Weighty Tom. Interview with Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise: I'm not a very confident person. But I don't consider myself a coward either. tom cruise interview in russian

Eileen Berlin was Tom Cruise's first agent from 1980-1983. She became his second mother and mentor when he was on the cusp of fame, Tom Cruise's former personal manager, Eileen Berlin, says she knew from the start that his relationship with Katie Holmes was doomed. Breaking her silence for the first time since she signed with Tom Cruise, who had just turned 18 at the time, Mrs. Berlin said last week that in her view, Tom's 3 marriages fell apart due to his hidden anger, which was created heavy. actor's childhood. The real name of the actor is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, as a child he suffered from dyslexia, he was bullied by his peers, and his father beat him. At the age of 15, he entered the seminary, intending to become a priest. Mrs. Berlin, now 77, who owned the agency with her husband, met Cruise about three years later, after he decided acting was his calling. "Tom's mom asked him to leave her house, I think because he had teenage problems with alcohol," says Mrs. Berlin.
Proof of Tom Cruise's 1981 photoshoot when Eileen Berlin was his manager and the birthday greeting he wrote her. "Every time I saw him, he would be with a girl, but I never saw him with the same girl twice. It was like he was trying to prove he was needed or he just wanted to feel love." "I wasn't surprised when Cathy broke up with him. I was just surprised that this marriage lasted so long. I was surprised when he married his first wife, Mimi Rogers, and I was surprised that it lasted ten years. the second time, with Nicole Kidman."Tom was easily swayed by mood swings and could get angry at the snap of his fingers. Cruz moved into the manager's Manhattan apartment within three months of him signing with her company. In 1981, he signed a contract for his film "Taps", which became his breakthrough. By the time I met him, he thought he could be a star, Eileen says. He wanted to be treated like a star, and he acted like a star. He walked around my house practically naked. I had a wall of mirrors and he stood in front of it, flexing his biceps and admiring himself. "I was a little embarrassed, but he liked to show off his body." Although he could be capricious, the young lodger also had a charming side to his character. Mrs Berlin says: "He was sweet, respectful and polite. He always called me 'ma'am' and my husband 'sir'. But he was secretive, he couldn't show his true feelings. I'm sure his wives could not cross that barrier. He will channel his anger into his roles, says Mrs. Berlin. "During the filming of Taps, he locked himself in the closet. He said that he imagined that someone had raped his sister before than he filmed the scene where he blew up the machine gun. One day my husband and I took him out to dinner when they were on site and the waitress said, "Are you one of the actors?" Tom told us, "Please tell her not to asked me no questions. I'm still in character." On another occasion, he flared up when Mrs. Berlin gave him a real surprise on his birthday - an album in which she inserted his fanzine photos. Mrs. Berlin says: "He screamed that he didn't want to be on the covers of teen magazines, he threw an album in my face and hit me on the cheek with it. Them professional relationship ended in 1983, but they remained in touch and at one dinner, he mentioned the Church of Scientology, he said that it helped him overcome dyslexia, which made him unable to study normally at school. Mrs. Berlin says she started getting invitations to church events "I think Tom was the perfect candidate for Scientology," Eileen says. He didn't believe in therapy, but he clearly needed help. that it is because he suffered too much from his father to do so. "The world thinks it's nice boy which is worth millions. I see him as a little boy. Author: Sharon Churcher

He, playing supermen, fully deserved this title in life. Becoming a superstar Tom Cruise is, you know, a lot, especially if there are no prerequisites. Appearance is by no means superman, growth is low, there are gaps in education ... Willpower and talent were available. And there are more than enough ways to be or seem “not like everyone else”. But let's start in order.

Text: Olga Kononova

ugly

Tom trudged to school, as if on a scaffold, hopelessly kicking the briefcase with his knee. Even at the age of seven, doctors diagnosed him with dyslexia - a disease in which "you look in a book - you see a fig." A person does not see the difference between letters, cannot put them into words and perceive the meaning of the text. Classmates laughed at Tom's attempts to read at least a line, and teachers, who knew little about this disease, forced Tom to read again and again - hell was repeated every time the boy entered new school. And he changed them a lot due to the endless moving of the family. “I doubted whether I was normal or an idiot,” Cruz said honestly, recalling his childhood. By the end last school in 1980 he, by his own admission, remained practically illiterate. Only the cinema was an outlet for the unfortunate boy who did not know how to read about the adventures of The Three Musketeers, and what is there, even about The Three Little Pigs. There was another reason for suffering - the girls did not look at the undersized Tom. At some point, tired of the struggle for survival in this complex world tall handsome men with strong-willed chins, Tom began to take part in all school plays. And suddenly he discovered that he is no longer an "empty place"! On stage, he overshadowed everyone. After one of the performances, for the first time catching the eye beautiful girl, Tom decided to become an actor.

By syllables

At 18, he ended up in New York. In the morning I unloaded trucks, during the day I washed dishes in restaurants, and in the evenings I received rebukes from film agents.

Tom had to learn to communicate. The frown of an insecure teenager did not contribute to the acquisition useful acquaintances. I had to learn to play relaxed and cheerful, successful and promising. The first success is a successful acquaintance and a role of 7 minutes of screen time. He worked even harder and even found happiness in love. At that time, the famous diva Cher took care of him and loved him. “I was crazy about him,” Cher admitted years later on the Oprah Winfrey show. The singer describes Tom Cruise of the 80s as a clumsy guy who fought for a new better life.

He is 24, he still reads contracts in syllables, but Martin Scorsese's role in "The Color of Money" and the hit "Top Gun" made Cruz a star. He began to be called "the most beautiful and exemplary boy in Hollywood." To match the image, Tom married Mimi Rogers, whom he had been dating for several months. So it is necessary, so right - perfect family weekends, an exemplary house with a lawn, a wife who greets her husband with a smile, and, of course, children. Not life, but the scenery for the film "The Stepford Wives" ... Alas, Mimi did not live up to the idea of ​​\u200b\u200b perfect marriage. She was barren. The poor thing found solace in her church, to which she once brought her husband. Scientology conquered Tom - the religious and philosophical doctrine created by the science fiction writer Ron Hubbard gave such understandable and desirable answers to the questions that tormented him about the injustice of life. The Teaching promised the adherents the notorious "Road to Happiness", and Tom followed it without hesitation. Who will refuse happiness, especially when they lead you to it by the hand and guarantee its full receipt. Take and sign.

“Our divorce was inevitable,” Cruz's confession came like a bolt from the blue. “Besides, everyone who has seen Nicole should understand me.” Red-haired Australian Nicole Kidman, Tom's partner in the film, in an instant drove the "exemplary boy" crazy. But before marrying the girl of his dreams, Cruz took her to the doctor: he wanted to avoid a repeat situation with Mimi and make sure that the new Mrs. Cruise was able to conceive a child. However, this time too, fate did not allow Tom to experience the joy of fatherhood. In the end, in January 1995, an adopted daughter, Isabella Jane, appeared in the family, in February 1996 - Foster-son Connor Anthony. They did not have their own children - Nicole did not manage to get pregnant.

They were called the "most-most" couple of Hollywood. But all the attributes of “real happiness” invented by Tom in childhood turned out to be fake. He is rich and successful, he, once a depressed, downcast teenager, is now considered a sex symbol, he is married to a beauty that millions of fans dream of, he has a job and a complete family ... And happiness? .. The road leads to him, and it's long... Cruz and Kidman visited psychologists as regularly as they brushed their teeth. Their marriage fell apart when it became completely clear - Nicole's pregnancy does not occur, and nothing else holds them together. Cruz tried to console himself in the ardent embraces of the passionate Spaniard Penelope Cruz, but the high-profile romance soon quietly exhausted itself. However, Tom Cruise did not want to be unhappy. In all interviews, he repeated: I see myself as a husband and father, I family man and I want to be happy.

"I'm used to being a black sheep"

“I have many good friends, but sometimes I feel very lonely. I'm not prone to depression, and I'm not neurotic. I just ordinary person. Glory only opens the door through which many people enter. But there comes a moment when people go to their homes, and the doors close. And then I most of all want to be alone with the woman I love, "- here is an excerpt from Cruz's audio diary. These words of his were once published in the press. It is noteworthy that today Tom almost does not give interviews to anyone. His company simply sells ready-made and polished materials to magazines. Or pre-compile a list of questions that can be asked (and which are already answered in advance). In 2000, Newsweek magazine conducted a survey: The Diary what celebrity would you like to visit? Only 5 percent of readers named Tom Cruise ... Yes, he is a hero, but ... too emasculated. Too fresh. It wasn't long before Tom found his new love. Young actress Katie Holmes was ready to follow her chosen one wherever he wanted to go. The actor shouted about his feelings for Katie literally to the whole world in May 2005 during the Oprah Winfrey show. Tom "jumped across the court, jumped up on the couch, and then dropped to one knee" - this bizarre incident has become much known through the Internet and has become the subject of parodies. “I am no stranger to being a black sheep. In my heart, I have always remained a stranger, in whom everything is not thankful to God. So I decided not to worry about it anymore,” Tom Cruise snapped. In November 2006, she and Katie Holmes got married, and six months before the wedding, the couple had a daughter, Suri. Katie has been a wonderful life partner. She is beautiful, young and does not stand out, but ... complements her husband. She is ready to blindly follow all his hobbies. Scientology please! Exhausting diets - to fanaticism!

Tom is an assistant to the head of the church, and his duties include advertising and recruiting new members. He gives himself to this activity with all his passion and persistently involves his family and friends in it. “I believe in Scientology, and many of my friends have called me for help more than once at critical moments in their lives precisely because I am an adherent of it,” Tom is now guided by the religious books of his teachers. The women of the church are supposed to drink somnambulistic drinks and go on cleansing diets. As a result, Katie Holmes recent times appears at social events extremely rarely: she is emaciated and looks bad. According to the rules of Scientology, Katie is obliged to solve all family problems with the help of daily written messages to her husband. Tom Cruise's wife underwent a special course of introduction into her husband's religion, "learning and purifying" under the supervision of experienced teachers. Fans of the actress fear for their favorite and now take to the streets with banners: "Run, Katie, run!" Suri Tom sent baby Suri to a school at the Church of Scientology, where five times a week the kids learn the basics of this religion and eat exclusively low-calorie organic food. Handsome, talented, successful and rich screen superman Tom Cruise lives and loves by strict rules. It is run by agents, managers and Scientology bosses. “I would like to know my future,” Cruz once let slip. - I would like to understand if I still have a choice. I would like to believe that we are our own masters and freely change our lives.” No comments.

However, when Pollock found a project suitable for Cruise, he immediately cast him as Mitch McDeere, a naive newcomer to the Mafia-connected law firm from The Firm. The picture based on the bestselling John Grisham was the first in a series of thrillers about "lawyers in danger", and no one doubted that Cruise was more than worthy to play in it.

"I was lucky - we were working on the basis of a great book, and we were directed by Sidney, who directed Three Days of the Condor." However, this was not enough to make the fate of the picture easy. The tape was prepared in a short time and therefore dragged on for two and a half hours. Pollack himself admitted that if he had more time, he would have time to cut off the fat. "The film was edited in just a month, and Sidney berated himself more than any critic," Cruz insists. To meet the deadline, filming in Memphis was on six days a week, and the filmmakers had to rethink the film on the fly when it became clear that he was heading in the wrong direction. Nevertheless, The Firm became a hit. Cruz succeeded in everything he undertook. Ann Rice, however, did not think so.

“I carefully selected the films that I wanted to see,” the actor recalls. So when he signed a production deal with Paramount, the first thing he asked was, "Who owns the rights to Mission: Impossible right now?" He wanted to make a movie that would appeal to a boy cutting grass for a flight to Tatooine. A movie with a great theme song.

“I was hoping it would be a movie cycle,” he admits. He also wanted to expand his creative range. He decided to develop scripts ("big stories for big films") and personally select directors.

"I wanted to travel the world and work with foreign stars." He remembers the first time he got off the plane, to then go to lunch at the British studio Pinewood, where James Bond films are shot. “My chauffeur once drove David Lean to the set of Lawrence of Arabia,” the actor marvels.

The pique vests, of course, grumbled that the forgotten series of the 1960s thirty years later would not interest anyone. But Cruz stood his ground. “I also wanted the film to be directed by Brian de Palma, who just released The Bonfire of the Vanities! Cruz laughs. - I said: “Look at him, he is a real director. Look at the scenes he can create.” He specifically selected directors with a flamboyant and unique style: de Palma, John Woo, J. J. Abrams, Brad Bird. Obviously, as a producer, he wanted not to pull the strings, but to swing on them.

"Missions" strengthened Cruise's financial reputation and allowed him to star in films like "Magnolia" and "Operation Valkyrie" in between series. They also nurtured his inner daredevil. In the first "Mission" he was hanging from the ceiling in Langley (for real). In the second "Mission" he was hanging from rocks in Utah (for real). In the third "Mission" he climbed down the wall of the Bank Of China tower in Shanghai (for real). And in the fourth series, he, having decided to surpass his past exploits, like a crazy circus performer, swayed along the wall of the Burj Khalifa, high building in the world. And everything was real again.

"Of course it's an adrenaline rush," Cruz says, admitting that it's not just the love of art that he's risking. "But I also thought, 'If it works out, it's going to be an amazing shot.'" When he first tried the Burj Khalifa stunt, he pushed off too hard. “And here I am flying head first straight into the building,” he laughs. “Then I hit the window hard.” When he looked up, the film crew was whiter than Lestat. “I called out to them, ‘Don’t panic! Everything is fine. Let's do it again!""

The only thing Cruz is afraid of is to stage the next "Mission" himself. Isn't that the natural next step? “You know, I won't say no,” he says. He is clearly still arguing with himself how to answer this question. “But I like the process of working with directors.”

Shot from the movie "Mission Impossible: Consequences"

Tom Cruise has never been a mercenary serving a number. When working with a star, directors always got a creative partner, and with some of them, Cruise developed special relationship which had a huge impact on his life and career. In addition to the already mentioned Scott and Pollock, Cruise had such relationships with three other very different directors. One of them, Cameron Crowe, became his best friend.

They met when Crowe, then a journalist, wrote the first cover story about Cruz in the early 1980s. They immediately became friends, but years passed before Crowe sent a friend a script about disillusioned sports agent Jerry Maguire (later Cruz convinced Crowe to direct the surreal thriller Vanilla Sky). “With every filmmaker you have to find mutual language- explains the actor. - For me with Cameron it was the language of friendship. We hung out together and exchanged ideas. It was a special, very dear relationship for me.” Which, of course, influenced how the director and actor worked on the set.

Take, for example, the famous Maguire scene in which Jerry convinces his wife (Renee Zellweger) to come back to him with immortal words: “You… complete me.” We recently voted it the most romantic moment in EMPIRE film history, and it's by far the most romantic moment in Cruise's filmography.

“I was looking forward to this scene,” says the actor, but he had to fight for it. “Cameron came to me before filming started and said, ‘Maybe I need to rewrite it. I said, “Please, let me play it. If you don't like it, you rewrite it." And we hit the mark in the first take.”

Cruise was introduced to Stanley Kubrick by Sydney Pollack. “Give me your fax number,” he told the actor. "Stanley wants to send you a fax." Thus began the story of "Eyes Wide Shut" - from a fax. A few months later, Cruz received the script for the upcoming tape.

Filming for The Eye took more than a year. They took place under the cover of secrecy, and Hollywood was full of rumors about what was happening at the Pinewood studios. Endless takes and constant disruptions to the schedule were commonplace for Kubrick, but at that time the director was shooting a provocative erotic movie, and the filming was talked about as passionately as if the director was having an orgy. Cruz, however, was not bothered by anything. He was ready to do anything to cooperate with Kubrick, and the director protected and guided Cruise and Kidman like a caring father. The resulting film was a balancing act between fantasy and reality, an exploration of sexual desire, and Kubrick considered it his own. best job. “Of course,” Cruz smirks, “at the beginning of the work, Stanley told us: “We will shoot this film in three months.”

How could the most famous actor not star with the most famous director? Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise were made for each other, but only got to work together after two false starts. Spielberg was preparing to make Rain Man, but abandoned it for a third Indiana Jones. Then they pored over The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for several months, but never put it into production.

When Spielberg suggested that Cruz read Philip K. Dick's Minority Report, it turned out to be not the kind of project that the director had expected: a depressing sci-fi noir about punishing an imperfect crime. Like Cruise, Spielberg is often seen as a die-hard optimist, but in fact, he loves dark stories. “Are you laughing? Jaws! Cruz exclaims. - In "Special opinion" the protagonist- a drug addict, he is falling apart before our eyes. I had to do an eye anesthetic!”

Admired by the talent of the director, Cruise was the first to come to the set just to chat with Spielberg. “We used to walk around the scenery with him in the morning.”

When they rejoined forces three years later (by then Cruise had already completed The Last Samurai and Partner), their joint project turned out to be even more tragic. The film adaptation of The War of the Worlds, moved to the present day, was filmed under the influence of the September 11 attacks, and Spielberg's new aliens did not look like IT. Add Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow to Spielberg's two films, and you'll notice that Cruise is drawn to gloomy images of the future. “You understand, such pictures are more dramatic,” the actor replies, smiling. - But humanity always wins in them. I am not a pessimist. I'm realist".

When he was editing Mission 2 in Sydney, he got a call from MTV. The relocation to the studio was preceded by 40 days of rainstorms that nearly disrupted filming. Cruz was exhausted and the last thing he needed at the time was an MTV show. "I didn't want to make any funny commercials," Cruz admits. Then he learned that Ben Stiller had arrived in Sydney. Thus, Tom Cruise was born.

"Ben always parodied me excellently." Cruz has seen videos of the comedian portraying him in The Color of Money and in " best shooter". These were snide, but not evil commercials, and Cruz and Stiller easily became friends. “He has a unique view of the world,” Cruz laughs. Indeed, unique. Stiller told the actor about the premise of Tropic Soldier while filming a scene for MTV in which Cruise was punched in the face.

"Do you know what you're missing? - then answered Cruz, who was immediately imbued with the spirit of a farcical satire about the crazy filming of an action movie. - You need a studio that will put pressure on the characters. It will be a catalyst for events.”

Thus was born Les Grossman, Cruise's most outrageous character - a flabby, balding, horny studio boss whose swearing would make even a shoemaker blush. “I also told him,” Cruz adds, “I will dance.” The actor wiggles his hips to show how the boss, who considers himself a hip-hop genius, dances. "Ben was just in shock."

Grossman clearly liberated Cruz. After him, Cruz played the glamorous metalhead Stacy Jacks in "Rock of Ages" ("I wanted to know if I could sing") and portrayed a psychopathic superspy in "Knight of the Day" and a tough former detective in "Jack Reacher". Finally, his latest character to date is the coward in Edge of Tomorrow who is learning to be Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise is now and himself on the verge of the future. He is getting old. Not as fast as mere mortals, but still he must answer the challenge of time. Does he plan to play character roles more often? Or maybe he will switch to comedies? Cruz does not think in such categories. “I'm always looking for something new,” he admits. - But I don't think about the genre, but about the character. Who is he? What is his story?

Well, you can't change style if you don't have it. However, Cruz does not plan to change radically in any case. He's gearing up to put a new Mission into production and hopes to follow it up with Brad Pitt in the Days of Thunder-reminiscent racing drama Drive It Fast. He also wants to play Reacher again.

“In 25 years I will be… 77! he laughs. - And you ask me in an interview: “Tom, when will you stop?” My dream is to work in cinema until the end of my life, not necessarily as an actor. How old is Eastwood now?

We remember - 83 years. “Still a boy,” Cruz replies. - Another boy.

In 2006, on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Tom jumped on the couch and yelled at a battered but shocked Oprah that he was crazy about Katie Holmes. He proposed to her in Paris, then they had a wedding in Italy, finally, Katie gave birth to Tom's daughter Suri ... All this time, the rumors about the couple did not stop: no one believed in the sincerity of the actor's feelings, then everyone discussed Kathy, then worried that Cruz dragged his poor wife into a Scientology cult ... Now on the agenda new topic: Katie has made a successful stage debut in the Broadway musical All My Sons and everyone is talking about her sexy new look, while Tom is crashing with his new movie Valkyrie, which is getting delayed. Actor played German officer Klaus von Stauffenberg, who prepared the assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944, and acted as the producer of the film.

Photo: DEFD/Vostock Photo