PERHAPS the two most sly male stars in Hollywood, both in their 40s with their hit movie careers over along with their young days, om Cruise and Brad Pitt invent a new trend in Hollywood bound to put anyone in the spotlight.
Take a look at the four biggest stars of the past decade and you will find an unusual pattern and what exactly is responsible for bringing them back to stardom today in their 40s.
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston were Hollywood’s hottest couple for a long time, seven years in fact and when they got married everyone thought they were the forever couple. Especially since Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, the original forever couple, were no longer in the category.
After fives years of marriage for the Pitts (mind the pun) and 10 years for the Cruise couple, it was time to call it a day. Controversy, as it is Hollywood after all, surrounded the Cruise couples split because of Tom’s apparent relationship with an attractive Penelope Cruz on the set of the disastrous Vanilla Sky. After weeks of denial, it finally came out Tom and Penelope were an item and pictures emerged of the couple with Tom’s kids sipping milkshakes in New York.
Skip forward five years and Tom is jumping on Oprah’s couch declaring his love for Katie Holmes – the poor kid from Dawson’s Creek that we all fell for. On the flip side, Nicole Kidman starts dating fellow Aussie, Keith Urban. Tom jumps in and proposes to Katie as pictures of Kidman and Urban surface. Speculation mounts about the couple being engaged and jump in Tom again – Katie is pregnant.
To be in the lead Kidman must release pictures of her and Urban on his ranch with him touching her belly. Not believable enough…? Set a wedding date and do it before Tom. But wait, Katie pop’s out Suri and Tom races around the world to promote MI3, mainly because he doesn’t want to let down his fans of ocurse…now that he has them back.
Too much going on for Tom, he may just get all the attention, come on Nic, race down to Australia and tie the not before Tom and Katie do. And she does, July 2006.
Back to Brad and Jen. Only five years of bliss but still, in Hollywood time that’s a long term commitment that would require millions to be paid out in divorce settlements. Anyway, the break up of the Pitts mimics that of the Cruise’s. Brad is off making Mr and Mrs Smith (a flop just as bad as the ill-fated Vanilla Sky although presumably worse) where he encounters a sultry Angelina Jolie, desperate for a father for her adopted kid. So poor Jen, just finished Friends and a few flop movies herself, sitting at home missing Brad while he’s on set.
But Brad is having all the fun as pictures emerge of him and Jolie becoming very close. Jolie and Pitt deny any romantic envolvment but before you know it Jen is in tears on the front of every magazine imaginable. Fast forward, Jen is left heartbroken and Brad is seen fathering Jolie’s kids. Next thing you know they announce they’re a couple – big shock.
But Jen fights back. Even though it is denied, pictures and stories of Jen and The Break-Up co-star Vince Vaughn emerge. ‘We’re just good friends’ Jen pleads. Until it is found Jolie is with child – Brads child.
More speculation over Jen and Vaughn relationship comes to the surface as the two are constantly photographed together. Then, the bradgelina spawn arrives and it now comes out that Jen and Vaughn are engaged. Who will make it to the alter first?!
Do you see where I’m going with this. Love conquers all – but when you’re in Hollywood, it literally doesn’t matter who’s heart you break in order to get your big break. Is your movie career over? Dump your famous wife and find a younger, more famous one and get them preganant. Ex-wives – find a toy boy to marry.
