Tom Cruise Filmed 'Digger' While Working on 'Mission: Impossible'... "Completed 10-Minute Monologue in Four Takes"

[Financial News] "It was a scene I originally thought would take four days, but I finished it in one day."
Tom Cruise shared the story behind the 10-minute monologue scene in the film 'Digger.' At a press conference in Seoul on the 1st, he said he completed the uninterrupted scene in just four takes. He credited his extensive preparation and training.

In Alejandro González Iñárritu's new film 'Digger,' Cruise transforms into Digger Rockwell, an oil tycoon with graying hair, a protruding belly and a Southern American accent. To create the character, he developed a new walk, accent and way of moving.
He said, "I had to think about how to build the comedy, the drama and the character, how he would walk, and the various stages the character goes through, including their subtle differences. It was a great joy to bring all of that to the screen."
Asked about the process of changing his appearance, he said the key was how an actor uses makeup in a performance. Like costumes and sets, makeup is an element that conveys the story, and it gains meaning through the actor's performance.
He said, "What matters is what the actor does with the makeup," adding, "I think about how I need to shape my body and movements to tell the story."
At the time, Cruise was also filming and completing post-production work on 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.' He took part in the editing process day and night and sometimes slept in a trailer on the set. Because the makeup took a long time, he needed adequate rest so he could stay focused on filming.
He said, "My body is part of the instrument for the performance. I keep it in good condition in the morning and at night."

The monologue scene could not be completed simply by memorizing the lines. While refining the character's accent, Cruise also trained his body to know where and how to move within the scene.
He said, "Whether it is a stunt, acting, movement or a character's behavior, I spend a great deal of time preparing." That thorough preparation became the foundation for free expression once filming began. Cruise compared the process to playing jazz.
He said, "The physical expression of this character requires highly sophisticated technique, but ultimately it has to look free. Once the camera starts rolling, I know every beat and the flow of the scene. I understand where the camera is, too. That is when I become free."
After the lengthy preparation, filming wrapped earlier than expected. Once the four takes were completed, Alejandro González Iñárritu approached Cruise and embraced him. Cruise asked whether the director needed another angle, saying he could perform the scene again, but Iñárritu replied that he had obtained the scene he wanted.
He recalled, "It was a scene I originally thought would take four days, but I finished it in one day. It was a truly special and honorable experience."
Cruise is still preparing for projects several years into the future. For him, the set and the editing room are both workplaces and places of learning.
He said, "Because I never attended film school, I created my own film school," adding, "I have spent my entire life in editing rooms and film studios, as well as preparing for movies. Even now, I am preparing films that I will make three, four and five years from now."
It is nothing short of a manifestation of passion. His passion for constantly learning and preparing for his next project is likely what propelled him to stardom early in his career and enabled him to remain at the top ever since.


[email protected] Shin Jin-ah Reporter