Tom Cruise discusses his role in Alejandro González Iñárritu's film "Digger," released on October 2, where he dons extensive prosthetics to portray Digger Rockwell, an arrogant oil baron. Over seven years ago, during the filming of "Top Gun: Maverick," Iñárritu approached Cruise with the project, which challenges both actor and director in unique ways. The film also features actors like Riz Ahmed and John Goodman, who comment on Cruise’s transformation into a barely recognizable character, praising his commitment to the role and its originality.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
It was more than 25 years ago when Tom Cruise first watched the directorial debut of Alejandro González Iñárritu and thought: “What the f***?”
asserted
Cruise → watch → Iñárritu
Cruise had already worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott and Ron Howard.
asserted
Cruise → work → Kubrick
“When I saw his film 25 years ago, Amores Perros, what a brilliant film.
asserted
I → see → film
I was one of the first audiences, and I heard about it early on …
asserted
I → hear → it
Who’s this guy, Alejandro?” Cruise said during an onstage conversation this summer to promote Digger, his first collaboration with the writer-director.
asserted
Cruise → ’ → director
Nominated for an Oscar, the film followed multiple characters whose worlds collide following a Mexico City car crash.
asserted
worlds → nominate → crash
As Iñárritu made inroads in Hollywood with subsequent films, including 21 Grams (2003), and Babel (2006), Cruise made a point of seeing every one of his movies in the theatre.
asserted
Cruise → make → theatre
Iñárritu approached Cruise with his story for Digger seven years ago, while the actor was shooting Top Gun: Maverick.
asserted
actor → approach → Gun
“He came to me with this project, Digger, which he’d been working on for a couple of years by then,” Cruise recalled, “and then we just worked on it together.”
asserted
we → come → it
Released on Oct. 2, Digger disguises Cruise under layers of prosthetics as he plays Digger Rockwell, an arrogant oil baron whose drilling in Greenland threatens to cause a global disaster.
asserted
drilling → release → disaster
“Alejandro, he’s like, ‘I want you to look like this’ …
asserted
you → ’ → this
I’m thinking, ‘This guy’s got f***ing balls,’ and I’m like, ‘I can’t wait.
asserted
I → think → balls
Let’s go,’” said Cruise.
asserted
Cruise → let → ?
“I have never had something that could challenge me in this way and neither has Alejandro when we went in, ever.
uncertain
we → have → way
And when you see this film, it’s totally original.”
asserted
it → see → film
The film also stars Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons.
asserted
film → star → Ahmed
Cruise’s castmates said they weren’t prepared to see the legendary actor become so unrecognizable as he struts around his mansion sporting grey hair, wrinkles and a large gut.
asserted
he → say → hair
“There’s a great spirit that comes out of him,” said Goodman, who appears in the film as the president.
asserted
who → ’ → president
Stuhlbarg, who plays the vice president, said Cruise completely immersed himself in the character of Digger.
asserted
Cruise → play → Digger
“That was kind of interesting because he was behind this remarkable character he was playing.
asserted
he → play → character
In many ways, we didn’t get to see the Tom Cruise we all know and love,” Stuhlbarg said.
asserted
Stuhlbarg → get → Cruise
After more than a decade playing IMF agent Ethan Hunt in his Mission: Impossible films, Ahmed, who plays a scientist trying to guide Digger through the global catastrophe his company has unleashed, praised Cruise for trying something vastly different in front of the camera.
asserted
company → play → camera
“He’s always willing to try things out.
asserted
He → ’ → things
And he’s always willing to fail and try again.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
I saw him go through this process,” Ahmed said.
asserted
Ahmed → see → process
“It’s very inspiring and uplifting and it gave us an opportunity to try things we hadn’t done before,” said Hüller, who plays Digger’s sister.
asserted
who → ’ → sister
The Digger cast likened the movie to a painting with so many parts that come alive on the screen.
asserted
that → liken → screen
Iñárritu said it was an idea he had been crafting for 10 years.
asserted
he → say → years
“It was just after The Revenant, when I had an idea, not script, not a film, just a relentless recurring obsession, that has endured through all these wild years.
asserted
that → have → years
I knew who this character was.
asserted
character → know → ?
I knew how he spoke, how he survived, how he seduced reality into agreeing with him,” Iñárritu said.
asserted
Iñárritu → know → him
“It’s absurd, it’s dangerous, but certainly comedic, because the source of great comedy is tragedy,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → comedy
“People often ask me why I chose Tom to play Digger.
asserted
I → ask → Digger
To me, that’s like asking somebody why you drink water when you are thirsty?
asserted
you → ’ → water
Because it’s what you need,” he added.
asserted
he → ’ → what
Cruise made Iñárritu read his script to him.
asserted
Iñárritu → make → him
He has developed a desire for wanting to hear scripts read aloud to him so he can “feel the musicality of the character.”
asserted
he → develop → character
On Digger, he sat and listened as Iñárritu unveiled his story.
asserted
Iñárritu → sit → story
“Alejandro took several days during which he was just reading the script to me,” Cruise said.
asserted
Cruise → take → me
“I’m listening to everything that’s in his mind, so that I can understand that, and then I know how to contribute to it, and bring that collaboration together.
asserted
I → listen → collaboration
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
