Tom Cruise is, without doubt, one of Hollywood’s most successful and bankable stars. Ever since becoming the poster boy for a certain kind of swagger via roles in films like Risky Business and Top Gun, he has been a bonafide star. Performances in Magnolia, A Few Good Men and Eyes Wide Shut exhibited his acting ability. The undying Mission Impossible franchise proved he could hold up a blockbuster franchise even as he approached his sixties. And now he's confirmed that he will be going into space - literally - to make a film on the International Space Station. I mean, of course he is.
Love him or loathe him he is, objectively, an icon. And yet, throughout his career he has also been blighted by weird stories. True or false, major or minor, they all add to the legend of Tom Cruise. Here are some of the weirdest claims. The latest? The Sun has released audio of Tom shouting at two crew members who he alleges broke social distancing rules.
'We are the gold standard', the audio purporting to be of Tom reveals. 'They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. Because they believe in us and what we’re doing. I’m on the phone with every fucking studio at night, insurance companies, producers and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherfuckers. I don’t ever want to see it again. Ever!'
But what other strange stories are out there?
He will only run on-screen if he’s alone
According to Annabelle Wallis, who played his love interest in The Mummy, she was afforded a unique honour: she was permitted to run beside Tom in one of their action scenes.
‘I got to run on-screen with him, but he told me no at first. He said, “Nobody runs on-screen [with me],” and I said, “But I’m a really good runner,”’ Wallis recalls. ‘So, I would time my treadmill so that he’d walk in and see me run. And then he added all these running scenes.’
We’re racking our brain and, to our recollection, she’s correct. War Of The Worlds. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. Tom is a solitary runner.
His body is capable of insane things
Thandie Newton, who worked with Tom in Interview With The Vampire and Mission Impossible 2, says Tom tries so hard to be nice but is also impacted by the huge amount of pressure on his shoulders. She also recalls seeing a small blemish on his face that grew in her presence.
‘ remember at the beginning of the night, seeing this slight red mark on his nose, and by the end of the night, I kid you not—this is how his metabolism is so fierce—he had a big whitehead where that red dot was,’ she said in a 2020 interview. ‘It would take anyone else 48 hours to manifest a zit. I saw it growing, and it was like the zit was me, just getting bigger and bigger.’
Weird.
He doesn’t want to be looked at on set
According to members of the US Navy, Tom’s behaviour on the set of the forthcoming Top Gun: Maverick rubbed them up the wrong way. One Facebook post claimed that ‘Tom Cruise was really on OUR ship telling the crew not to talk or look at him.’
An official Navy representative, however, insisted that this was a misunderstanding.
‘Some sailors may have misinterpreted guidance from the Navy that told sailors to not approach actors while filming and not use cell phones on the set,’ a statement read. ‘Tom Cruise and the cast were nothing but gracious and professional during filming to all of the sailors.’
He 'auditioned' potential girlfriends before marrying Katie Holmes
A Vanity Fair expose claimed that the Church of Scientology set up the first date between Tom and his third wife. The piece also stated that auditions had been held to find ‘[Nicole] Kidman’s replacement.’ Much of the content of the article was denied by official camps.
He uses tricks to appear taller
When Nicole was asked what life was like after divorcing Tom, she replied that she could ‘wear heels now.’ Tom stands at 5’7”, but uses tricks and cheats to appear taller in film. Watch closely and you’ll notice he stands over co-stars like Cameron Diaz, Ving Rhames and Olga Kurylenko, even though he is shorter than them. That would require forced perspective, shoe lifts of, perhaps, a box.
He has an inner child
Actress Leah Remini claims that Tom once asked her to play a game of hide and seek with him and other friends including Will Smith. She declined, due to her high heels, and alleged he replied ‘Well, good. So you’re ‘It,’ then,’ and tagged her before going to hide.
What is the truth? Who knows. Some of the stories are a bit weird, but there are also many examples of Tom exhibiting impressive kindness and generosity. Perhaps he is Hollywood’s nicest, weirdest star.
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