Tom Cruise is insecure working with Will Smith

Washington: Hollywood hunk Tom Cruise is reluctant to star with best friend Will Smith, as he fears the partnership will kill his career.

According to an insider, the Mission Impossible star shuns every script Smith sends him and never returns the offer.

"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,” Contactmusic quoted the insider as saying.

“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 insider added.

However, the source insisted that Smith doesn't really care, as he knows it will not end his friendship with Cruise.

"He knows how Tom is, and it's not going to end their friendship if they never appear on screen together," the source said.