tom cruise can he sing

Rock of Ages first listen: Can Tom Cruise actually sing?

Critics get a taste of the actor's take on Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" in the upcoming rock musical — and they aren't so sweet on it

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The audio: Tom Cruise is, apparently, "hot sticky sweet." But can he sing? Ever since the Mission: Impossible star was cast in the upcoming musical Rock of Ages , based on the jukebox Broadway show of the same name, critics wondered whether he had the vocal chops to pull off the role. In the film, out June 15, Cruise plays Stacee Jaxx, a bare-chested, chaps-wearing rocker in the mold of Poison's Bret Michaels, who is tasked with belting out rock and roll classics like "Paradise City" and "Wanted Dead or Alive." The first audio clip of the actor singing the Def Leppard track "Pour Some Sugar On Me" was released Tuesday. (Listen to it below.) Cruise claims that the hair band already gave his performance its stamp of approval .

The reaction: Cruise may look the part of the long-haired, tatted-up rocker in the preview images we've seen, says Mary Ouellette at Loudwire , but his vocals are too Broadway. He lacks Def Leppard's "imperfections and reckless abandon," and sounds "more like he's singing a showtune than a rock anthem." What vocals? says Billy Dukes at Ultimate Classic Rock . He's drowned out by the ramped-up background production. While Cruise's version will bring the classic track to a new audience, "it fails to separate itself form the original in any remarkable way." He sounds fine, says Katey Rich at Cinema Blend . Cruise "always seemed like one of those people who can do just about everything well." The true test, though, will be whether he can pull off those crazy '80s dance moves. Listen to Cruise's "Sugar" rendition:

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TV & Film

When Tom Cruise sang on live TV and he was amazing

5 August 2022, 15:47

By Tom Eames

Tom Cruise is one of the world's greatest film stars, and it turns out he's a fantastic live performer too.

In 2015, the Top Gun: Maverick actor appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in the States, and shocked the audience with his impressive command of the stage.

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OK, he wasn't actually singing, but rather taking part in the Lip Sync Battle segment of the show, miming along with The Weeknd's 'Can't Feel My Face', but he was particularly great at it.

Watch the clip below:

Tom Cruise, Jimmy Fallon do lip sync battle | 'Can’t Feel My Face' & 'That Lovin Feelin'

Tom impressed the audience and Jimmy with his performance, which he followed up by lip-syncing to Meat Loaf 's 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light'.

Even The Weeknd himself was amazed, tweeting about the show afterwards:

can't believe @TomCruise is singing my song. @jimmyfallon *** you're the MAN for this one. #tomcruisetomcruise ||| https://t.co/xVFZSkYCCx — The Weeknd (@theweeknd) July 28, 2015

But it's not like Tom can't sing at all. He's belted out the likes of 'Great Balls of Fire' in Top Gun , 'Free Fallin'' in Jerry Maguire and 'Addicted to Love' in Cocktail .

And of course, in 2012, he starred as stadium rock legend Stacy Jaxx in the musical Rock of Ages , where he convincingly performed various '80s anthems like 'Wanted Dead or Alive' and 'Pour Some Sugar on Me'.

Tom Cruise has just experienced the most successful film of his career, with Top Gun: Maverick grossing over $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office.

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Does Tom Cruise Have A Good Singing Voice?

Tom Cruise is undisputedly one of the best actors alive, but just how well can he sing?

The crafts of music and acting are often intrinsically linked. Granted, not every talented actor can be a good singer or vice versa. Mick Jagger, Britney Spears, Adam Levine and Ed Sheeran are all great musicians, but did not have as much success when they tried crossing over into screen acting.

On the other hand, there are those like Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Mary J. Blige who started out as musicians, but proved to be surprisingly good actors as well . The same is true for Will Smith who is best known these days for his incredible acting portfolio. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air star was mostly a rapper at the beginning of his showbiz career.

The inverse is also not uncommon in Hollywood, with a number of actors proving their singing prowess over the years. Bradley Cooper demonstrated his vocal talents as one of the two lead stars of the 2018 romantic musical film A Star Is Born , alongside Lady Gaga.

Emma Stone, Matthew McConaughey, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anne Hathaway have all wowed audiences with exemplary singing performances as part of an acting role.

RELATED: Iggy Pop And More Musicians You Didn't Know Were Also Voice Actors

Top Gun star Tom Cruise has also not shied away from trying his hand at belting out a tune or two in his day. He has done this either singing or lip syncing in movie roles, or doing bits for late night TV shows. But just how good is his actual singing voice?

Tom Cruise Popularized Lip Syncing With His Performance In Risky Business

Lip-syncing is all the rage in modern showbiz. Whether by musicians during live concert performances , or as part of a bit for various shows, the concept of matching one’s lips to a pre-recorded song has become a core part of the performing arts. The practice has been around for nearly a century, with the earliest known iterations dating as far back as the 1920s.

That being said, Tom Cruise was one of the people who actually popularized lip-syncing as it is known today. He started his acting career in 1981, with roles in the movies Endless Love and Taps . He got his breakthrough about two years later, when he played a high-achieving high school student called Joel Goodsen in the teen sex comedy-drama film Risky Business .

RELATED: Tom Cruise Has Tons Of Movies On Netflix, But They Aren't His Best Work

It was in this movie that Cruise memorably delivered a classic lip syncing performance . In just a shirt and underwear, he grooved to the song Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger. About four decades later, a TV show titled Lip Sync Battle — in very much the same fashion as Cruise’s act in Risky Business — debuted on Paramount Network.

Tom Cruise Also Sang In The Film Rock Of Ages

As one of the undisputedly best actors on the planet, the art of mimicking singing would have undoubtedly come easy for Tom Cruise. In the 2012 jukebox musical film Rock of Ages , however, he surprised audiences with his actual singing skills, as he delivered a powerful performance that showcased a new side of him.

Rock of Ages is a musical comedy-drama film based on the Broadway musical of the same name. The movie is set in the 1980s and tells the story of a small-town girl named Sherrie (played by Julianne Hough) who moves to Hollywood to pursue her dream of becoming a singer.

RELATED: Fans Praised Tom Cruise For His "Diva" Moment During A Red Carpet Interview

There, she meets Drew (Diego Boneta), a barback at the legendary rock club, The Bourbon Room. The two fall in love, and together they try to save The Bourbon Room from being shut down by a conservative politician (Bryan Cranston). Cruise plays the character of Stacee Jaxx, the lead singer of the fictional rock band Arsenal.

Did Tom Cruise Really Sing In James Corden’s Final Episode Of The Late Late Show?

Tom Cruise has often impressed audiences with his lip syncing performances. In 2015, he appeared in an episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , where he battled the host in the segment titled Lip Sync Battle , from which the fully-fledged, eponymous show on Paramount Network was born.

His performance of The Weeknd’s I Can’t Feel My Face was so good that it even got the Canadian singer gushing over it: “can’t believe @TomCruise is singing my song. @jimmyfallon *** you’re the MAN for this one,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

Cruise was also a regular guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden , where the pair often took on audacious adventures together. For his very final episode , the English host invited his old friend to join him in a real-life stage performance alongside the cast of The Lion King .

The bit culminated with Cruise and Corden delivering their own heartfelt rendition of Sir Elton John’s classic Can You Feel the Love Tonight . For anyone who still did not know that the Jerry Maguire star could actually sing, this was proof that he is more than just his legendary acting chops.

Can Tom Cruise Sing?

As an actor, Tom Cruise excels at his craft most times. He has performed some impossible stunts in movies to the delight of his fans. It seems like he is a man of diverse skills but can Tom Cruise sing? He just might be able to do anything you can think of. Thus, it is not far-fetched to wonder if the movie star can also sing.

Yes, Tom Cruise can sing. He may not be able to hit high notes like Maria Carey , or belt low notes like Leonard Cohen , but he can definitely make sweet sounds with his voice. Isn’t that what singing is all about? Find out more about Tom Cruise singing in this article.  

Tom Cruise Knows His Vocals

In the hit broadway musical film, Rock of Ages , Tom Cruise thrilled his fans by playing the fictional character, Stacee Jaxx . The role required him to sing and not just perform and lip-sync on stage. He actually pulled off the part vocally and performance-wise. After watching the movie, many fans concluded that there could never have been a better choice for Stacee Jaxx than Tom. He sang some vocally challenging songs like Don’t Stop Believin and classics like Paradise City and Wanted Dead or Alive . It was definitely not an easy task and took some work.

Before the movie, the closest Tom had come to featuring in a musical was in high school. He played Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls , and according to Tom , he wished he had Ron Anderson back then. Tom was not sure about his singing initially and was not willing to take up the role except he knew for sure that he could sing. He consulted Adam Anders, who listened to him sing privately and cleared him to take the role. According to Anders , Tom was not a professional singer but had a good voice. In his words , “He had this voice that blew me away. It was the most powerful voice I had ever heard. So loud. He could do anything and go as high as we wanted. It was like a kid discovering he had a new toy. I left there super-pumped knowing that not only could we make him pass as a singer in the movie, but we would blow people away with what he could do.”

As a perfectionist, Tom knew he needed professional assistance to nail the role perfectly. Thus, he listened to Anders. Also, according to the film director, Adam Shankman , he studied his vocals for the movie. Anders also stated that Tom worked really hard on his vocals, and by the end of the film, he was phenomenal. He didn’t sound like Jon Bovi or Sia , but he definitely brought his own flavour, and according to Anders , he made the performance remarkable. 

How Tall Is Tom Cruise? Exact Height Revealed

What is tom cruise’s daily routine, where does tom cruise live, what people think of tom’s singing.

First of all, Tom believes he can sing. He said so himself in a Wired Interview. 

However, other people have opinions about his singing. Playing the rockstar in Rock of Ages sparked a lot of comments by fans and critics. While some people believe Tom Cruise got the part right, others found fault with his performance. 

According to Mary Ouellette at Loudwire , his vocals are too Broadway and lacks the imperfections and reckless abandon of Deff Lampard. he doesn’t really impress her with the rock song as she says he sounds “ more like he’s singing a show tune than a rock anthem.”

Katey Rich of Cinema Blendi s of the opinion that he pulled it off and sounds fine.  

Although Tom had all the assistance he needed to do this, it could only be possible if he could sing. According to Anders , “ You have to have the voice to begin with otherwise there’s nothing I can do.”  

Well, Tom’s performance in the movie was great. His singing was good as we did not have to close our ears. It was just as melodious as it could be.

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Guitar Hero: Tom Cruise

Rock of Ages star Tom Cruise is strumming his way to the hall of fame.

It’s a Thursday afternoon in a studio in Los Angeles, and Tom Cruise, dressed in jeans and an untucked white button-down shirt, is ­belting out “Paradise City.” He’s performing the Guns N’ Roses song—which he sings during the opening credits of his new movie, Rock of Ages —in character, as Stacee Jaxx, a fading rock god from the eighties. Sitting in front of the glass-enclosed recording booth are Cruise’s music advisers, including Ron Anderson, formerly a vocal coach for Axl Rose, whose trademark screech Cruise has perfected. When Cruise started this project more than a year ago, he didn’t know whether he could really sing. “Adam Shankman, the director, asked me if I could carry a tune,” Cruise tells me later. “I said, ‘We’ll see, won’t we? This is either going to work or it’s going to be dreadful.’ ”

Throughout his career, Cruise has assessed roles by their degree of difficulty. He loves a challenge—especially if it involves mastering some new skill. Cruise has tossed bottles ( Cocktail ), flown fighter jets (Top Gun), hustled pool ( The Color of Money ), learned to live life as a Nazi with one arm and an eye patch ( Valkyrie ), raced cars ( Days of Thunder ), and, most recently, rappelled down the face of the tallest building in the world ( Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol ). He always works from the outside in: Even in his serious, Academy Award–nominated roles for Born on the Fourth of July (in which he was wheelchair-bound) and Magnolia (where he played a sex guru), his way into a character is through the physical. With Stacee Jaxx, he began with the mundane rock-star requirements—honing his newly discovered four-octave range and learning to play the guitar—but the physical soon gave way to the emotional. While everyone else in Rock of Ages is either ridiculous or playing their part with a wink (Alec Baldwin in a wig!), Cruise seems to actually be living in Stacee’s leather pants. He is alone inside another, much more interesting movie; there is a melancholic undertow to Stacee Jaxx—he’s only truly alive when he’s onstage, and he knows that his time there is nearly over.

Cruise’s personal sense of character complication may have something to do with timing: Though the actor looks easily 15 years younger, he will be 50 in July. When he signed on to Rock of Ages , he was at a career crossroads—the rambling, not-fun Knight and Day , a big action movie, had not scored at the box office, and negative rumors had plagued MI4. True to his nature, Cruise concentrated on the work—specifically, the jump off the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai. “I look at cities and architecture and I’m always thinking, I want to jump off that building,” Cruise says. “I’m inspired by Harold Lloyd or Buster Keaton or Charlie ­Chaplin. I think, We’re going to get this on camera, and it’s going to be in IMAX—that will be something for an audience.”

The jump worked: Last Christmas, MI4 was an enormous hit, making $693 million and putting Cruise back on top. “We were finishing Mission,” he recalls. “I’d go down the front of the building and then get on the phone with Adam Shankman and say, ‘What’s the voice of Stacee Jaxx?’ This movie was, for me, like training for anything: You have to learn how to use your muscles. And then you start thinking, What story do I want to tell?”

When W photographed Cruise in the penthouse of the Raleigh ­Hotel in Miami Beach several months before our meeting in Los Angeles, he was completely immersed in Stacee’s story. Rock of Ages was filming in Miami, and Cruise was sporting long hair extensions and tattoos. Playing the character took some courage: If he didn’t approach the role with sincerity and intensity, Cruise could easily look like a joke. “Stacee Jaxx had to be real,” he said during the shoot. “I didn’t want to imitate all these other rock stars. He had to be unique. If the audience doesn’t immediately buy into his absolute greatness, there’s no movie journey. Without that, you have nothing.”

Back in the studio, Cruise lets out a pitch-perfect scream. “My throat is gone,” he says, sounding hoarse. “That’s all I’ve got.” Cruise says his goodbyes to the Rock of Ages crew and leaves the room. I follow him into another recording studio to talk. “After four hours of singing,” Cruise begins, “I sound like Donald Duck. No more rock star.”

As a kid, did you sing around the house? You know what? I did the scene from Risky Business around the house. I would sing Bob Seger—my mother worked, my sisters were out, and I’d turn the music up. I learned how to dance watching Soul Train . I noticed that if a guy could dance, he’d get a lot of attention and girls would want to dance with him. I worked very hard at imitating those moves.

Were you ever in a school musical? In my senior year I was in Guys and Dolls . I was Nathan Detroit—the Sinatra part. I wish I’d had Ron Anderson back then. He would have made a big difference.

Why did you want to do a musical now? Kate [Holmes, Cruise’s wife] loves musicals. She sings and dances, and we kind of went through the history of musicals together. And Suri loved Hairspray . With kids, you watch everything over and over; I watched Hairspray 15 times with Suri. I thought Adam Shankman did a great job directing the movie, so I arranged to meet him and said, “Where’s our musical?” He came back and said, “ Rock of Ages .” We went and saw it in L.A., and for me…I didn’t know how to play the character like that. I had to find my own Stacee Jaxx.

You began training. I needed to find out if I could really sing! Ron came in and worked with me. And then I had to learn how to play guitar. I’m very good at air guitar—and air drums—but I had never played an actual guitar. After working for weeks on Stacee’s technical skills, I was thinking about the character, and I said, “You know what? I need a monkey.” Adam said, “What the fuck are you talking about?” And I said, “I’m serious—I need a monkey” [ laughs ]. When Stacee’s not onstage, he’s kind of sad. And I thought, This guy has to have a monkey that’s his best friend. Adam found this baboon. He sent me the baboon’s audition tape, and I said, “The baboon’s name has to be Hey Man” [ laughs ]. Stacee Jaxx doesn’t work without Hey Man.

There are a lot of sexy scenes in this movie: At one point you’re climbing a stripper pole; in another scene, you’re grinding up against a ­ Rolling Stone reporter, played by Malin Akerman. I knew we had to push the sexuality because of the nature of the character and the songs. He’s singing, “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Adam has a sweetness with this stuff, so you can push things pretty hard. With Malin, I thought of Susan Sarandon in The Rocky Horror Picture Show —incredibly sexy and very sweet.

It’s hard to get that balance. When you read a lot of rock biographies, you find that when these musicians are doing their work and it’s going well, that’s when they’re really alive. It’s all the other stuff—the noise and complications—that gets them into devilish behavior. Stacee is kind of floating until he comes onstage. That’s where he’s at home. Everything else is kind of a mess.

Was your goal to show something intimate? Yes. It’s a little uncomfortable at times. But funny. Uncomfortable and funny: That was the goal.

Cruise wears Rita Ryack leather pants. Accessories and jewelry styled by costume designer Rita Ryack.

Models, from left: True Religion black leather shorts. Michael Spirito cuff; Alexis Bittar rings; Burberry belt; models own nipple ring. Emilio Pucci black and white Lycra swimsuit. Eddie Borgo cone bracelet, Tom Ford cuff (from left); Sequin ring. Cruise wears Rita Ryack snakeskin pants. Accessories and jewelry styled by costume designer Rita Ryack.

Beauty note: Pump up any hairstyle with a flash of Borghese Milan Volumizing Mousse.

Models, from left: 3.1 Phillip Lim silk blazer. Hervé Léger by Max Azria polyester bathing suit. Sequin ring. Eddie Borgo black rings; Assad Mounser dangling earring; LaCrasia Gloves gloves; model’s own cross and stud earrings. Cruise wears Rita Ryack leather pants. Accessories and jewelry all styled by costume designer Rita Ryack.

Cruise: Hair by Michael White; makeup and tattoo design: Michele Burke. Models: Hair by Recine; makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; manicures by Champagne Satayakul. Models: Abbey Lee Kershaw at Next; Edita Vilkeviciute at DNA New York.

Fashion on models, from left: Versace cotton raffia top. Hervé Léger by Max Azria polyester-blend swimwear bottoms. Eddie Borgo earrings and choker; Michael Schmidt Swarovski Elements spiked cuff, Chrome Hearts 22k gold and diamond bracelet (from left); Chanel gloves; Double Happiness Jewelry 14k gold and tourmaline ring. 3.1 Phillip Lim silk-blend bralette. Salvatore Ferragamo beaded silk jacket. Barbara Bui cotton shorts. Venus by Maria Tash nose ring; Assad Mounser earring; Michael Schmidt mesh bracelet; Solange Azagury-Partridge 18k blackened-white-gold and diamond ring; her own earrings. Cruise wears Rita Ryack leather pants. Accessories and jewelry styled by costume designer Rita Ryack.

Beauty: On Cruise: Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner in Smoke. On models, from left: Smashbox High Definition foundation in Light L3; Photo Op Eye Shadow Trio in Screenshot; Lash DNA mascara in Jet Black; Blush Rush in Gingersnap; Limitless Lip Stain in Guava. Studio Skin foundation in 2.3; Smokebox Palette; Hyperlash Mascara in Blackout; Blush Rush in Paradise; Lip Enhancing Gloss in Tease.

Cruise: Hair by Michael White; makeup and tattoo design: Michele Burke. Models: Hair by Recine; makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; manicures by Champagne Satayakul. Models: Abbey Lee Kershaw at Next; Edita Vilkeviciute at DNA New York. Production by Select Services. Special thanks to the Raleigh Hotel. Digital technician: Xanny Handfield. Photography assistants: Lars Beaulieu, Johnny Vicari, Javier Villegas. Fashion assistants: Katy Younger-Hadwiger, Megan Kelley.

Tom Cruise: Surprisingly Good Singer

Exclusive: The “Rock of Ages” director talks about his leading man’s vocal chops and the latest addition to the cast, Paul Giamatti

Yes, Tom Cruise really can sing.

That’s the word from “Rock of Ages” director Adam Shankman, who admits that even he wondered whether the actor had the vocal chops for the lead role in New Line’s musical.

"He's been studying with — seriously — Axl Rose's voice teacher like five hours a day," Shankman told TheWrap Thursday. "The prognosis is more than excellent."

The director said that he heard Cruise sing at the actor's house.

"That was a big moment," he said. "That voice lesson where he opened up and suddenly let loose and was really great. The two of us in concert breathed a collective sigh of relief to the tune of dancing around his living room."

They even high-fived, the director said.

Shankman also talked about the latest addition to the growing cast — Paul Giamatti — another actor not necessarily known for his singing ability.

Giamatti will play a manager "who basically ends up representing the corporatization of music and sort of the death of art," Shankman said. "He decided it sounded really fun to play … a sleazy Hollywood agent-type in the '80s and sing."

The director said that he understands many audience members are curious about whether the actors will be able to sing.

"All these people will want to see all these giant stars singing karaoke with great big hair and makeup," he said.

And he said Giamatti ( below, right ) will be very funny.

"I think we have much funny in store."

The cast also includes Mary J. Blige, Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin and Mexican singer and actor Diego Boneta. Russell Brand is in final negotiations for the film, as well.

"Rock of Ages" is a major project — an adaptation of the Broadway hit.

The movie is a love story told through the music of Pat Benetar, Bon Jovi, Journey, Poison, Twisted Sister and other artists from the 1980s. Cruise plays the rocker Stacee Jaxx, and will sing the Bon Jovi anthem "Dead or Alive."

Chris D'Arienzo, Michael Arndt and Alan Loeb are writing the adaptation and Jennifer Gibgot, Carl Levin, Tobey Maguire, Scott Prisand and Matt Weaver are producing.

The movie has a release date of June 1, 2012.

Giamatti is repped by UTA.

Try these stylist-approved hair trends: Cowgirl curls, '90s blowout and more

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James Corden and Tom Cruise perform on ‘The Lion King’ stage for their final ‘Late Late Show’ skit

Tom Cruise has gone from “All the Right Moves” to all the right notes.

Cruise joined James Corden April 27 on the final episode of his “The Late Late Show” by performing alongside him in a production of “The Lion King” at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.

The bit opened with Corden recruiting a reluctant Cruise to take part in the show, noting that the two of them had pulled off some amazing stunts together when Cruise has appeared on the program.

“In the eight years that I’ve hosted ‘The Late Late Show,’ we’ve been skydiving, you’ve flown me upside down, and today you’re going to enter my world, alright?” Corden said.

Corden then introduced Cruise to the "Lion King" cast and the pair did some exercises to prepare, including dancing to the “Mission: Impossible” theme song and using some of the character costumes to recreate the famous “You can’t handle the truth” scene from “A Few Good Men.”

Cruise also gave a spirited pre-show speech to the cast. Then, the curtain went up and Corden and Cruise walked onto the stage from the back of the theater. After they finished their part, Cruise thought they were done, but Corden rallied him to keep it up.

The duo then returned to the stage, with the curtain lifting up to show them, prompting the audience to hoot and holler and in delight.

“Hakuna Matata. What a wonderful phrase,” Corden, as Timon, said.

“Hakuna Matata, ain’t no passing craze,” Cruise, as Pumbaa, half-sang, half-spoke.

They then launched into a song and dance of “Hakuna Matata” while the audience cheered and Cruise later tried to hit a high note belting out the line, “When I was a young warthog!”

They wrapped up their song to a thunderous round of applause and a standing ovation from some people in the audience. The crowd went nuts again when they came out to take their bows after the performance ended.

Later, the two had a funny moment when Corden confronted Cruise about how he’ll “find yourself another late night host” to promote his future projects.

“When ‘Mission: Impossible 12’ comes out, you’re not going to think of me. You’re going to be off base jumping with Bowen Yang,” he said in mock anger.

“I’m not the one turning my back on everything that we have, everything that we’ve created,” Cruise fired back. “This is your last show. You did this to us.”

Cruise then went off to have drinks with some of “The Lion King” cast, but as he sat at a table, he began to sing “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” with Corden still sitting in the theater, joining in for an unlikely duet. A montage of their moments on “The Late Late Show” played on the screen while they reunited on top of a building, continuing to sing.

As Corden apologized for their tiff, Cruise told him to "shut up" while referencing “Jerry Maguire.”

“You had me at hello,” he said.

“I love you, Tom,” Corden said.

“I know," Cruise said, as he walked away to a waiting helicopter while the “Mission: Impossible” music played, leaving Corden stranded on the roof.

Drew Weisholtz is a reporter for TODAY Digital, focusing on pop culture, nostalgia and trending stories. He has seen every episode of “Saved by the Bell” at least 50 times, longs to perfect the crane kick from “The Karate Kid” and performs stand-up comedy, while also cheering on the New York Yankees and New York Giants. A graduate of Rutgers University, he is the married father of two kids who believe he is ridiculous.

James Corden’s Farewell Includes Duet With Tom Cruise and Parting Message to U.S.: ‘Remember What America Signifies’

By Michael Schneider

Michael Schneider

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James Corden said farewell to CBS on Thursday evening by doing something no one ever thought would be possible: Getting Tom Cruise to sing Elton John’s hit ballad “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”

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“I love you Tom,” Corden added. “I know,” responded Cruise, before hopping on a waiting helicopter.

RELATED: James Corden on the Top Guest He Never Booked, His Craziest ‘The Late Late Show’ Taping and Adele’s Surprise Final Carpool Karaoke

Also on the primetime special: A final “Carpool Karaoke,” featuring Adele — who had surprised Corden at his house for a drive to the show’s Television City studio. Between driving and singing, Adele also grilled Corden on his memories about “The Late Late Show.”

“The thing I was most worried about was how do we get guests on the show?” he said. “I mean, we couldn’t book anyone. And then things like ‘Carpool,’ I mean, no one would do it.” Mariah Carey became the first performer to say yes, but as Corden recalled, things changed when she arrived: “Mariah comes out and the first thing she says to me, ‘I’ll do the chat. I ain’t singing.’” Carey, of course, wound up singing — and “Carpool Karaoke” became an institution.

Corden responded, “It was work stuff and the internet and it was all those things.” Responded Adele: “It got me thinking I felt so unsafe with you feeling unsafe. Then I went to the studio a couple of weeks later and I wrote this. I remember I sang it into my phone and I sent it to you.” Said Corden: “It was everything that I was feeling that day. I was floored by how you’d managed to take everything that I was feeling about myself and life and just put it in a verse. It’s the greatest privilege that from some a conversation between two friends that you would create such a thing. It blows my mind.”

Adele rounded the “Carpool” out by asking Corden what he’d miss most. “I’ll miss I miss everything,” he said. “I think I underestimated how many friends I’d make doing this. More than anything, I will just miss going into work with my friends every day. And I’m really gonna miss Los Angeles. I love it. It’s been a brilliant adventure.”

Later, the final episode of “ The Late Late Show with James Corden ” opened with a bit of a tease: Corden did a victory lap with staff – and then proceeded to get “stuck” in a stairwell.

Then he opened with the usual check-in with the “Late Late Show” cast of staff characters. “This is the final ‘Late Late Show’ in the history of CBS and I’m telling you tonight finally we are in determined to get it right this time,” he quipped. Corden’s parents and sisters were in the audience, and he welcomed guests Harry Styles and Will Ferrell (who proceeded to destroy Corden’s desk with a sledgehammer).

But first, one more sketch: Fellow late night hosts Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert appeared in Corden’s bedroom, warning him that he can’t just leave his show — at least, not without handing over his bits. Also appearing in the sketch: David Letterman, and later, Trevor Noah (as fellow talk retiree Noah and Corden are seen, “six months later,” on “The Masked Singer” set).

Corden noted that this sketch was yet another example of how the so-called late night wars are no longer a thing. He shared to the audience that Fallon had sent an ice cream truck for the show’s crew.

The episode also featured a special message from President Biden: “Thank you for all the joy you brought homes across America,” he said in the taped piece. “Special thanks for never asking me to sing in the car with you.”

With Styles and Ferrell, Corden played one final game of “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts.” Asked who his favorite late night host will be now, Ferrell said Seth Meyers — but ate some terrible food anyway. And when Styles was asked whether One Direction would ever reunite, he admitted, “I would never say never.”

“But I sit here now, today, with nothing but love, gratitude and pride. This show is everything I ever wanted it to be.”

After thanking his team, as well as CBS, Corden turned serious: “You know we started this show with Obama, then Trump then a global pandemic. And I’ve watched America change a lot. Over these past few years, I’ve watched divisions grow. And I’ve seen and I felt a sense of negativity bubble and at points boil over.

“I guess all I really want to say tonight is I implore you to remember what America signifies to the rest of the world. My entire life, it has always been a place of optimism and joy. And yes, it has flaws. So many. But show me a country that doesn’t. Show me a person that doesn’t. Me, you all of us. We are all trying to figure this out. We are every single one of us a work in progress. And just because somebody disagrees with you. It doesn’t make them bad or evil. We are all more the same than we are different. And there are so many people who are trying to stoke those differences. And we have to try as best we can to look for the light. Look for the joy. Because if you do, it’s out there.

“And that’s all this show has ever been about. All we’ve ever wanted is just be a little bit of light and levity at the end of your day. Thank you for letting me do this. Thank you for allowing me into your home every night.”

With that, “The Late Late Show with James Corden” ended with one final number, Corden singing a farewell tune, “That’s Our Show.”

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‘rock of ages’ director: ‘i was like a 15-year-old girl’ hearing tom cruise sing (video).

Adam Shankman talks to THR about Warner Bros.' movie musical, which opens in theaters on June 15.

By Rebecca Ford

Rebecca Ford

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Director Adam Shankman had his work cut out with him when it came to taking the musical Rock of Ages and transitioning it to the screen. Sure, he had an all-star cast including Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julianne Hough, Malin Akerman and Tom Cruise , but he also had a group of actors that included some who had never sung in a film.

PHOTOS: Broadway Musicals That Have Sung Their Way to the Big Screen

Cruise, who plays rockstar Stacee Jaxx in the Warner Bros. film, is known for his full-on commitment to his characters, but could the man sing?

Shankman described to The Hollywood Reporter the first time he heard Cruise sing.

“The first time I heard him sing was before we formally agreed that we were going to go forward with this,” he said. Shankman sat in the other room as Cruise did his first lesson with Axl Rose ’s former voice coach.

“He sounded amazing,” Shankman told THR. “And within one lesson his range broadened as he opened up. I opened the door, and I was like a 15-year-old girl, I was screaming and jumping up and down and going, ‘Oh my god this is going to work.’ ”

PHOTOS: ‘Rock of Ages’ Premiere Features Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough, plus Josh Duhamel and Fergie in Costume

For the film, which opens in theaters on June 15, Cruise worked on his singing voice for months.

“He was singing literally four or five hours per day. He wouldn’t stop, and I started to get scared he was going to blow out his voice,” Shankman said, adding that “There’s no 100 percent with him, there’s 10,000 percent.”

Shankman, who also directed the musical movie hit Hairspray, added that he was impressed by the level of commitment from all of the actors.

Who surprised him the most? Malin Akerman , who plays Rolling Stone journalist Constance Stark. Akerman’s character interviews Stacee Jaxx, but ends up falling for his rock star ways in one of the craziest scenes in the film.

“Because of her fearlessness and her willingness to let all of that insanity that she got embroiled in just sort of happen without blinking an eye,” Shankman said.

For her part, Akerman told THR it was an honor to work with Cruise.

VIDEO: ‘Rock of Ages’ Star Malin Akerman on Tom Cruise: ‘He Transformed Himself Into a Rock Star’

“To be able to work with Tom Cruise is incredible,” said Ackerman . “If you look back at his body of work, he’s such an incredible actor so I always feel like whenever you get to work with someone who’s been in the business for a while whose really good at their job, they always make you a better actor.”

Watch THR ’s complete interview with Shankman above.

Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @Beccamford

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Tom Cruise Sings 'Like An Opera Singer' In 'Rock Of Ages'

PARK CITY, Utah -- He can run. He can climb cliff sides without harnesses. Heck, he can even scale the surface of the [article id="1651411"]world's tallest building[/article]. And now, for his next trick, Tom Cruise will truly do the impossible: sing his heart out in front of moviegoers nationwide.

The "Mission Impossible" actor will next be seen as fictional rock god Stacee Jaxx in "Rock of Ages," director Adam Shankman's adaptation of the Broadway musical. If you think it's bizarre casting, take it from Cruise's costar, Malin Akerman -- according to her, there is literally nothing that Cruise can't do, carrying a tune included.

"He's brilliant. You're going to be blown away," Akerman told MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival , which she's attending as an ambassador for the Brita FilterForGood Music Project campaign. "His voice is ridiculous."

Akerman should know. As reporter Constance Sack, she only has one musical number in "Rock of Ages" -- a cover of "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner -- which she sings opposite Cruise.

"I auditioned with Cruise. We did our scene together and then I had to sing in the studio [for a musical audition]," she said of landing the role. "My role was actually one of the last ones cast, so I was the last onboard and had the least amount of prep [time]. It was nerve-wracking, to have to go in and sing in the audition."

But Akerman says any anxiety was transformed into elation when performing opposite Cruise, a Hollywood icon she likens to an equally iconic superhero.

"He's Superman to me. He can do anything he sets his mind to," she said, adding that on top of his talent as an actor and his ability to perform breathtaking stunts, Cruise can also "sing like an opera singer."

"When you're with Tom, you give it your all," Akerman said. "It was really amazing and surreal."

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival is officially under way, and the MTV Movies team is on the ground reporting on the hottest stars and the movies everyone will be talking about in the year to come. Keep it locked with MTV Movies for everything there is to know about Sundance.

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Can Tom Cruise Really Sing? And Other Burning Questions Answered

Tom Cruise and Doug Lima sit down for a Wired Autocomplete Interview and answer some of the most searched questions about the legendary actor. From his singing abilities to flying a helicopter, Tom Cruise spills the beans in this candid interview.

Table of Contents

• Can Tom Cruise really sing?
• Can Tom Cruise rock climb?
• Can Tom Cruise play guitar?
• Can Tom Cruise fly a plane and a helicopter?
• Can Tom Cruise hold his breath for six minutes?
• Why are pilot seats furry?
• Why do pilots usually fly in the stratosphere?
• Why are pilots called pilot?
• Why can’t pilots be colorblind?
• Why do pilots say “niner”?
• Why is Tom Cruise always running?
• Why is Tom Cruise always named Jack?
• Why did Tom Cruise become an actor?
• Did Tom Cruise really hang off the plane?
• Are action movies realistic?
• Are action movies good for a date?
• Are action movies scary?
• How are action movies made?

Introduction

Tom Cruise, one of the most famous actors of our time, has been in the movie business for over three decades. With countless action films under his belt, he has solidified his place as an icon in the industry. In this Wired Autocomplete Interview, we’ll find out the answers to some of the most searched questions about him.

Can Tom Cruise Really Sing?

Tom Cruise proudly states that he can sing, and he even did all his singing in Rock of Ages. He trained for months to master the skill and nailed it, as we’ve all seen in the movie.

Can Tom Cruise Rock Climb?

Yes, he can. Tom Cruise has been a rock climber for many years and has trained extensively to perfect the art.

Can Tom Cruise Play Guitar?

Tom Cruise loves playing the guitar and the ukulele. He admits that he needs more practice but enjoys it.

Can Tom Cruise Fly a Plane and a Helicopter?

Tom Cruise is a multi-engine instrument-rated commercial pilot and can fly both airplanes and helicopters. He has trained extensively to achieve this status and even flies aerobatics.

Can Tom Cruise Hold His Breath for Six Minutes?

Yes, he can. In fact, Tom Cruise held his breath for six minutes while shooting a scene for one of his movies. Doug Lima, who was working on the same project, watched in awe as Tom completed this incredible feat.

Why Are Pilot Seats Furry?

Doug Lima playfully jokes that Tom Cruise doesn’t sweat, so he doesn’t understand why pilot seats are furry. The real reason could be that pilots sit for extended periods, and the fur helps prevent sweat buildup.

Why Do Pilots Usually Fly in the Stratosphere?

Pilots don’t necessarily fly in the stratosphere. Aerobatic pilots like Tom and Doug fly close to the ground, sometimes just a few feet over treetops or water bodies.

Why Are Pilots Called “Pilot”?

The origins of the word “pilot” come from “pilotus” in Latin, meaning “to steer.” As Doug quips, “Tom, you got all the questions that make you seem smart.”

Why Can’t Pilots Be Colorblind?

Pilots, especially military pilots, cannot be colorblind. In a situation where they lose radio communication, air traffic control can flash light guns, where green means land and red means don’t land. Confusing the two colors could have disastrous consequences.

Why Do Pilots Say “Niner”?

Because radio communication can be challenging, pilots say “niner” instead of “nine” to avoid any confusion with other numbers. The number nine sounds similar to some other numbers like five, six, seven, and eight.

Why Is Tom Cruise Always Running?

Tom Cruise’s hilarious response is that he’s usually in a hurry to get places, and there’s a lot to do in a day.

Why Is Tom Cruise Always Named Jack?

Tom explains that the name Jack is easy for him and others to remember. It makes things easier for the crew and the director.

Why Did Tom Cruise Become an Actor?

As a child, Tom loved creating characters and writing skits. He always did outrageous physical stunts, and his love for movies motivated him to pursue acting as a career.

Did Tom Cruise Really Hang Off the Plane?

Yes, he did. In one of his movies, Tom Cruise hung off an A400M plane while in-flight. The stunt was not without risk, and he admits that he got hit by some rocks during the second take.

Are Action Movies Realistic?

Tom Cruise believes that making believable and authentic action movies is the real challenge. Finding the honesty in the story and investing in the characters is crucial to making a great action film.

Are Action Movies Good for a Date?

Tom thinks action movies are great for a date. The thrill and excitement of an action film can turn into comedy, twist into interesting drama, or be an exhilarating ride.

Are Action Movies Scary?

Action movies can be scary, but the thrill and visceral ride are what Tom and Doug Liman, the director, love about them. When done well, they can be both exciting and engaging.

How Are Action Movies Made?

The key to making a great action movie is finding the honesty in the story and character investment. Doug Liman believes that Tom Cruise can help you achieve this kind of authenticity, and he cites the actor’s incredible talent and hard work as evidence.

Tom Cruise and Doug Lima’s Wired Autocomplete Interview provided some intriguing answers to some of the most searched questions about the actor. From his singing and piloting abilities to acting pursuits and action films, the two stars gave us an insightful glimpse into Tom’s life. As we concluded the interview, Tom and Doug emphasized their desire to entertain their audiences and hoped that everyone would enjoy it.

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Top songs: a guide to Tom Cruise singing cheesy tunes in movies

Might as well face it, Tom Cruise is addicted to belting out an off-key classic in his films. Here's a quick guide to some of his most memorable – and more forgettable – moments on the mic

Photos: Alamy/Collage: The Big Issue

Ace fighter pilot, champion stock car racer, secret agent extraordinaire, barman at TGI Fridays: Tom Cruise has lived exciting lives which we mere mortals can only dream of through his blockbuster acting roles. And yet, from watching the vertically challenged sexy scientologist’s movies over the years, I can’t help but sense that his greatest ambition in life has never been fully realised.

I still haven’t seen Top Gun: Maverick – and I understand he judiciously leaves the theme song to Lady Gaga – but if it doesn’t feature a scene in which Cruise wonkily if gamely sings his little heart out to some sort of vintage rock’n’roll tune then he is selling us all and indeed himself short. The man clearly just wants to sing!

Not content merely packing the soundtracks of his movies with hit songs that can have taken anywhere between three and seven minutes to write – be it Take a Look Around , Limp Bizkit’s butthurt riff on a Lalo Schifrin TV theme classic from 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2 , or Paul McCartney’s fantastically lazy Vanilla Sky from 2001’s film of the same name (sample lyric: “Tonight you fly so high up/In the vanilla sky” ) – Cruise has on many a memorable occasion grabbed the mic himself, only rarely crashing and burning in the process. Shake your nerves and rattle your brain, with a short history of Tom Cruise singing in films. 

Great Balls of Fire  – Top Gun (1986)

Whether it’s spectacular aerial dogfights or a very homoerotic beach volleyball match, Cruise’s breakout action classic is full of memorable scenes, including not just one but two where he sings. The best is of course when Mav and Goose and their respective better halves are drunk in a bar, and Goose is banging away at an upright piano with his young son perched on top, and the two BFFs are going ballistic howling Jerry Lee Lewis’s horndog anthem like a right pair of flaming testes. Unbearably wholesome content.

Addicted to Love  – Cocktail (1988)

It’s hard to believe it happened not long after Top Gun , but Cruise’s arguably worst-ever film saw him play a flair bartender at a MOR American chain restaurant, serving up extravagantly made boozes with often sexy results. His credentials as the money-maker shakin’ lothario who can also do you a decent margarita are burnished by a scene in which the erotic mixologist starts ad-libbing to Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love behind the bar while a woman stares at him longingly, whether smitten or perhaps just wondering when the hell she’s getting her drink. 

Free Fallin’  – Jerry Maguire (1996)

He’s a cocky American sports agent just been binned from his job, she’s a naive and let’s face it desperate secretary and single mum (played by the future multiple Oscar-winning Renée Zellweger). Their relationship makes no sense whatsoever and is actually quite tragic. But watch this much-overrated romcom anyway for the always enjoyable scene where Jerry’s driving off from doing what he thinks is a career-saving deal, searching the radio for a song to match his ecstatic mood, before finally settling on Tom Petty’s 1989 classic Free Fallin’ . Cue Cruise frantically car singing along at the top of his voice with no-one’s-listening aplomb. 

Little Deuce Coupe  – War of the Worlds (2005)

“The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, but still they come!” OK, so sadly Cruise didn’t have a go at singing Jeff Wayne’s 1978 funky prog-rock opera based on HG Wells’ Victorian era proto-sci-fi frightener. But in playing the unlikely part of the deadbeat dad in Steven Spielberg’s 2005 blockbuster movie adaptation, he does have a pretty sweet moment when, searching his mind in vain for a lullaby to sing his terrified daughter, from somewhere he comes up with The Beach Boys’ 1963 hot-rod rock ode, sung in a fragile reedy voice with tears in his eyes. 

Various songs  – Rock of Ages (2012) 

Perhaps we should be more careful what we wish for. Back in 2012, Cruise really did get to fulfil many of his obvious rock star fantasies by joining the ensemble cast of a film based on a popular glam-rock Broadway jukebox musical. The actor took lessons with Axl Rose’s vocal coach to get up to scratch for his role as brooding superstar Stacey Jaxx, and ended up singing surprisingly passable lead vocals on various songs including Guns N’ Roses’ Paradise City , Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead or Alive and Def Leppard’s Pour Some Sugar on Me . Luckily the film tanked at the box office, and music’s loss remains acting’s gain.

Malcolm Jack is a freelance journalist

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A 2011 tom cruise video proves that victoria beckham’s party isn’t the only place he likes to dance.

by Kristyn Burtt

Kristyn Burtt

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Cruise’s singing and dancing talents are something he keeps rather hidden, only cranking it out for big birthday celebrations or the rare movie musicals like Rock of Ages . And back in the day, it was Holmes who “inspired” him to add the dance scene at the end of his 2008 film, Tropic Thunder , and eventually tackle the role of hair-band rocker, Stacee Jaxx. 

“I had started dancing because I was inspired by my wife,” Cruise told MovieWeb in 2011. “She kept saying, ‘You’ve got to do a musical sometime.’ Kate’s a dancer, so she would say, ‘Let’s go to dance class,’ and she would take us and that’s how I kind of came up with the idea of Les Grossman doing hip-hop. And then to take it to this level with this? It was really fun.”

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TOM CRUISE Sings GUNS N' ROSES Classic 'Paradise City'; Audio Available

The soundtrack to the upcoming film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Rock Of Ages" , which showcases popular rock songs from the '70s and '80s, features the cast — Tom Cruise , Catherine Zeta-Jones , Russell Brand and Julianne Hough — singing some of the greatest hits of the "hair-band" era.

Due to be released June 5 — ten days before the film hits theatres — "Rock Of Ages: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" includes Cruise 's renditions of DEF LEPPARD 's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and GUNS N' ROSES ' "Paradise City" .

"Rock Of Ages: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" features the following track listing:

01. Paradise City (Tom Cruise) 02. Sister Christian / Just Like Paradise/Nothin' But a Good Time (Diego Boneta) 03. Juke Box Hero / I Love Rock 'N' Roll (Diego Boneta) 04. Hit Me With Your Best Shot (Catherine Zeta-Jones) 05. Waiting For A Girl Like You Diego Boneta 06. More Than Words / Heaven (Diego Boneta) 07. Wanted Dead Or Alive (Julianne Hough) 08. I Want To Know What Love Is (Malin Akerman) 09. I Wanna Rock (Diego Boneta) 10. Pour Some Sugar On Me (Tom Cruise) 11. Harden My Heart (Julianne Hough) 12. Shadows Of The Night / Harden My Heart (Julianne Hough) 13. Here I Go Again (Diego Boneta) 14. Can't Fight This Feeling (Russell Brand) 15. Any Way You Want It (Julianne Hough) 16. Undercover Love (Diego Boneta) 17. Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Diego Boneta) 18. Rock You Like A Hurricane (Julianne Hough) 19. We Built This City / We're Not Gonna Take It (Russell Brand) 20. Don't Stop Believin' (Diego Boneta)

"Rock Of Ages: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" is now available for streaming in its entirety at AOL Music .

In a brand new interview with Playboy.com , Cruise stated about his first attempt at singing, "I knew I could hold a note. I sang in a glee club when I was 14 years old and in a high school musical. But I never had a singing lesson. No one ever taught me how to use my voice.

It was previously reported that Cruise was preparing for his role by training with Axl Rose 's vocal coach. "He was an opera singer who taught me how to control my voice," Cruise said. "It's like learning a new sport or a skill for a character. I had to find out how to move air through the vocal cords and where to place it in my head, in the chest. It's something you have to do every day to strengthen your voice."

The first song Cruise sang in front of a crowd was "Pour Some Sugar On Me" , with members of DEF LEPPARD watching him.

"I was down in Miami, recording different songs, and Adam [ Shankman , director] called and said, ' DEF LEPPARD 's coming by the set,'" Cruise told Playboy.com . "I said, 'Man, that's cool.' Then I paused. 'Wait, I'm rehearsing their song tomorrow.' And he's like, 'Yeah!' [laughs] So we started right in the deep end, and that was the first scene I shot in the movie. It's a great song, and I grew up listening to them. They went to the back of the Bourbon Room, and I looked at my band and was like, 'Hit it.' All the crew was watching them watching me. . . [After the song was done] the lead singer, Joe Elliott , points at me and goes, 'Fuck you! Fuck you!' Then I saw big smiles on their faces, and I realized I'd gotten their stamp. It was a very cool moment. It was important they knew I was honoring their music and not making fun of them."

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen recently told VH1 Classic Rock Nights that Cruise "was a super-lovely guy" when they met. Collen added, "I was so impressed because he hadn't sung before and he had vocal lessons. He was literally doing five hours a day, five days a week, like truly real, getting in there and doing it. And we saw him and he was amazing, it was like Iggy Pop meets someone else and he's in great shape and it was like, 'What!?!' It was surreal, but he really pulls it off and it was like he's a total rock star."

Tom Cruise stars in "Rock Of Ages" as Stacee Jaxx , an aging musician whose glory days are long past.

Adam Anders , executive music producer for the film and album, recently told The Hollywood Reporter about Cruise 's vocal skills, "He had never sung in his life. He was like, 'I need to know that I can do this before I sign on.' So I went to his house to hear him sing and even though he was completely green as a singer, his vocal cords were amazing. He had this voice that blew me away. It was the most powerful voice I had ever heard. So loud. He could do anything and go as high as we wanted. It was like a kid discovering he had a new toy. I left there super-pumped knowing that not only could we make him pass as a singer in the movie, but we would blow people away with what he could do."

He added, "[ Tom 's] confidence kept growing as we worked together. I think he started off a little nervous, as anybody would who has never done this, but he just bought it 110%. He works harder than anybody I've ever met in my life. By the end of this movie, the guy was just phenomenal. I remember telling him, 'You're a singer!'"

"Rock Of Ages" also stars Alec Baldwin , Russell Brand , Catherine Zeta-Jones , Paul Giamatti , Malin Akerman and many others. It scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 15.

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Watch Tom Cruise Lip Sync The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” On Fallon

If you’ve ever seen Rock Of Ages , you’ve seen the terrifying intensity that Tom Cruise brings when he’s pretending to sing songs onscreen. And if you’ve seen that incredible clip of Cruise doing the Yung Joc motorcycle dance on 106 & Park , you’ve seen the absolutely unashamed awkwardness he brings when he’s engaging with current popular music in any way. Both extremes were on full display last night on The Tonight Show , when Cruise lip synced the Weeknd’s monster hit “ Can’t Feel My Face ,” showing considerably more emotion and movement than Abel Tesfaye ever displays during his own shows. This was part of a lip sync battle with Jimmy Fallon, and it also involved Fallon’s Mick Jagger impression, a one-man “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” duet, and a Righteous Brothers Top Gun callback. Watch it all unfold below.

This was all a way to remind you that the new Mission: Impossible movie comes out on Friday, though it mostly reminds me that Tom Cruise has eyes like a great white shark.

can't believe @TomCruise is singing my song. @jimmyfallon *** you're the MAN for this one. #tomcruisetomcruise ||| https://t.co/xVFZSkYCCx — The Weeknd (@theweeknd) July 28, 2015

. @JimmyKimmelLive you're still my boy too! — The Weeknd (@theweeknd) July 28, 2015

that shit got me hype… lol I can't lie — The Weeknd (@theweeknd) July 28, 2015

Tom FUCKIN' Cruise — The Weeknd (@theweeknd) July 28, 2015

UPDATE : The official “Can’t Feel My Face” video is out today, too. Watch it here .

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Tom Cruise, wild man of rock! But what does REAL eighties hellraiser Mick Jones make of the film star's turn as a tattooed sex god in Rock Of Ages - and can he sing?

By Spencer Bright for MailOnline

Published: 18:55 EDT, 7 June 2012 | Updated: 08:00 EDT, 8 June 2012

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During his Eighties heyday Mick Jones of Foreigner was the archetypal rock star. He had a Harley-Davidson Low Rider motorbike and eye-wateringly tight jeans. He over-indulged in alcohol and drugs and fell in and out of love.

He insists, however, he wasn’t anything like Stacee Jaxx, the gyrating rock god played by Tom Cruise in the movie Rock Of Ages which opens in the UK next week. In it the snake-hipped Cruise wears a bejewelled codpiece over his leather trousers, has a constant entourage of scantily clad girls and a pet baboon named Hey Man.

In one scene Cruise sings one of Foreigner’s classic songs, I Want To Know What Love Is. And he’s not miming, either.

Any similarities? Foreigner's Mick Jones, pictured left on stage in 1978, insists he is nothing like Stacee Jaxx, the character played by Tom Cruise in the new movie Rock Of Ages, pictured right

In Character: Stacee Jaxx, played by Tom Cruise, wears a bejewelled codpiece over his leather trousers and has a constant entourage of scantily clad girls

‘I didn’t have a pet baboon,’ laughs Jones, who was born in Somerton, Somerset, and now lives in New York. ‘Though I did have a leather jacket made out of monkey skin that I bought second-hand. It was very un-PC, but I was too young to know the difference.’

This was, indeed, an era when everything was over the top — like Cruise’s character, closely akin to Steven Tyler or Mick Jagger on steroids. ‘He’s playing a caricature and it’s a little bit generic rock star,’ says Jones.

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‘He looks like he’s studied the tapes of rock performances. Cruise isn’t a young guy any more [he turns 50 next month], but he’s hip and he’s followed music throughout his life.’

Cruise told W magazine he didn’t base his character on anyone in particular. ‘I didn’t want to imitate all these other rock stars,’ he said. ‘Stacee Jaxx had to be unique. If the audience doesn’t immediately buy into his absolute greatness, you have nothing.’

Cruise’s involvement with the film came about because of his daughter Suri’s love for the musical Hairspray. He’s watched it 15 times with her and was so impressed with its director Adam Shankman he approached him, saying: ‘Where’s our musical?’ Shankman suggested Rock Of Ages.

They saw the stage production and Cruise liked the story, but decided he needed to reinvent the character of Stacee Jaxx.

Rocking out: Tom Cruise even sings in Rock of Ages - a film adaptation of the 2006 Chris D'Arienzo comedy Broadway musical of the same name

Girl's got style: Julianne Hiugh also stars in Rock Of Ages as Sherrie Christian

A perfectionist, he set about two months of vocal training and learning to  play guitar — and found he had a four-octave vocal range. His only previous singing experience of note was as Nathan Detroit in a school production of Guys And Dolls.

The result is getting good reviews. ‘I was blown away by Tom Cruise’s vocal performance on I Want To Know What Love Is,’ says Jones. ‘He’s the kind of actor who completely throws himself into a role and it paid off, not only from an acting point of view but vocally, as well.’

Jones was never that flamboyant. He is a guitarist who left the real showmanship to Foreigner’s singer Lou Gramm. But it was Jones’s ability to write classic songs that made him rich and famous, selling more than 70 million albums.

Three of Foreigner’s songs which he wrote or co-wrote feature in Rock Of Ages — I Want To Know What Love Is, Waiting For A Girl Like You, and Juke Box Hero.

The real deal: Rocker Mick Jones performing in 1985

So did the film strike a chord? ‘It’s a lot of fun and there are many cliches, but there are truisms, too,’ says Jones.

‘I like the scene before he sings I Want To Know What Love Is. He is being interviewed by an attractive girl from Rolling Stone magazine [Malin Akerman], who accuses him of losing whatever it was that made him great once.

‘I think I lost my way in the late Eighties and early Nineties when our success started to fade. I thought I was handling it, but in some ways I wasn’t.’

He would, he says, go on a bender for a day or two, often fuelled by alcohol and cocaine. But he says now: ‘I haven’t had anything to do with drugs or alcohol for a decade.’

In the film, Cruise’s character is accused by his journalist inquisitor of having a sense of sexual entitlement from being a rock god. Was that the case with Jones? ‘Cruise’s character is not after love, but sex. I personally have been more of a love addict than a sex addict,’ he says.

‘The best part of falling in love is at the very start when you are chasing it. For 90 per cent of the time I hope I was charming to people, and then for ten per cent maybe I was an idiot. One night I was in Portsmouth and I started flirting with a pretty girl in a bar, probably slurring my words.

‘She looked at me and said: “How can an a******* like you write a song like I Want To Know What Love Is?” I looked at her and I thought: “You got it right.” She made me feel like an idiot.’

Jones wrote the song in  London where he lived in the early Eighties. ‘I remember playing it to Ann, who became my second wife shortly after,’ he says.

‘She said: “What do you mean you want to know what love is? Don’t you know already?” And I said: “Well, it’s not that kind of love.” I think it is more like a universal feeling of love. It became an anthem of hope.’

In the film, Waiting For A Girl Like You is sung as a romantic duet between the two young lovers Sherrie and Drew. Jones describes writing the song as an almost mystical experience. He didn’t intend it to be romantic at all.

Still going strong: Mick Jones performs on opening night of the Can't Slow Down Tour at The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, in 2010

Band mates: Foreigner's Mick Jones, pictured third right, with his touring band

At the time he was married to his first wife Felicia, who was pregnant. ‘I came up with the title and I was convinced it was a premonition that we were going to have a girl — but it turned out to be a boy, my son Christopher.

‘I met Ann in London about six months after my son was born,’ he says. ‘My marriage wasn’t great. The moment I saw Ann I knew she was the girl I was waiting for.’

After meeting Ann in the early Eighties he moved to London from New York for a few years, before moving back to New York with her and her three children who included Mark Ronson, now a celebrated DJ and producer for Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. The couple had two more children, Alexander and Annabelle, although he and Ann are now divorced.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, a friend from that time, appears in Rock Of Ages as the prissy wife of the mayor who becomes a rock chick. ‘She is absolutely stunning,’ says Jones. ‘A natural.’

Another of his friends, Alec Baldwin, also appears in the film as a seedy club owner. ‘He invited me to visit him on set, but I was too ill at the time,’ says Jones, 67, who had an operation in February to clear his arteries, but says he is back in good health.

Foreigner have broken up and changed line-up and reformed over the decades. He is about to start touring for the first time since his heart operation and hopes to be in the UK next year.

According to Jones, they are experiencing something of a renaissance. ‘Thousands of people come and see us and the audiences have got bigger and bigger over the past few years,’ he says.’ ‘Of course my stepson Mark is a fan. But he has to be, doesn’t he?’

•  Rock Of Ages is in cinemas next Friday.

Share or comment on this article: Tom Cruise, wild man of rock! But what does REAL eighties hellraiser Mick Jones make of the film star's turn as a tattooed sex god in Rock Of Ages - and can he sing?

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From Tom Cruise breakdancing to Spice Girls reuniting, reports from Victoria Beckham's bash capture imagination

Tom Cruise breakdancing, a Spice Girls reunion and tons of A-list celebrities gathering in one location have social media and the general public in awe over Victoria Beckham's 50th birthday party.

Beckham, who celebrated half a century over the weekend, posted about the luxurious soiree Sunday on Instagram.

But some of the most buzzworthy moments went intentionally unrecorded.

"I don’t think I’ve ever felt as loved as I did last night," Beckham's post said. "Thank you all for coming from near and so far!! X"

In the post, Beckham shared pictures of her with actor Eva Longoria, celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay, her husband, soccer star David Beckham and some of the couple's children.

In another Instagram post, Beckham shared a picture of her and the four other members of the English pop group, the Spice Girls.

"The best gift to be reunited!! Thank you to all my friends and family for celebrating with me. Kisses! xxx," Beckham's post about the Spice Girls said.

Guests 'absolutely dumbfounded' by Tom Cruise's dancing, reports say

Not included in either post were other famous attendees who came to celebrate with the Beckhams at Oswald’s, a private member’s club owned by Robin Birley in London's Mayfair district.

Oswald's is strict about taking photos and allowing social media within the venue , according to the club's member's privacy notice.

Actors Tom Cruise and Salma Hayek both made an appearance at Beckham's party and while one left an impression with their outfit, the other left it all on the dance floor, the Daily Mail reported.

Cruise, who turned 61 in July 2023, stunned guests when he began demonstrating "a series of breakdancing moves, culminating in splits," the outlet said.

"People were absolutely dumbfounded," one guest told the Daily Mail.

Social media reacts to Tom Cruise's 'split mania' and not receiving an invite to Victoria Beckham's party

While no photos or videos of Cruise dancing exist online, social media users continue to poke fun at the expense of the "Mission Impossible" movie star. An X user who goes by @Douggernaut_2 posted a clip of actor Mike Myers dancing in the film "Austin Powers" and said, "Tom Cruise arriving at Victoria Beckham's bday."

Several social media users hearkened back to when Cruise played the Les Grossman character in the 2008 comedy movie "Tropic Thunder." Cruise would hilariously reprise the character during the 2010 MTV Movie Awards and dance to rapper Ludacris' song "Get Back."

"Remember when Tom Cruise did this," X user @charletty_ said Monday in a post reacting to the video of Cruise's full dance routine at the awards show.

During the routine with singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, Cruise does a split on stage. X user @danilo_parks said Monday in a post, "It's real Tom Cruise does the splits mania out there today."

In addition to seeing Cruise do splits and the Spice Girls perform, guests also received goody bags full of Beckham's branded products, including a candle and a fragrance, the Telegraph reported.

All the fun has people wondering where their invite was to Beckham's birthday party, including X user @StaceyVaselaney who said, "I’m sitting here shaking my head wondering why wasn’t I invited to Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party."

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Tom Cruise Was Break-dancing at Victoria Beckham’s Birthday Party

If you are a famous person, I have a recommendation for you. Have you ever considered inviting Tom Cruise to your birthday party? I can hear your protestations now: “He has a weird, intense vibe! He’s going to corner my loved ones and talk about jumping out of airplanes! His personal life kind of freaks me out!” All of that is valid, but I must provide a counterargument: He might start break-dancing, and wouldn’t that be fun to see?

That was the scene at Victoria Beckham’s 50th-birthday party, where Cruise reportedly busted several moves on the dance floor. The Daily Mail reported that Cruise, wearing full black tie, “stunned many when he demonstrated a series of break-dancing moves, culminating in the splits.” One source told the British tabloid, “People were absolutely dumbfounded.”

As they should’ve been! Cruise is 61 years old, after all. He makes a big deal out of doing all his own stunts still, but break-dancing is different. Where did he learn to do that? Ethan Hunt has never had to windmill his way through a sea of bad guys at a Berlin club.

It seems that Posh Spice’s birthday party was the place to be this weekend. In addition to Cruise showing off his moves, there was a Spice Girls reunion ! This was the first time all five women have been seen together since 2012, and they didn’t disappoint. David Beckham shared a video of the girl group doing the choreo for “Stop.” The soccer star must have been too busy picking his jaw up off the floor when Cruise was break-dancing to get a video of that .

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Katie Holmes' 'silent birth' with daughter Suri she shares with Tom Cruise

The dawson's creek star's daughter has celebrated her 18th birthday – read about suri's birth below  .

Katie Holmes and her ex-husband Tom Cruise share one daughter together, Suri , who celebrated her 18 th birthday on 18 April.

It feels like yesterday that the former couple welcomed Suri into the world in 2006.  "The child weighed 7lb, 7oz and was 20 inches in length," said a spokesman at the time. "Both mother and daughter are doing well."

Suri was reportedly born in a Los Angeles hospital, with her name originating from a Hebrew word, meaning princess or the Persian for red rose . "Friends of ours gave us a book and we just opened it and instantly came up with the name," Tom revealed.

Many of us will remember reports that stated Katie had undergone a 'silent birth' with Suri, according to a rumoured Scientology recommendation for a quiet environment during childbirth. Tom is a famous member of Scientology, while Katie was believed to practice the belief system during their marriage.

Did this mean she couldn't make any noise during labour, we wondered?

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However, in an interview with  ABC News , the Mission Impossible star explained the term. The actor said: "It's basically just respecting the mother, you know, and helping to be quiet. (But) not the mother. The mother makes as much noise ... you know, she's going through it. She does what she's gotta do, OK?"

There were also whispers that Scientology frowns on giving painkillers to women in labour, but Tom added: "We're there, you know, with doctors. ... Whatever the woman wants. ... If she needs an epidural, she's gonna get her epidural."

The proud father told ABC News about the experience of welcoming Suri into the world following her arrival.

"It was everything that we wanted it to be," he affirmed. "It was spiritual. It was powerful. It was indescribable. What words can you use? It's still something that I'm processing and keep reliving."

The Top Gun star gave a further update on how the family were doing as they adjusted to life as a trio: "I'm really doing exceptionally well - I'm really doing beautifully," he revealed. "And Katie's doing beautifully and Suri's doing beautifully and Bel and Conor – everyone."

Bel and Conor are Tom's adopted children with his former wife Nicole Kidman.

In 2022, Katie gave another rare snippet into her relationship with Suri, telling InStyle: "I love her so much. My biggest goal has always been to nurture her into her individuality. To make sure she is 100 per cent herself and strong, confident, and able. And to know it." 

Suri is set to go to college at the end of the summer. It is thought she has been considering colleges in NYC, meaning that she will still be able to see her mother regularly.

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Suri Cruise turns 18 and is still estranged from Tom: ‘Not a Scientologist, never will be’

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Suri Cruise was once the most famous baby in America.

The arrival of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ daughter on April 18, 2006, sparked a global frenzy for the first glimpse of the A-list infant.

But it wasn’t until five months after her birth that she made her debut — on the cover of Vanity Fair, wrapped in the arms of her doting parents, in glossy photos taken by photographer to the stars, Annie Leibovitz.

Now she turns 18 on Thursday and faces a choice: Whether to return to the level of fame she had as a kid — when there were blogs devoted to her fashion — or maintain the carefully-guarded life Holmes has built for her since she blindsided Cruise by filing for divorce.

The dark-haired teen has grown up in Manhattan largely shielded from the spotlight by her loving and highly protective mom, 45, far removed from her 60-year-old father’s Church of Scientology.

As Page Six revealed last year, Suri is estranged from her famous father and the pair have no relationship.

An industry source told us this week that the “Mission: Impossible” star has not seen Suri since 2012. “Katie has safeguarded Suri and she’s a devoted mom,” the source said.

“This is a girl who is a private citizen. She hasn’t lived her life in public.”

Holmes told Glamour magazine in 2023 that she likes to “protect” Suri from the public eye “because she was so visible at a young age.”

“I’m very grateful to be a parent, to be her parent. She’s an incredible person. She’s my heart,” she added.

Being the only daughter of a protective single parent is a stark contrast to how Suri’s life began, of course.

“My whole life I always wanted to be a father,” Cruise gushed to VF back in 2006.

“I always said to myself that my children would be able to depend on me and I would always be there for them and love them — that I’d never make a promise to my kids that I couldn’t keep.

“I’m not one of those people who believe you can spoil a child with too much love. You can never give a child too much love. There’s just no way.”

He already had two adopted children, Bella, now 31, and Connor, now 29, from his marriage to Nicole Kidman and after her Vanity Fair debut was happy to parade Suri for the paparazzi.

Cruise had famously declared their romance by jumping up and down on Oprah Winfrey’s couch in May 2005, yelling “I’m in love!” 

But when Suri was just 6, Holmes filed for divorce after six years of marriage with the help of her dad, Martin Holmes, a fierce attorney, and through a secret plan that entailed using burner phones.

Cruise was taken completely by surprise by the filing while he was on the set of “Oblivion” in Iceland in June 2012.

He and Suri were last seen together at Disney World in the summer of 2012.

In November 2013, during a deposition in his $50 million court battle against a pair of tabloid magazines, the “Top Gun” star admitted that Holmes had filed for divorce “to protect Suri from Scientology,” court documents revealed.

Despite not having a relationship; as per their divorce agreement, Cruise, who has an estimated $600 million fortune, agreed to pay Holmes $400,000 a year until Suri turns 18 as well as future “medical, dental, insurance, education, college and other extracurricular costs”.

Scientology lies at the heart of the question over Suri’s future.

Holmes, who rose to fame in the TV hit, “Dawson’s Creek,” is believed to have signed multiple non-disclosure documents that will prevent her from ever talking about her marriage to Cruise — and her time inside Scientology.

But when Suri turns 18, NY state declares that she is at the age of majority, when an individual is legally considered an adult.

That would allow her to speak about her father, his beliefs and their rift.

Tony Ortega, who has covered Scientology in depth for decades, told Page Six, “Suri would have been too young to sign any agreement, but she will now be free to talk if she wants to and it’s going to be really interesting if she has something to say.”

We have reached out to reps for Cruise, Holmes and the Church of Scientology. 

“Part of why Katie left when she did when Suri was 6 was that Katie would have seen Isabella and Connor going through Scientology,” said Ortega.

Cruise is of course Scientology’s most famous follower and seen as one of its most powerful figures, possibly second only to its leader, David Miscavige.

That power has led Ortega and former Scientologists to question what action Miscavige and other top Scientologists may have taken against Holmes and her daughter.

Regular members who quit are declared “suppressive persons (SP)” and those who stay in Scientology are told to completely cut them off.

“We don’t know for sure if Katie was ever declared an SP,” Ortega said.

“If you are a regular church member you could be told to disconnect from your wife and daughter, but because Tom is a celebrity — he’s  the top celebrity — he gets to ignore all this stuff.

“Your average member would be kicked out, but David Miscavige can’t do that with Tom.”

Both Mike Rinder and Jeff Augustine, two high-profile former Scientologists, agreed with this claim.

Augustine is married to Karen de la Carriere, who was one of the highest-ranking church leaders until she left in 2010 and told Page Six, “The situation with Suri is a larger story about Scientology and the subject of how they make people no longer useful to them or threats to them non-persons.

“It’s like they cease to exist and that’s what happened to Suri.”

Back in August 2020, Leah Remini — one of the most famous celebrities to leave and speak out against Scientology — told us that she believed Cruise, who now lives mainly in the UK , was waiting until Suri is older so he could indoctrinate her into Scientology.

Remini, who attended Cruise and Holmes’ November 2006 Italian wedding at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle, said, “I’m sure his master plan is to wait until Suri gets older so that he can lure her into Scientology and away from her mother.”

Suri has tiptoed very gently into her parents’ showbusiness world while attending her exclusive Manhattan day school, singing “Blue Moon” in the opening credits of Holmes’ 2022 movie, “Alone Together.”

“I always want the highest level of talent,” Holmes said. “So I asked her! She’s very, very talented. She said she would do it and she recorded it, and I let her do her thing.”

Suri also sang in the film “Rare Objects,” which Holmes also directed.

Holmes will this year return to Broadway in a revival of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town”.

She has not remarried but had a six-year romance with actor Jamie Foxx which she kept under the radar before their split in August 2019 and went on to have a brief fling with  Nolita restaurateur Emilio Vitolo Jr. in 2021.

Holmes is careful not to speak out too much about her daughter, who is now preparing for college, once saying, “She came out very strong — she’s always been a strong personality.”

But she is now getting ready for her daughter to leave the nest.

“You want them to stay with you forever, but they’re these amazing beings, and you have to do everything you can to give them what they need — and then they’re going to go,” she told Town & Country in 2017.

“And that’s going to be very, very sad for me.”

As for the future, former Scientology spokesperson Mike Rinder, who has not seen his own two eldest children since he quit the organization, told Page Six, “Suri is not a Scientologist and never will be…she deserves love and sympathy.”

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Tom Cruise Is a London Boy

Sometimes when God closes a door (Taylor Swift says “So long” ), She opens a window (Tom Cruise does the splits). Cruise is living that life in London, and for him that means break-dancing, doing the splits, and watching the British absolutely lose their crumpets. Cruise has lived in London since 2021 and has, in that time, been at the former queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the British Grand Prix, according to the Mercury News . And now he has attended the most British event of all: Posh Spice’s birthday party. Fortunately, he still has the American propensity to do the most. While at the party, Cruise began break-dancing and ended his routine by doing the splits, according to the Daily Mail . “People were absolutely dumbfounded,” a source mentioned. All we’ll say about that is that if there’s one thing the Mission: Impossible franchise could do to s ecure those Imax screens , it just might be a (gay?) club scene in which Cruise distracts the bad guys by jumping into the splits like a Drag Race contestant. Just an idea.

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How Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise's relationship with Tom Cruise will change once she turns 18

I t's a big week in the Holmes household, as Katie Holmes' daughter with her ex-husband Tom Cruise , Suri , is poised to turn 18 years old on April 18 , finally entering adulthood.

The actress, 45, and her teen daughter lead their lives away from the spotlight, while Tom, 61, has reportedly been estranged from his youngest for over a decade.

After their divorce in 2012, Katie was granted full custody of Suri, and Tom agreed as part of their settlement to pay $400,000 per year in child support to his ex-wife for Suri's upbringing.

However, that agreement lasts until Suri turns 18, and is set to expire this week, after 12 years of payments, which roughly equate to $33k a month in child support (Katie did not ask for spousal support in their divorce).

While it is reported that Tom might still pay for Suri's insurance bills, plus contribute to her college tuition (as one of the highest paid actors in the world), it seems like the end of his child support might just extinguish one of his last remaining links to his daughter.

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Recent reports suggested that Katie was uncomfortable with the end of the payments, but her attorney Jonathan W. Wolfe, Esq., shut those rumors down with a statement to RadarOnline.com back in March by asserting that the actress and filmmaker would not be affected.

"The story is riddled with falsehoods," he shared. "One would hope there would be more newsworthy items to cover, and publications would avoid reporting as 'facts' claims from anonymous sources peddling such obvious misrepresentations."

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Suri is also reportedly poised to be heading off to college this fall, with her Dawson's Creek star mom being heavily involved in the application process and supporting her big move every step of the way.

The 17-year-old may not be a huge fan of the spotlight , but she's taking after her famous parents when it comes to her creative abilities, having contributed to her mom's productions with her vocal stylings on multiple occasions, most recently 2023's Rare Objects , which was Katie's third directorial venture.

SEE:  Katie Holmes' lookalike daughter Suri almost towers over her mother in rare NYC outing

She also sang a cover of "Blue Moon" for her 2022 film Alone Together , and in her interview with Glamour , Katie spoke about the joys of always having her daughter by her side in her professional life as well. Check out her singing voice in the video below...

"I hope she always does something on my films," the proud mom gushed. "I always ask her. But both of those experiences came out of the same sense of what I love about our industry, which is, you have these projects and you become a family with people. And it's this safe, beautiful, creative space." 

MORE:  How Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's daughter Suri reacted to her mom's 'Dawson's Creek' role

"So it comes out of love for me to include someone who I love dearly. That's how I like to work. I like to have that kind of feeling. It was very meaningful to me to have her there, because she's my heart."

She described being a mom to a teenage girl as wanting to "protect" her, adding: "What has been really important for me with my daughter, because she was so visible at a young age, is I really like to protect her. I'm very grateful to be a parent, to be her parent. She's an incredible person."

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The Tom Cruise Role That Was Written With Tom Hanks in Mind

A tale of two Toms.

The Big Picture

• Tom Cruise showed a surprisingly seasoned and thoughtful approach to his film choices in the 1990s, working with prestigious directors on risky projects.
• Cameron Crowe originally wrote the role of Jerry Maguire with Tom Hanks in mind, but Hanks declined, giving Cruise the opportunity to showcase vulnerability in his performance.
• Cruise's comedic vulnerability in films like Risky Business and All the Right Moves proved that he could handle romantic roles, and Jerry Maguire showcased his ability to deliver surprising and powerful moments in a rom-com setting.

Tom Cruise is most closely associated with the action genre these days due to the success of Top Gun and Mission: Impossible , but in the 1990s, it seemed like he made it a goal to work with nearly every great filmmaker on a prestige project. Between Sydney Pollack ’s The Firm , Rob Reiner ’s A Few Good Men , Neil Jordan ’s Interview with the Vampire , and Stanley Kubrick ’s Eyes Wide Shut , Cruise showed a surprising amount of discretion in the risky projects that he joined. Ironically, the role that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor was Cameron Crowe ’s Jerry Maguire , which was a mainstream success and audience favorite. The film gave Cruise some of the most endearing, iconic, and hilarious moments of his entire filmography, but it wasn’t a role that was originally written with him in mind.

Jerry Maguire

Cameron crowe wrote ‘jerry maguire’ for tom hanks.

Crowe is among the foremost directors of romantic comedies, as his films tend to go beyond simply being crowd-pleasers to say something powerful about the nature of love, and what it means to be in a relationship. While he had proven his competence within the genre with the 1989 coming-of-age dramedy Say Anything and the ensemble project Singles , Jerry Maguire was arguably his most ambitious project to date. It was the type of film that relied upon an established movie star to show vulnerability, and Crowe had his sights set on which A-Lister he wanted in the role of the titular sports agent.

In 2017, Crowe told NBC Sports that the role “was originally written with Tom Hanks in mind,” and that he “had this wonderful conversation with Tom Hanks, and people were waiting in the next room for the answer.” Crowe found that he was “high on the Tom Hanks personality charisma.” However, Hanks was busy working on his directorial effort That Thing You Do! , and could not commit to Crowe’s project. Hanks would later joke that he “would like to think, however, that Tom Cruise owes me one dollar, and I’m still waiting for the check.”

Cruise was very complimentary of Hanks , stating that “as a fan of his, I would have been very interested to see what he would have done with that character.” However, Cruise was keen to note that he put significant effort into ensuring that the role could become his own. Cruise said that he “spent nine months with Cameron going back and forth developing” the characterization of Jerry. While the work that Cruise puts into the physical stunts within his action films is evident to anyone that watches them, the efforts he took to develop such a complex character were more subtle.

'Jerry Maguire' Lets Tom Cruise Get Vulnerable

On paper, Hanks seemed like a more obvious choice for the role. While he had a newfound prestige thanks to his back-to-back Academy Award wins for Best Actor in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump , he was still at his core a comedic actor that had shown his aptitude within the rom-com genre. Romantic comedies were huge in the ‘90s, but his collaborations with Meg Ryan in the films Joe Versus the Volcano , You’ve Got Mail, and Sleepless in Seattle were among the best. However, Hanks’ refusal gave Cruise the chance to give an uncharacteristically vulnerable performance that pushed him as an actor.

Tom Cruise Inspired Christian Bale's Performance in 'American Psycho'

Tom Cruise tends to take on drama roles and isn't generally associated with comedy, but he’s proven on more than one occasion that he’s much funnier than some of his fans might expect. Outside his iconic cameos in Tropic Thunder and Austin Powers in Goldmember , Cruise showed a comedic vulnerability in his early films Risky Business and All the Right Moves . In both films, he plays a teenager who bites off more than they can chew, and they end up making a lot of ill-advised decisions for the sake of what they perceive to be true love. These films showed that Cruise was willing to make himself the butt of a joke, and didn’t have the ego that he’s sometimes associated with. However, these skills were set aside in the immediate aftermath as Cruise focused on films with a more serious edge to them .

'Jerry Maguire' Is Proof That Tom Cruise Should Do More Romantic Movies

That level of vulnerability is something Hanks has utilized throughout his career, and a reason why his romantic comedies with Ryan are so endearing to this day. It makes perfect sense why he would have been someone that Crowe had in mind, but casting Cruise forced the Mission: Impossible star to show that same romantic vulnerability that had been absent in his filmography since the late 1980s. It was a choice that ended up making Jerry Maguire more surprising. Audiences would expect to see Hanks pouring out his heart to Renée Zellweger about how he feels, but seeing Cruise do it came as a shock, making the “you complete me” moment even more powerful.

When Jerry sets forth with his ambitious mission statement regarding his intentions for his company, it feels like his breakthrough will be accepted automatically, so it’s hilarious when his speech is met with a collective shrug from his co-workers. However, seeing Cruise descend into madness as Jerry digs himself deeper by ranting (and even stealing a fish) results in one of the funniest moments in the entire film. These sorts of physical gags are something that Hanks has done all the time, but Cruise had to show a wacky side of his personality that he hadn’t accessed since his adolescent roles.

Cruise continues to push the boundaries of his physicality as recently as 2023's Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , and he’ll be doing the same thing for the next installment. However, Cruise is also 61 years old, and can’t be doing action films forever. Perhaps choosing to go back to the romantic comedy genre for the first time since Jerry Maguire would be the best choice for Cruise to prove that, even after all these years, he’s still one of the greatest movie stars in the world.

Jerry Maguire is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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