Tom Cruise recently discussed the extensive transformation he underwent for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Digger. This comes after the movie released a brand-new trailer, revealing the full look at Cruise’s Digger Rockwell.
Tom Cruise put on false teeth for Digger and was like, ‘let’s f‑‑‑in’ go’
Cruise shared details about how he became Digger Rockwell during a press event at Warner Bros. Notably, Digger is his first non-franchise feature since American Made, which came out in 2017.
“My process is: I’m absorbing, I’m absorbing, I’m absorbing,” Cruise revealed. “With the body, we’re communicating a story… I want people to be immersed in a story” (via Entertainment Weekly). The Hollywood megastar stated that when he takes on a new character, he finds ways to “communicate” that character, citing Joel Goodson in Risky Business, Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder, Lestat in Interview with the Vampire, and Vincent in Collateral.
Cruise underscored how various items and props helped him get into his Digger character. “[The] color of the cowboy boots,” the Mission: Impossible star said. “What are my shorts like? The sets, the color of the sets. They’re beautiful on every single level… You look at the taste of this man. It’s very special.” Cruise further stated, “I put the teeth on, and it’s like, ‘Let’s f‑‑‑in’ go.'”
The Rain of Madness actor also spoke about Iñárritu’s contribution to his performance. “Alejandro understands music, and that’s the universal language that we’re all finding,” he said. Cruise called the ability to play a character like Digger “a lifelong journey of learning and learning and learning.”
At the same event, Iñárritu reflected on Cruise’s transformation, recalling that the latter once told him that it took him 40 years to become the titular character in Digger.
The movie also stars Riz Ahmed as Ganesh, John Goodman as the President of the United States, Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, and Michael Stuhlbarg. The movie premieres in U.S. theaters on October 2, 2026.
