'Like Fight Club': Rob Lowe recounts getting knocked out by Tom Cruise in boxing match on 'Outsiders' set
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: During an appearance on the 'Rich Eisen Show' that aired on July 15, Rob Lowe reminisced about his younger days, reflecting on various memories, including an unexpected and 'competitive' boxing session with Tom Cruise.
During the interview, the radio host, aged 55, encouraged Lowe, aged 60, to reminisce about a notable experience working alongside Cruise, 62, before wrapping up the interview.
Which movie featured both Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe?
Lowe revealed that he was 17 years old when he first met the 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning' star Cruise when they both starred in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film adaptation of SE Hinton's 1967 novel 'The Outsiders'.
In the movie, Lowe played Sodapop Curtis, one of the Greasers, while Cruise portrayed Steve Randle, alongside Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, and Diane Lane.
Lowe recalled that he and Cruise used to work out and jog together, describing themselves as "running buddies."
However, Lowe's fondest memory was an incident that left both of them needing a break.
“He’s so competitive that we used to box in the hallway of the hotel we were staying at during 'The Outsiders',” he said.
He added, “So much testosterone. We’re 18-year-old guys stuck on location. So we would have headgear and we’d have mouthpieces in, but we would legitimately spar.”
Lowe remembered how he had "pipe cleaner arms" back then compared to a "jacked" Cruise, who was like a "beast."
Despite this, Lowe managed to land a "real clean" shot.
"I rang his bell and the next thing I knew, I woke up — I was coming to, on the floor," Lowe recounted to Eisen. "And he, like, completely knocked me out."
"His eyes just went black, but that’s the stuff we did," Lowe added. "That’s what guys do. Like Fight Club."
Rob Lowe recounts memorable moments with Tom Cruise on 'Armchair Expert' podcast
Lowe has often reflected on his friendship with Cruise as recently as in April 2020 when he joined Dax Shepard on the 'Armchair Expert' podcast and recounted another memorable moment involving the actor.
"All of the LA people survived the LA auditions, and then the hand-picked people had to go to New York to face the New York version," he said of auditions for 'The Outsiders', adding, "So it was me and Tom Cruise and Emilio [Estevez] and C Thomas Howell."
"[It was the] first time I ever stayed at The Plaza Hotel, and we check-in, and Tom finds out that we’re sharing a room and just goes ballistic," Lowe said while laughing.
Nevertheless, Lowe harbors no ill will about the incident, mentioning to Shepard that the 'Mission: Impossible' star was aware of his value.
"I mean, it made me laugh. It was intense. But you can't argue with the results. He's been focused since day one," Lowe remarked.
