Double_Oh_7

Two sequels out of five projects is "challenging himself"?

golden_rod

Tom Cruise is one of the safest actors out there. He's the King of Bland; movies that have next to no personality aside from the movie star aura he used to bring to them & the baggage he currently does.

He's got a few left-field choices choices on his resume (Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut, etc) but it's mostly populated with, as you said, "what sells." When he does stray outside of his normal routine, he's lost. That performance in Eyes Wide Shut is painful to behold unless you view the entire affair as Kubrick emasculating the biggest movie star in the world. Then it's funny, but also a joke that Cruise wasn't in on.

No one would ever confuse him with his ex-wife when it comes to "challenging" himself, he just doesn't have it in him. No biggie, he does what he does well and many people like it, but let's not call a spade a diamond.

Draven

I think you're right. I'm sure most big male stars have to deal with this in some form or another.

Plus, I've said this before, but some secret double-life is automatically more interesting than a more mundane "the guy has some relationship problems" that is far more likely. So...gossip.

Shannon Nutt

With all due respect, if you can't see how good of an actor Tom Cruise is, you're really not paying attention...Rain Man, Magnolia, Collateral, Eyes Wide Shut, The Last Samurai, Jerry Maguire, Valkyrie, A Few Good Men, The Firm, Born On the Forth of July...fantastic performances all. Even when the movie's not that good (Vanilla Sky, Lions for Lambs, and most recently - Rock of Ages), Tom gives a great performance. People let their personal dislike of him (which is crazy...the guy is squeaky clean good...he just has different religious beliefs) get in the way of realizing how good is is at his craft. I make no apologies for my love of his work...the guy's great at what he does.

WeylandYutani

Don't think Cruise and Kidman weren't in on what Kubrick was attempting to do with that movie. Cruise has directly commented on the "Go back to San Francisco, you faggot!" bit and why this seemingly innocuous scene was included in the film.

WeylandYutani

Don't forget Minority Report, an underrated and overlooked performance in a film that I'd consider, at this point, underrated overall as well. It's a genre film with SFX, therefore not as respected, but his performance as John Anderton is one of his best in that there isn't a single second of it that rings false. The scene where Samantha Morton is detailing to Cruise what his son would've grown up to become( a University track star, a loving husband, etc.) had he not been kidnapped as a child is one of Cruise's all-time best moments in film.

PenguinJoe

Is Top Gun 2 really happening because I've been hearing about that movie like Ghostbusters 3 and Beetlejuice 2 for about a decade or more now.

Shannon Nutt

Top Gun is probably happening. Beetlejuice is almost certainly happening. Ghostbusters 3 ain't ever gonna happen...no matter how many talk shows Dan Aykroyd does.

Mabuse

He has? What did he say?

For the last 10-12 years he has been very bland. But before that he had a track record that was incredible. He worked with some of the best directors in the world at the peak of their careers: Scorsese, Levinson, Kubrick, Spielberg, Crowe, Ridley and Tony Scott, Reiner.

I think his biggest mistake is that he no longer works with great directors. Ed Zwick, Brian Singer and JJ Abrams just pale in comparison to who he used to work with.

Shannon Nutt

This is primarily because Cruise produces almost all his films now...he might as well be listed as co-director.

Coral

But you don't hear this with every male actor/musician that women find hot.

These Cruise "rumours" fall in the category of something that's widely known by industry insiders - like the many actors/actresses that have been rumoured about who have eventually come out. A terribly kept secret that everyone just winks about and hints at with little sly comments. Something like this doesn't go this strong for so long because of jealous Joe Sixpacks.

I hope he does come out at some point while he's still a leading man - it would definitely help with acceptance of gay people... almost as much as athletes in the NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL would.

Yeti4623

Yeah, from the late 80's, up until the mid-2000s, his choices were awesome. A lot of stars just do "Cocktail"-like movies over and over. He actually was in a lot of good, and sometimes really good movies.

auto

Terribly kept secret? Still waiting for links to all these insiders that can't keep a secret.

I assume you're referring to actresses like Jodi Foster? How many men did she marry again?

Mabuse

My sarcasm detector is confused by your statement. You are aware that she is gay right? She has married zero men.

wm lopez

She gave birth to some kids though.

Nick Martin

Andrew Maguire for the win.

No, no....Tobey Garfield.

Shit I voted in the wrong poll.

Is there going to be a Les Grossman movie or what?

Jodie Foster could play Mrs. Grossman.

mario_c

This is some Mel Gibson level creepy here. Stories like this will not help Mr. Cruise's current comeback hopes:

http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-07-06/t...ology-auditor/

This is also why if he is gay, he refuses to come out: Scientology teaches that homosexuality is a mental disorder, a disease to be cured by brainwash-er sorry, "Thetan conditioning".

Draven

Again, WHAT IS HE COMING BACK FROM? He's the highest paid actor in Hollywood.

Coral

Just because it's a terribly kept secret, doesn't mean it's going to be documented in the news and on websites. No-one likes to be sued, and Cruise is apparently a very litigious person.

Yeah, I'm not understanding your comment. Her sexuality was a terribly kept secret, and she's pretty much come out now. I mentioned this in the Travolta thread. It happens all the time. Queen Latifah, Doogie Howser, Ricky Martin, Rosie Odonnel, etc. Badly kept secrets in the industry that eventually get proven to be true. You'll eventually see the same thing with Kevin Spacey, Elijah Wood and a many more.

It seems nowadays it doesn't take as long for these celebrities to come out.

Hokeyboy

Frodo's a homo???

csant

Unless he is actually caught on video killing someone... Cruise will be alright.

Throwing Copper

It really is a shame what Scientology has done to Cruise. It appears that he's so far in, and for so long, that he'll never be able to break ties with that bullshit cult.

islandclaws

As much as I only care about Tom Cruise the actor, I have to seriously question the mental abilities of any seemingly-rational adult who so blindly accepts a religion like Scientology. For all his acting chops and international star persona, the guy has a brain more malleable than a hunk of hot clay.

Solid Snake

That shit is creepy, man.

DaveyJoe

There's a lot more to it than blind faith. Goofy or not, with all of their connections, joining Scientology is extremely beneficial to an actor's career.