lowe observed,
Image of: Ralph Macchio
“Whenever I see Tom do these amazing, insane stunts,”
—Rob Lowe, Actor. Lowe then added,
“I look back at when Francis made us, for whatever reason, practice to be gymnasts. Do you remember this?”
—Rob Lowe, Actor. Macchio noted that, as his character Johnny Cade was more introspective and physically inactive in the story, he fortunately avoided the most intense parts of the training. Lowe pointed out,
“There was never any pressure on you to do a backflip,”
—Rob Lowe, Actor. Macchio quipped in response,
“Well, I wasn’t in the rumble. I was in the hospital,”
—Ralph Macchio, Actor.
Cruise’s First Daring Movie Stunt: Fact or Legend?
Lowe recalled the pressure on the cast to learn physically demanding stunts for their roles, explaining,
“But there was a lot of pressure on us to learn backflips and do all this s— and I don’t know if you’ve ever learned a standing backflip. It’s hard, it’s scary as s—. Tom was the only one who did it. And if you watch the movie, the movie’s playing but then the movie just stops and there’s a shot of Tom doing a backflip for no reason and then the movie continues.”
—Rob Lowe, Actor.
This iconic moment can be observed during the scene where the Greasers exit their headquarters, with Cruise’s character executing an unexpected backflip off a car, inserting a burst of energy before the group’s big confrontation. Lowe emphasized,
“That’s where it started for him,”
—Rob Lowe, Actor, and further insisted,
“One hundred percent that’s where it started.”
—Rob Lowe, Actor.
Analyzing Cruise’s Ambition and Cinema Tricks
Macchio remembered Cruise’s determination even in those early days, stating,
“He was quite driven from day one. I mean, that gentleman had a plan, he really did. Very distinctly, it was happening there. He has the backflip and he comes up, grabbing the back of his head, because I’m not so sure he stuck the landing, but the car, it was out of frame.”
—Ralph Macchio, Actor.
The conversation grew more playful as Lowe and Macchio wondered whether some movie magic was involved. They speculated about the possible use of a “Texas switch”—a classic filmmaking trick where a stunt double momentarily takes an actor’s place on camera through careful blocking. Joking about the rumors, Lowe declared,
“Let’s start a rumor right now that Tom Cruise actually doesn’t do his own stunts and we have the evidence, and the evidence is The Outsiders.”
—Rob Lowe, Actor.
Comparing the Past to Today’s High-Risk Action
While the friends joked about the authenticity of Cruise’s backflip, Macchio ultimately set the record straight, referencing modern footage of Cruise’s notorious stunts in Mission: Impossible films,
“It’s kind of tough with the current footage that is playing on your feed right now of him not wearing a parachute,”
—Ralph Macchio, Actor, alluding to a death-defying shot from the latest Mission: Impossible installment. Lowe exclaimed about the spectacle, mentioning the
burning parachute, which he admitted made his stomach turn. Macchio concluded, It’s incredible,
making clear that, despite their lighthearted doubt, bothactors deeply respect Cruise’s readiness to risk it all for his roles.
The Lasting Impact of Early Stunt Work and Hollywood Bonds
This candid reunion on Lowe’s podcast not only highlighted the youthful determination of Tom Cruise but also raised intriguing questions about the origins of his relentless stunt work. The reflection on those formative days with fellow Outsiders cast members shows that Hollywood legends are often built over decades, and myths about movie stunts can still fuel debates years later. For fans curious about the full exchange between Johnny Cade and Sodapop Curtis, the latest Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast offers a nostalgic and spirited look back at the making of a classic and the enduring drive of stars like Cruise, Macchio, and Lowe.
