Tom Cruise is shedding more light on how he pulled off his dramatic transformation into Digger Rockwell for his upcoming film “Digger.”
The 64-year-old actor revealed that the makeup process initially took six hours, but he pushed the team to complete it in under an hour.
Cruise also recently acknowledged his reputation for being intense on set and expecting a lot from those he works with.
Tom Cruise is well known for performing his own death-defying stunts and pushing the boundaries of his performances. For his upcoming film “Digger,” however, he faced a different kind of endurance challenge.
In the dark comedy, Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon. Achieving the character’s look required prosthetics and a fat suit, with the initial makeup process taking six hours.
But he wasn’t content to sit still for a quarter of the day, so he challenged his makeup crew to cut that time to under an hour.
“The first time we did the makeup, it took six hours, OK?” Cruise said during his Friday appearance on Travis and Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast.
“I gotta sleep at least six [hours]. They keep saying I need more… but OK, that’s 12,” he continued. “Now, we have 12-hour days filming. So now that’s six hours on, two hours off with the makeup.”
Tom Cruise Brings In A Stopwatch To Speed Up His Makeover
The “Top Gun” star explained that the lengthy process wouldn’t work with his schedule, prompting him to find a way to make it “more efficient.”
With filming typically taking 12 hours and at least six hours set aside for sleep, he questioned how he could spend another six hours in the makeup chair.
He challenged the team to do it in under an hour.
“I had a guy there with a stopwatch, and I’m like, ‘OK, you see that time, six hours? By the time we’re done, we’re going to get it under an hour,’” Cruise said, per Variety.
He added, “They were like, ‘No, I’m not doing that, it will never happen.’ I’m like, ‘OK, first of all, if you say no, you can’t do it; you will never get there. So can we agree that we’ll maybe make it a little less?’ So with each piece that was going on, it was timed, and then we’d drill and practice.”
Tom Cruise Turns To Cooling Machines During ‘Digger’ Filming
The crew eventually completed the process within his desired time frame. The “Mission: Impossible” star said he loves studying a system and finding ways to improve it.
However, performing in the fat suit and prosthetics still posed a challenge, forcing him to improvise once again.
“I’m sweating because I’m wearing these prosthetics. And the scenes, they’re long takes and the rhythm of it — you really have to know what you’re doing,” Cruise said. “But I’m sweating underneath, so I came up with all these different things, like cooling machines.”
The film, which premieres October 2, also stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, and Sandra Hüller. Alejandro González Iñárritu directs.
Tom Cruise Makes His Expectations Clear: ‘I Expect A Lot’
In a recent interview with GQ, Cruise acknowledged his reputation for being intense on set, adding that he demands a lot from the people he works with.
“When I’m working with people, I’m not afraid to, as I’m acting, to look foolish, to do it. It’s like: That’s not what this is about. It’s finding our tone, finding these tools together and having an experience,” he explained.
He continued, “And look, I work hard, and people that work with me, they know. I expect a lot, and I’m upfront about it. It’s like: ‘The rumors are true. And do you want this?’ I’m like, ‘Trust me, the rumors are true. I’ll be here before you. What experience do you want?’”
Tom Cruise Calls Setting The Tone On Set His ‘Responsibility’
After acknowledging that he expects everyone around him to be at the top of their game, the “Jack Reacher” actor noted that his love for cinema drives him to create the right environment on set.
He explained that he sees it as his “responsibility,” especially when he plays the lead, as he usually does.
“Even when I was a kid, they were like, ‘Oh, come on, Tom. You’re so intense.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know what to say. I am intense,’” he said.
Cruise added, “I got a very good sense of humor about it, but it was like: When I’m interested in something, I want to learn it. I want to understand it. And you want to blast through the confusion and build up that ability.”
