The Color of Money

Cruise plays Vincent in this pool hustler drama directed by Martin Scorsese. Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman), now retired for years, feels that Vincent could become an excellent pool player if only he wasn’t so wild. He proposes a partnership to Vincent and his girl-friend Carmen: he will teach Vincent all he personally knows about pool hustling for a 60% share of all his winnings. The trio hits the road direction Atlantic City. Co-starring John Torturro, Helen Shaver and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

Then Marty [Scorsese] called me and said he wanted me to read the script for The Color of Money. He wanted to know what I thought of it. And I was thinking, “He wants to know what I think of it. What does that mean?” [laughs] I read it and thought, “There’s a role in here for me. Holy shit. This thing is great.