Tom Cruise’s stardom does not appeal to ‘Mummy’ co-star Jake Johnson: ‘I don’t want that’

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Tom Cruise’s "The Mummy" co-star Jake Johnson isn’t interested in the level of fame Cruise lives with.

Johnson shared a story about working with the megastar and coming to a realization about his own career in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

"I went to dinner with Tom Cruise in Africa when we were doing ‘The Mummy.’ We had an entire meal, and I couldn’t believe that people didn’t approach him," Johnson recalled. "But when we walk out, his security makes an announcement. The restaurant stops operation. They all follow outside and line up. He takes a photo with everybody. We found out later they’d told the staff, ‘Let him enjoy his meal, and then he’ll take all your photos.’ That was it for me. I don’t want that." 

He added, "I love being a highly respected second-tier player. I love being next to Michael Jordan, but I don’t want his shots."

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Tom Cruise with his "The Mummy" co-stars Sofia Boutella and Jake Johnson in 2017. Johnson shared a story in The Hollywood Reporter about having dinner with Cruise and realizing he isn't interested in the superstar's level of fame. (Barry King)

Johnson rose to fame on the Fox sitcom "New Girl" before appearing in blockbusters like "The Mummy" and "Jurassic World," and providing the voice of Peter B. Parker in the "Spider-Verse" animated films.

But the 45-year-old said he decided to not chase Cruise levels of fame earlier on in his career when he was starting his family.

"I had a lot of meetings with studios and saw slates, and they were asking what I wanted and what my path was. So, I had a big sit-down with my agents because my wife was pregnant. The kids were coming. I hadn’t stopped working in three years. It didn’t feel right. I wasn’t into it," he said.

Jake Johnson had his breakout role alongside Zooey Deschanel in the Fox sitcom "New Girl." (OX Image Collection via Getty Images)

He continued, "They said, ‘What do you mean? Everything is going as planned. We’re getting bigger and bigger opportunities.’ So, I asked for a breakdown of the model and the goal of this path I was on. Basically, it was this: You do TV in order to get movies. If the movies make money, you get bigger parts. Then, the movies get bigger with your parts. And you do press in order to get the next movie. I told them I didn’t want that. That was the moment everything got pulled back, and I haven’t said yes to a studio lead."

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Johnson doesn’t begrudge anyone interested in fame or a higher-profile career, but admitted he has never felt comfortable with being recognized.

Jake Johnson revealed that he just wants "a very regular life." (Momodu Mansaray/WireImage)

"And I’m not saying it’s bad if you get your self-worth from this stuff," he said. "Culturally, we pretend it’s bad to do that. But I think it’s wonderful if you like it. I just want a very regular life. And when everything was popping, I’d go to a restaurant, and it would be weird for people to notice me."

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The actor can be seen in the second season of "Minx," airing on Starz July 21.