The 2004 neo-noir thriller Collateral, directed by the meticulous Michael Mann, stars Tom Cruise in a rare villainous role as the cold-blooded hitman Vincent and Jamie Foxx as Max Durocher, the terrified taxi driver forced to chauffeur him on a spree of contract killings. The film is defined by high-intensity action, much of which involved Cruise and Foxx confined to the iconic yellow cab, with Cruise insisting on performing many of his own driving stunts.
One such commitment to realism resulted in a terrifying moment on set that left both A-list stars shaken and Jamie Foxx believing he was about to meet his end.
The Stunt Gone Wrong: A “Crushing” Sound
Tom Cruise, famous for performing complex and dangerous stunts, was behind the wheel of the cab for a sequence that involved a high-speed maneuver. According to Jamie Foxx, the sequence involved Cruise intentionally drifting the taxi—a precise move requiring skill and perfect calculation.
However, in the heat of the moment, Cruise reportedly miscalculated the force and angle of the drift. The high-powered maneuver went awry, leading to the cab—with both stars inside—crashing violently into another vehicle on the set. It was the moment of “Two Stars. One Mistake.”
Jamie Foxx recounted the immediate, raw terror of the crash: “I heard the sound of metal crushing, and I thought, ‘Oh no, I’m dead!’” The sound of metal crushing nearly sent two A-list stars to their deaths.
The impact was a moment of true panic, where the line between cinematic action and genuine danger blurred. It was a visceral reminder of the risks taken to capture the film’s gritty, realistic action.
The Aftermath: The Crew’s Priority Shift
Fortunately, neither star suffered serious injuries. However, the immediate aftermath of the crash revealed a humorous, yet telling, dynamic of Hollywood stardom. Foxx recalled that as the crew rushed to the wrecked car, their immediate, panicked concern was focused squarely on the bigger star:
“When they get there, they’re like, ‘Jamie, get out of the way, Tom! Are you okay?’”
Foxx, who was equally involved in the crash, laughed while telling the story in retrospect, cementing the anecdote as a classic piece of Hollywood behind-the-scenes lore.
Related Notable Events: Foxx’s Oscar Nod and Cruise’s Commitment
-
Foxx’s Recognition: Despite the panic, the confined, high-pressure circumstances of filming within the cab were crucial to the performance. Jamie Foxx’s nuanced portrayal of the meek, reluctant cab driver Max was hailed by critics, earning him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (2005).
-
Cruise’s Stunt Dedication: The crash incident is another data point in the legend of Tom Cruise’s commitment to realism. For Collateral, director Michael Mann confirmed that Cruise spent extensive time in disguise, working anonymously as a FedEx delivery man and performing other real-world, stealth missions to truly inhabit the mindset of the deadly and anonymous hitman Vincent.
The unexpected crash on the set of Collateral was a near-miss that provided a terrifying and memorable footnote to a critical and commercial success, confirming that in a Michael Mann film starring Tom Cruise, the danger is often as real as the drama.