Tom Cruise Scared To Star Opposite Will Smith?

Tom Cruise refuses to star alongside best pal Will Smith in case the I Am Legend star shows him up with his superior acting, it’s claimed.

The pair have frequently spoken of plans to act together but sources tell a U.S. publication that Tom is terrified a collaboration will kill his career.

The National Enquirer quotes an insider as claiming that Tom rejects every script Will sends him and never returns the offer.

The source says: "Tom's a great guy, but he sees Will as competition - a movie like I Am Legend is the kind of role Tom used to get offered first.

“The feeling is that Tom fears he'll suffer by comparison if he acts alongside Will. He hasn't really worked with another strong male lead since Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man."

The source insists Will isn’t bothered by his friend’s reluctance to share screen time: "He knows how Tom is, and it's not going to end their friendship if they never appear on screen together."

Perhaps Will should think twice about sending any more scripts Tom’s way – whilst I Am Legend has just debuted at No.1 in the first U.K. box office chart of 2008, Tom’s latest, Lions For Lambs, performed dismally on its release.