Gene Hackman The Firm Story

During the filming of The Firm (1993), a legal thriller based on John Grisham s novel of the same name, Hackman had a humorous encounter with his costar, Tom Cruise. In The Firm, Hackman played the character Avery Tolar, a senior partner at a prestigious law firm where Cruise s character, Mitch McDeere, becomes entangled in a dangerous web of corruption. While the film dealt with intense and suspenseful themes, the cast and crew found moments of levity behind the scenes. One day, during a break from filming, Tom Cruise, known for his energetic and mischievous personality, decided to prank Gene Hackman. He borrowed a walkietalkie from one of the crew members and, pretending to be an assistant director, started giving Hackman bizarre and humorous instructions over the radio. While Hackman was preparing for his next scene, he heard a voice over the walkietalkie instructing him to perform exaggerated and comical actions, such as do a little dance