If we were to only describe Tom Cruise with one single word, Daredevil would be the most apt choice. In his decades-long career spanning several action and thrilling flicks, there has hardly been a time when he has not put himself at risk. Whether it is a minor thing like hanging upside down to get his make-up done in Interview with the Vampire or jumping off a cliff multiple times to shoot one of the biggest stunts in cinema’s history, Cruise can do it all no matter how challenging or deadly it might be.
Yet, when it comes to keeping his co-stars safe and secure, the actor is just as caring as he is about getting his stunts done right to the tee. In an interview, his Rock of Ages co-star Julianne Hough revealed how Cruise took care of her during her injury on set.
Julianne Hough Thanks Tom Cruise for Keeping Her Safe During On-set Injury
While Tom Cruise is known best for his action-packed, adrenalin-high action films, there have been plenty of times when the Hollywood superstar has traversed into other genres. Back in 2012, Cruise starred in Adam Shankman’s jukebox musical comedy, Rock of Ages. Although a box office bomb, Cruise’s co-star Julianne Hough has several fond memories from the set.
Known for her musical and dancing talent, Hough recalled how during the shoot of one of the movie’s major dance sequences she ended up hurting herself. In an interview with Contact Music, the actress recalled,
I was at the point where I had to lay on my back and just breathe. I couldn’t turn my head; it was tilted to the left. actually hurt myself. I’d never hurt myself or injured myself dancing and I tweaked my neck and had three ribs out on my left and three ribs out on my right, and my whole spine was like an ‘S’ and my hips were out of place.
Her co-star, who has a knack for shooting despite being injured, was actually too understanding and caring about the injury and advised her to not push herself.
I’ve got that dancer mentality, like, ‘I can keep going; I’m fine.’ He’s like, ‘Julianne, this is what insurance is for. You’ve got a very long career ahead of you and a very long shoot ahead of you. Stop, and leave it to me.’ I was like, ‘Tom Cruise cares about me!’ I had a Tom Cruise rescue.
While it is not shocking to hear such a story for Tom Cruise is known for his generosity and kindness, it is nonetheless heartwarming to know how despite putting his life at risk several times, the actor always makes sure his co-stars remain safe.
Tom Cruise Has No Problem Putting His Life at Risk
Tom Cruise is undoubtedly one of the most generous and kind celebrities in the whole wide world. Whether it is protecting fans, paying their bills, or sending special Christmas cakes to his co-stars every year, the accounts of his time in the industry are filled with such touching stories (see Vulture and People).
As Julianne Hough’s account reveals, he is also caring and compassionate towards his co-stars. Yet, when it comes to going above and beyond for his movies, he is never afraid to put his life at risk. An example of this can be found in his acclaimed Mission: Impossible franchise.
Throughout the course of the movie series, Cruise constantly puts his life at risk by shooting severely deadly stunts and action sequences. Whether it is hanging off the Burj Khalifa or nearly falling down while shooting a Helicopter stunt sequence in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Cruise does it all.
Even while shooting the latest daring motorbike stunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, Cruise performed over 500 skydives and 13,000 motorcycle jumps in preparation for the stunt (see Radio Times). The stunt, in particular, was so dangerous that Cruise made sure to film it on the first day of the shoot, to stop the movie from incurring losses just in case he died during the fall (via Empire Magazine).
Rock of Ages can be rented on Amazon Prime.
