LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tom Cruise's affinity for old-time rock and roll remains unchanged. As the 40th anniversary of the 1983 film 'Risky Business' approaches, Cruise openly acknowledged the movie's profound impact on his acting journey, describing it as a pivotal and formative experience.
When questioned about whether he still engages in the iconic underwear dance, reminiscent of his character Joel Goodsen, Cruise playfully responded, "Yeah, I still [do]", before delving into the behind-the-scenes intricacies of the famous pants-less scene. Cruise fondly recalled his time filming the legendary dancing scene in the movie when he was just 19 years old, adding he would "never forget that night."
'I grew up dancing in my underwear'
Cruise, who is currently promoting his new film 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One', revealed that 'Risky Business' played a significant role in launching his action star career. When director Paul Brickman mentioned the choreography involved in the scene, Cruise didn't hesitate to take it on. "Look, I grew up dancing in my underwear in my house," he told Access Hollywood. "Who didn't? So I was like, ‘I’ve got this.'"
Tom Cruise shared the challenges he faced while figuring out how to successfully "slide across the floor" in only socks during the filming of the scene. "I saw the opening frame, I go, ‘I want to hit center frame.’ I tried to slide in my socks; it didn’t work," Cruise said. "Then, I said, ‘Well let’s just put stuff down on the floor and I slid all the way across. That didn’t work." he said. "Put the sticky spray there so every time I’ll slide and land center frame."
'It was a learning experience for me'
According to Cruise, the making of 'Risky Business' was a pivotal moment in his career. "It was a learning experience for me, not just as an actor going through it, but then I would spend a lot of time in the editing room," he said. "I went in the editing room and I saw the shots and looked at how editorially they were putting it together." He added, "So, I started really, from ‘Taps’ to that – understanding that cinematic process right from the very beginning. That was a formative experience. I feel very lucky to have had that opportunity, to be able to have that kind of script and that kind of material at that age."
Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' held its world premiere in Rome on June 19, 2023, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on July 12.
