Tom Cruise

Tom Cruisewasn’t the most limber fellow before shootingThe Last Samurai.“I couldn’t touch my toes,” admits the megastar, 41. But that all changed with the extensive training Cruise underwent for the 19th-century epic (opening Dec. 5), in which he stars as Capt. Woodrow Algren, an alcoholic Civil War veteran who’s enlisted to train the troops of Japanese emperor Meiji. Cruise recently spoke to reporters about training for the film, shooting in Japan – and whether he got to keep the sword.With the holidays here, do you plan on doing any cooking?I can cook. I’ve cooked turkeys in my day, but when Mom is around, I let her do that. My mother is a great cook – fried chicken and southern stuff. I like her stuffing best, and her turkey.Are you going to get to celebrate Christmas with your kids this year?Yeah … we’re going to be with kids, everyone. We’re going to do a lot of things.A nice Christmas present might be a Best Actor Oscar. What do you think of your chances forThe Last Samurai?I don’t know, sir. I don’t know.But do you think this is your best chance to win one?I really don’t know. I think that if something like that happened, it’d be wonderful. But I don’t make a movie for that. I don’t know how to choose a movie or make a movie in that way. I just go out and do the best I can, and have some fun.How did you train for your part inThe Last Samurai?I couldn’t touch my toes when I started working on this. I bent down and I couldn’t get my hands past my knees. I put on 25 lbs. for the picture … and we did all kinds of Chinese sword work to build up my forearms and my shoulders. It was a lot of training, and the guys I worked with were excellent.With all the realistic battle scenes, how did you manage to avoid getting hurt?(Laughs.) It was a miracle.There were reports that you almost got your head cut off.Did they say that, that I almost got my head cut off? Really? No, I didn’t. At least, not to my knowledge – maybe when I wasn’t looking.Tell us about shooting in Japan.When I went to Japan, it was so enigmatic to me. I used to go out and walk in the rain at night when we landed because I was jetlagged. … I just wanted to get inside the culture, and I feel like I had a greater understanding from studying their history and where they are now. I was excited and pleased to see how much we had in common.Does the film have any symbolism for what’s going on in the world today?I think if you look at it, wars don’t resolve conflict, ideas do. You look at how history keeps repeating itself, and we are in a society where … we have great technology, we have very sophisticated ways of communicating and traveling, and yet, there is still famine and there are still wars. You’ve got to change the operating basis at some point.At this point in your career and life, is there anything you want for yourself?I want a world without war. I want a world without insanity. I don’t think it’s as much of what I want for myself – it’s more what I want for the people around me.On a lighter note, did you keep your sword?Oh yeah, I’ve got my sword.Where is it?It’s locked away because it’s so sharp.You don’t play with it at home?I kind of swing it around.

With the holidays here, do you plan on doing any cooking?

I can cook. I’ve cooked turkeys in my day, but when Mom is around, I let her do that. My mother is a great cook – fried chicken and southern stuff. I like her stuffing best, and her turkey.

Are you going to get to celebrate Christmas with your kids this year?

Yeah … we’re going to be with kids, everyone. We’re going to do a lot of things.

A nice Christmas present might be a Best Actor Oscar. What do you think of your chances forThe Last Samurai?

I don’t know, sir. I don’t know.

But do you think this is your best chance to win one?

I really don’t know. I think that if something like that happened, it’d be wonderful. But I don’t make a movie for that. I don’t know how to choose a movie or make a movie in that way. I just go out and do the best I can, and have some fun.

How did you train for your part inThe Last Samurai?

I couldn’t touch my toes when I started working on this. I bent down and I couldn’t get my hands past my knees. I put on 25 lbs. for the picture … and we did all kinds of Chinese sword work to build up my forearms and my shoulders. It was a lot of training, and the guys I worked with were excellent.

With all the realistic battle scenes, how did you manage to avoid getting hurt?

(Laughs.) It was a miracle.

There were reports that you almost got your head cut off.

Did they say that, that I almost got my head cut off? Really? No, I didn’t. At least, not to my knowledge – maybe when I wasn’t looking.

Tell us about shooting in Japan.

When I went to Japan, it was so enigmatic to me. I used to go out and walk in the rain at night when we landed because I was jetlagged. … I just wanted to get inside the culture, and I feel like I had a greater understanding from studying their history and where they are now. I was excited and pleased to see how much we had in common.

Does the film have any symbolism for what’s going on in the world today?

I think if you look at it, wars don’t resolve conflict, ideas do. You look at how history keeps repeating itself, and we are in a society where … we have great technology, we have very sophisticated ways of communicating and traveling, and yet, there is still famine and there are still wars. You’ve got to change the operating basis at some point.

At this point in your career and life, is there anything you want for yourself?

I want a world without war. I want a world without insanity. I don’t think it’s as much of what I want for myself – it’s more what I want for the people around me.

On a lighter note, did you keep your sword?

Oh yeah, I’ve got my sword.

Where is it?

It’s locked away because it’s so sharp.

You don’t play with it at home?

I kind of swing it around.

source: people.com