“He told me no at first”: Tom Cruise Had to Be Convinced to Break His 1 Bizarre Rule for His ‘The Mummy’ Co-Star
As bizarre as it sounds, Tom Cruise is actually more famous for his iconic running shots than he is for his entire filmography combined. The word on the street is that the projects with a long shot of Cruise sprinting for his life work better than the ones without.
From the burgeoning Mission Impossible franchise to The Mummy and Top Gun, all his successful movies feature at least one scene where Cruise is running at top speed. The actor is aware of the power of that one scene and strives to make it better in each subsequent project.
Annabelle Wallis Convinced Tom Cruise to Run with Her
Being a major selling point for his movies, Tom Cruise is protective of his highlight running shot, as any actor would be. An avid movie watcher and Cruise fan would know that the running shot is one of the many scenes where the actor prefers to have an undivided spotlight. He shoots the scene solo while the realm might be destroyed around him, but he does not stop running. However, it seems like Cruise gave in to a kind request by his co-star Annabelle Wallis from The Mummy.
The British actress is known for projects like Annabelle and Peaky Blinders, becoming a household name in recent times. The Mummy was her first project with Cruise and their anecdotes suggest that they had the time of their lives. Talking about the specific scene where Wallis had to run alongside Cruise, she described her experience in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter,
“I got to run on-screen with him, but he told me no at first. He said, ‘Nobody runs on-screen [with me],’ and I said, ‘But I’m a really good runner. So, I would time my treadmill so that he’d walk in and see me run. And then he added all these running scenes. So, that was it. It was, like, better than an Oscar. I was so happy! I was so happy that I got to run on-screen with Tom Cruise.”
Cruise is one of the most well-liked and commercially favored actors in the industry. His decades-long stint in Hollywood is a source of inspiration for many actors. It was only natural for Wallis to love working with the actor and subsequently answer questions related to her experience. Getting to run with Cruise in one shot is no mean feat, and Wallis’ happiness is proof of that.
Annabelle Wallis Talks about Peaky Blinders Experience
The role that supposedly shot Wallis to international stardom is that of Grace on the award-winning show Peaky Blinders. Her chemistry with Cillian Murphy on screen was appreciated by all, making them a great fictional couple. After leaving in season 3 of the show, Wallis’ character Grace makes a brief appearance in season five. Talking about her time on the show, she stated,
“There is so much of you as an actor and you want to morph into whatever you need to be, but to find something that speaks to your truth, especially a female character… Now, we’re moving into an age where there are many, many more of those, but I just loved her, and I’m so grateful to Steven Knight. And Cillian and I are great friends. Me and Cillian, we call Peaky Blinders the gift that keeps on giving. I mean, I don’t know if the road is done just yet. We’ll have to wait and see, but yeah.”
It would be great to see Grace back for another season, but that depends on the story that’s left for the creators to tell with her. On the other hand, Wallis is still finding her footing in the industry with diverse roles and characters that explore the depth of her talents. The industry is finally on its way to recognizing women’s contributions and giving them a brighter spotlight.
