Tom
Cruise: War of the Worlds Interview
By
Kam Williams
It's been almost
impossible to get away from the ubiquitous Tom Cruise as of
late. The three-time Oscar-nominee has been making the rounds
of the TV talk shows, from Oprah to Letterman to anybody else
who'd let him stand on a couch and shout just how much he
is in love with Katie Holmes. Fortunately, Tom hasn't completely
lost it, and does still have some saner moments, too, since
people are interested in a little behind-the-scenes info about
his new movie, War of the Worlds.
KW:
Why did you agree to be cast as a father, an unusual film
role for you, which you haven't played since Eyes Wide Shut?
TC: "Well, first of all, I have to say
that I love the way that [director] Steven Spielberg deals
with families in his movies. I find them to be very real..
unique... Like that scene in Close Encounters with the son
and the bathtub. When we started talking about this story,
and Steven said, 'It's going to be about a father and a family,'
I couldn't wait to play this character. Growing up, I always
wanted to be a father. "
KW: How would you compare collaborating with
you Steven Spielberg this time versus when you worked with
him on Minority Report?
TC: "I had a lot of fun on minority
Report. I had even more fun on this one. And the next one
is going to be even more fun. For me, the experience of working
with Steven just gets better and better. And I also like making
movies with him just because I get the great pleasure of hanging
out with him."
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KW: You sound more like a Spielberg
fan than his star actor.
TC: "I'm always a fan, first,
of Steven's films, then I'm an actor. When I'm working
with other filmmakers, I'll always actually go back
to Steven's pictures and study his editing to see how
he's telling that story. He gives you the environment,
but it's also, from a character's point-of-view, always
in story. It's always on that storyline. So, I often
go back and study his stuff and look at those sequences."
KW: This is your second sci-fi film
with Spielberg. are you a fan of the genre?
TC: "I dig going to science fiction
movies. I always have. Look at the role that science
fiction has played in our culture. It was the sci-fi
writers during the pulp fiction era who were dreaming
and pushing for the space race."
KW: Do you believe in UFOs and alien
life forms?
TC: "Personally, I'm a very practical
person, so unless I meet them one day, I don't know.
Yet, I think it's supreme arrogance to think that in
all the universe of all the universes that ours is the
only planet that could support life."
KW: Did you ever get spooked thinking
about the possibility of an actual alien invasion while
making this movie?
TC: "It would get very intense
on the set between the takes. Steven, Tim [co-star Tim
Robbins], Dakota [co-star Dakota Fanning] and I would
look at each other and go, 'Aliens! woooooo!'"
KW: How did you like working with Dakota
Fanning?
TC: "She's enormously talented
and so much fun to work with also, because you can have
a laugh with her, too. She's a unique talent. You can
just see it. And she's a terrific person. She's very
sincere and has impeccable manners. She even writes
thank you letters."
KW: What would you do if you found
yourself in a predicament like your character finds
himself in in War of the Worlds?
TC: "I have no idea what I'd do,
man"
KW: What was your most difficult day
on the set?
TC: "The most difficult day was
the last day of shooting, because it was over. That
was the hardest day, because I really do, quite sincerely,
love working with Steven. I have a great admiration
for him, and I knew that I was going to miss him."
KW: It was recently reported that the
director of The Fantastic Four said his picture is going
to whip War of the Worlds at the box office. What's
your response to that?
TC: "You know what? It doesn't
matter. I want to see that picture do really well. I
want all the movies to do well. I'm going to see that
picture. I can't wait."
KW: After proposing to Katie in the
Eiffel Tower, how do you plan to top that romantic setting
for the wedding?
TC: "Do you have to top it? I
didn't realize that was a prerequisite. I don't know,
we haven't decided yet."
KW: Are you upset by tabloids suggesting
that your love life, your religion and your exuberance
are drawing attention away from the movie?
TC: "No. [laughs] No, listen,
There's really nothing to say outside of, 'I don't pay
attention to it.' It doesn't bother me. Do you know
what I'm saying? I do my work. I live my life. It's
never affected anything before. It doesn't matter. What
do I do? I make my movies, and I live my life in the
best way that I can. I can't control what other people
are going to say or do. They're going to say and do
what they want. And that's never going to change how
I live my life."
KW: Everybody has seen you bouncing
on talk show sofas with boundless energy. Do you care
to share your secret to such vitality?
TC: "My interest in life, quite
honestly. I'm someone who gets excited about living.
There are things that I apply to my life, Scientology
and tools, that have been extraordinary in helping me
overcome barriers and problems. And I have the privilege
of doing something that I love, like working with Steven
and making War of the Worlds. I feel truly honored by
the life that I have. I'm just enjoying myself. That's
it."
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