UNITED KINGDOM: Tom Cruise says Jack Reacher's 6ft 5in height is 'a characteristic, not character'

Record ID: 220960

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Tom Cruise says Jack Reacher's 6ft 5in height is 'a characteristic, not character'
  • Date: 11th December 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) CRUISE POSES WITH FANS AND SIGN AUTOGRAPHS FAN POSTERS OF CRUISE IN TOP GUN (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOM CRUISE, ACTOR, SAYING: (Reporter: The way the character, the physicality of the character, the way he's described, what were your discussions with Lee about that? Because obviously he's described as 6 ft 5, this huge massive guy...) "You know what the guys spoke to him and said listen...you know, he created the character, I had my own opinion that I didn't say to Lee and then he came back and pretty much reflected what I had felt about it. But had he said 'look I'd rather not', I would not have played the character. And I think that is a characteristic for me, not character, and that's kind of how I approached it." VARIOUS OF CRUISE TALKING TO MEDIA WIDE OF CRUISE ON CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOM CRUISE, ACTOR, ON SIMILARITY TO JACK REACHER IN BEING A MAVERICK AND PLAYING BY HIS OWN RULES, SAYING: "I think I was kind of raised that way. I was lucky I had a mother who really encouraged me and supported the things that I wanted to do in life, and so I guess in some ways yes." CRUISE THROUGH CAMERA VIEWFINDER CRUISE TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOM CRUISE, ACTOR, SAYING: "Rosamund got pregnant so the only way....so some people in the studio said that we're going to have to replace her for insurance reasons and everything. And Chris McQuarrie (director) and I sat down and said 'I'm not replacing Rosamund, what I'll do is I'll shoot her scenes during the day and we'll shoot the action scenes at night' so there were a few days when I went from 30 sometimes 36 and 48 hours without sleep when were doing it. So I'd shoot her scenes and then we'd go off and do the car chase." CLOSE OF CRUISE TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOM CRUISE, ACTOR, SAYING: (Reporter: will you take a break and relax over the holiday season?) "Yes we will" ('How are you spending the holiday? Will you be with your family?') "Yes we will." (Laughs) PAN UP FROM FEET TO REVEAL CRUISE GREETING RACING DRIVER LEWIS HAMILTON AND HAMILTON'S GIRLFRIEND NICOLE SCHERZINGER ACTRESS ROSAMUND PIKE ON RED CARPET CLOSE OF ROSAMUND PIKE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROSAMUND PIKE, ACTRESS, SAYING: "Oh we hope this is going to be a great big new franchise for Tom and for Paramount and so to be in the first one is always kind of cool. I think the combination of Lee Child's characters and Chris McQuarrie's writing was just such a sexy combination. You know it's witty, it's fast-moving, the plot is really....it's puzzling and incisive and quite dark in places. You know the humour and the violence in this film is pretty edgy and I like that about it." ACTOR ROBERT DUVALL ON RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROBERT DUVALL, ACTOR, ON WORKING WITH CRUISE AGAIN AFTER 'DAYS OF THUNDER', SAYING: "He's stayed pretty much the same...yes, just different guy but the same energy, same insight, same warmth, yeah."
  • Embargoed: 26th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA8R9CE75EKR60T5S5R158O955S
  • Story Text: Tom Cruise defended his role as Jack Reacher in his new film on Monday (December 10) after some fans criticised his casting because the character in the Lee Child books is 6ft 5in tall and weighs over 200lb.
    Speaking to Reuters Television at the world premiere in London, the Hollywood star, who is 5 feet 7 inches tall according to IMDb, said he had discussed his portrayal with the author and would not have taken the role if he had been unhappy.
    "You know, he created the character, I had my own opinion that I didn't say to Lee and then he came back and pretty much reflected what I had felt about it. But had he said 'look I'd rather not', I would not have played the character. And I think that is a characteristic for me, not character, and that's kind of how I approached it," he said.
    Jack Reacher is based on One Shot - one of the series of best-selling novels by Lee Child about the eponymous former soldier turned drifter who travels the United States dealing out his own brand of justice.
    Cruise told reporters that he felt he shared some of the character's traits of being a maverick and playing by his own rules.
    "I think I was kind of raised that way. I was lucky I had a mother who really encouraged me and supported the things that I wanted to do in life," he said.
    Cruise also revealed that the fact that lead actress Rosamund Pike fell pregnant during production raised problems, but he and director Christopher McQuarrie stood by her when some bosses suggested she be replaced, resulting in some extremely long shooting days, where he would go without sleep for up to 48 hours.
    "Some people in the studio said that we're going to have to replace her for insurance reasons and everything. And Chris McQuarrie (director) and I sat down and said 'I'm not replacing Rosamund, what I'll do is I'll shoot her scenes during the day and we'll shoot the action scenes at night' so there were a few days when I went from 30, sometimes 36 and 48 hours without sleep when were doing it. So I'd shoot her scenes and then we'd go off and do the car chase."
    Cruise had less to say, however, when asked about how he would be spending the holidays -- but confirmed he would be spending time with his family.
    His female co-star Rosamund Pike said she hopes there will be many more Reacher movies.
    "Oh we hope this is going to be a great big new franchise for Tom and for Paramount and so to be in the first one is always kind of cool. I think the combination of Lee Child's characters and Chris McQuarrie's writing was just such a sexy combination. You know it's witty, it's fast-moving, the plot is really....it's puzzling and incisive and quite dark in places. You know the humour and the violence in this film is pretty edgy and I like that about it."
    Veteran US actor Robert Duvall, who last starred alongside Cruise 22 years ago in 'Days of Thunder' said the star had changed little over the decades.
    "He's stayed pretty much the same...yes, just different guy but the same energy, same insight, same warmth, yeah," he said.
    The film is due for release in the US on December 21.
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