What Tom Cruise Did On The Digger Set That John Goodman Called 'A Huge Shock'

Tom Cruise has an acting career that spans nearly five decades, and the Hollywood icon is still finding ways to blow the mind of those he works with. The latest to be thrust into that category is John Goodman — a legend in his own right — their work together for Digger giving Goodman an up-close and personal look at something even he wasn’t mentally prepared for.

That would be Cruise’s level of commitment to a role, for those wondering. A chameleon of sorts, the world has seen Cruise sell himself as everything from an international spy to a fighter pilot, from a samurai to an agent whose client demands you show him the money and, every time (and every time in-between), we bought it and thanked him later.

Digger is seemingly no different, while also being wildly different — just ask Goodman.

Tom Cruise Floored John Goodman On the Set of Digger, But How?

CBR did exactly that when Grae Drake sat down with Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award-winner to pick his brain about the intricacies of what makes Digger so special. So many things stood out to him during the production of the film, but one thing in particular had him wide-eyed and in awe.

And to have John Goodman, of all people, in awe, is saying something. Before it was all said-and-done, Cruise was so exceptional as the lead character that his cast forgot it was him under the makeup.

“The fun is seeing him as Digger,” Goodman told CBR. “That’s an honest answer. And it sounds insincere. But he was Digger most of the time in his makeup. So we were so used to that. We were so used to him being Digger all the time that when he’d show up as Tom, it was a huge shock! And it was funny. It was weird. And as far as action goes, sometimes, we’d get into the scene before ‘action’ was called, just to rip it up.”

Digger Shows a Different Side of Tom Cruise — Sort Of

It is eternally true that the more an actor can identify parts of themselves in a character, the more convincing the role becomes. That likely explains why Cruise can portray Digger so convincingly, at least that’s what another of his co-stars, Riz Ahmed, told CBR, after commenting in April that he has “never seen anything like” what Cruise was able to do in this film.

“Actually, there’s something irresistible about Digger, even though he’s this villainous fiend. He’s also adorable and a lot of fun to watch and be around. So I think people will be attracted to that,” he said. ” … I think he has the same kind of relentlessness as Digger. … Tom is a very, like I said, uplifting, positive, encouraging guy. Digger is a little bit more complicated in terms of being out for himself. But I guess they share that sense of fun. They’re both very charismatic characters.”

When Digger hits theaters on Oct. 2, audiences will get their first in-depth look at Cruise as the quirky, off-putting, villainous oil tycoon Digger Rockwell who is tasked with saving the world from global catastrophe. And good luck remembering it’s Tom Cruise holding that decrepit cat.