Tom Cruise stands as one of the last true movie stars in Hollywood history. For over four decades, he has dominated the box office with intense energy and daring performances. Furthermore, his dedication to entertaining audiences often pushes him to risk his life physically. Consequently, stories about his intensity on set have become legendary in the film industry. Explore these fascinating details about the actor who simply refuses to slow down.
Tom Cruise
Disney animators actually modeled the character of Aladdin on Tom Cruise. Originally, they looked at Michael J. Fox, but they felt Cruise offered more confidence and charm.
Before he discovered acting, he seriously planned to become a Catholic priest. In fact, he attended a seminary school in Cincinnati on a scholarship before eventually leaving.
Marvel Studios strongly considered him for the role of Iron Man before Robert Downey Jr. However, he declined the part because he felt the project would not work creatively.
He possesses a pilot license and owns a P-51 Mustang from World War II. He often flies this vintage aircraft himself, even using it in the recent Top Gun sequel.
Surprisingly, Japan loves him so much that they established an official “Tom Cruise Day.” The Japan Memorial Day Association honored him because he visited the country more than any other western star.
He strictly prohibits the production of action figures or video games using his likeness. Therefore, you will never find an official plastic doll of Maverick or Ethan Hunt in toy stores.
For a scene in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, he learned to hold his breath underwater for six minutes. Remarkably, he trained with free divers to lower his heart rate and conserve oxygen.
Ray-Ban sales skyrocketed dramatically after he wore their sunglasses in his movies. Specifically, sales of Wayfarers rose by 40 percent after Risky Business hit theaters.
He sends a specific white chocolate coconut cake to his famous friends every holiday season. Celebrities like Rosie O’Donnell and Jimmy Fallon eagerly await this legendary dessert each year.
A high school wrestling injury actually pushed him toward the drama club. Because he could not compete physically, he auditioned for the school play and discovered his true calling.
Anne Rice publicly criticized his casting as the vampire Lestat, calling it a bizarre choice. However, after seeing his performance, she bought a two-page ad in Variety to apologize.
He famously broke his ankle while jumping between buildings for Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Instead of stopping, he finished the take and limped past the camera to use the footage.
He struggled severely with dyslexia throughout his childhood and early career. Consequently, he often memorized his lines by listening to tapes rather than reading scripts.
If you look closely at photos, you might notice something odd about his smile. One of his front teeth sits directly in the center of his face due to dental alignment.
Finally, he danced as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder wearing a massive prosthetic suit. He demanded fat hands for the character because he simply thought they would look funny.
Kill Bill pays violent homage to the grindhouse cinema of the 1970s. While fans love the stylized action, the production involved real danger. For instance, the lead actress suffered permanent injuries from a stunt gone wrong. Furthermore, the director owns the famous yellow truck from the first film. Prepare to wiggle your big toe.
Kill Bill
Uma Thurman crashed the blue convertible during a driving scene. Consequently, she suffered permanent neck and knee injuries because the seat remained loose. This accident caused a massive rift between her and the director that lasted for years.
The special effects team used over 450 gallons of fake blood. Unlike modern films, they refused to use CGI for the gore. Instead, they utilized Chinese condoms filled with red dye to create the practical sprays.
The soles of The Bride’s yellow sneakers contain a hidden message. If you look closely at the bottom, the tread pattern spells out an insult. This serves as a silent message to her enemies while she kicks them in the face.
Legend Gordon Liu plays two completely different characters. First, he appears as Johnny Mo. Later, he returns as the cruel master Pai Mei in Volume 2.
Quentin Tarantino actually owns the bright yellow “Pussy Wagon” truck. He drove it around Los Angeles to promote the movie’s release. Eventually, he let Lady Gaga and Beyoncé use it for their “Telephone” music video.
Kill Bill bleeps the name of the main character until the second volume. However, you can actually see her name, “Beatrix Kiddo,” on her plane ticket in the first film. Thus, the director hid the secret in plain sight.
Uma Thurman and Tarantino created the character on the set of Pulp Fiction. They talked about a female assassin called “The Bride” during a dinner. Consequently, Tarantino gave her the script as a birthday present years later.
Bill clarifies that there were never actually 88 killers. He says the gang just thought the name sounded cool. In reality, the Bride kills or injures about 57 people during the massive battle.
Actress Chiaki Kuriyama accidentally hit the director while filming. She stood too close while swinging her meteor hammer. Fortunately, Tarantino laughed it off, as he loved the chaotic energy of the fight scene.
Tarantino originally wrote the role of Bill for Warren Beatty. However, Beatty turned it down because the shooting schedule seemed too long. Therefore, David Carradine took the role and made it iconic.
The House of Blue Leaves sequence features a complex long take. The camera follows the Bride through hallways, up stairs, and into the bathroom without cutting. It took the crew six hours to rehearse this single shot.
The famous anime studio Production I.G animated the O-Ren Ishii backstory. They are the same studio behind the legendary film Ghost in the Shell. Tarantino wanted the sequence to look exactly like a violent 1970s cartoon.
Robert Rodriguez scored the soundtrack for one dollar. The famous director composed the music as a favor. Consequently, he charged his friend Quentin only one dollar. Later, Tarantino returned the favor. He directed a scene in Sin City for the exact same price.
Tarantino filmed the entire Kill Bill story as one four-hour epic. However, the studio forced him to cut it down for theaters. Therefore, they split it into two volumes to avoid cutting any of the major scenes.
Finally, the “Bride” kills exactly zero people in Volume 2. While the first film has a massive body count, the second film focuses on dialogue and emotion. She defeats her enemies, but she never technically kills anyone until the final showdown.
Sean Connery defined the role of the suave secret agent for a global audience. He was the first actor to utter the famous line, "Bond, James Bond." Furthermore, he built a diverse career that went far beyond the spy genre. Consequently, he won an Academy Award and became a knight of the realm. Explore these fascinating details about the original 007.
Sean Connery
Before he became an actor, he worked as a coffin polisher in Edinburgh. Surprisingly, this was just one of many manual labor jobs he held to make ends meet.
He entered the Mr. Universe bodybuilding contest in 1953. Although he did not win the main title, he placed third in the tall men’s division.
Sean Connery actually wore a toupee in every single James Bond movie he filmed. He started losing his hair at the young age of 21.
Ian Fleming originally hated the casting of Connery as Bond. The author thought the Scottish actor looked like an overgrown stuntman rather than a refined gentleman.
He turned down the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Unfortunately, he admitted that he did not understand the script, costing him roughly $450 million (€425 million).
He served in the Royal Navy for three years before being discharged. Doctors released him from service because he suffered from severe stomach ulcers.
Remarkably, he received a speeding ticket from a police officer named Sergeant James Bond. This ironic incident occurred in London while he was filming the spy movies.
Manchester United offered him a contract to play professional football. However, he declined the offer because he realized a sports career would be too short.
He had two small tattoos on his arm from his time in the Navy. One simply said “Mum and Dad,” and the other read “Scotland Forever.”
Sean Connery stood at a height of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters). Therefore, he physically dominated the screen in a way few other actors of his time could.
He donated his entire salary from the movie Diamonds Are Forever to charity. He used the money to establish a trust fund for Scottish education.
People voted him the “Sexiest Man Alive” at the age of 59. Consequently, he proved that his charisma and appeal only increased as he got older.
He worked as a milkman in Edinburgh as a teenager. He delivered milk to the local residents with the help of a horse-drawn cart.
During the filming of Never Say Never Again, Steven Seagal broke Connery’s wrist. The martial arts star was teaching the actor choreography and accidentally used too much force.
Finally, he almost never changed his accent for any role. Whether playing a Russian submarine captain or an Irish cop, he always kept his signature Scottish burr.
