Dwayne Johnson and Tom Cruise are two of the top-billed actors in Hollywood at present. Both actors have become the go-to for action films, and they deliver high-stakes action in every film they appear in.
Cruise and Johnson have had to work hard to get to this point in their careers, and their contribution to the genre cannot be quantified. They each have their own unique traits, and for Cruise, it is his running style. This is why, when their styles were compared, Johnson had to come to his own defense.
Dwayne Johnson defended his style when compared to Tom Cruise
Dwayne Johnson is well-known for starring in action films such as the Fast and Furious franchise and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, among a slew of other films. He is quite possibly the only other actor in the film industry who can give Tom Cruise a run for his money.
Cruise has been a staple of the genre for much of his career. From the Mission: Impossible series to The Mummy, he has carved a niche for himself and reigns supreme.
In the decades that he has been around, high-octane running sequences have become the trademark of the Jack Reacher actor’s films. However, he has a unique style when it comes to running, and Johnson was more than glad to point out the differences in their styles.
Back in 2017, The Rock took to social media to elaborate on how his running style was very different from Cruise’s. He shared a still from when he was shooting for his film, Rampage, detailing how his body is in the stance of a defensive headhunter. As for Cruise, he said, “He runs like 6 o’clock.”
“While shooting this running scene all day, one of our producers said ‘Rock you’re running like Tom Cruise in his movies’.. I said stop the music right there,” wrote Johnson. “Nope. Cruise runs like 6 o’clock. Straight up and down, arms tight to the body like an offensive player running for the end zone. This is the run of a defensive headhunter. Forward lean, stride long, arms open and pumping. Intense eyes fixated on the target which my warrior ancestors lovingly referred to as your head. This running form is also called, ‘get me the f— outta here because there’s a genetically modified 50 TON BEAST that’s trying to eat me and all I wanted to do is just want to go home and have tequila and waffles.’”
The Rock used to play football in college in the defensive position; therefore, he knows about different running techniques. As for Cruise, his films would be entirely incomplete without such a scene.
Tom Cruise, Hollywood’s eternal sprinter
The Top Gun star is hands-down the best runner ever seen in a film. The scene direction and Cruise’s own dedication leave the audience in awe of his speed, even at this age.
Another impressive aspect of such scenes is that the actor is usually running all by himself. From Vanilla Sky to Minority Report, the hero is often chasing someone or being chased. Moreover, another incredible fact is the ridiculous speed with which he does it.
Annabelle Wallis, his co-star in The Mummy, spoke of how she had to train to be able to run alongside him. He had initially refused, but he acquiesced when he saw her running at an incredible speed on the treadmill.
So how fast can he run? Cruise once said he clocked 17 miles per hour in his 40s. This is an impressive figure, and he was surely faster when he was younger.
Cruise has run all the way to box office glory in most of his films. Even though he has hit his 60s, he shows no signs of slowing down just yet.
