“He’s studied the form”: the science behind Tom Cruise’s running
If there’s a movie starring Tom Cruise, then there’s a very high possibility he’s going to find a way to run as fast as he can on-screen, because that’s just the kind of guy he is.
Having been one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and one the most famous people on the face of the planet for going on 40 years, who in their right mind would argue? If Cruise is sitting in a meeting with studio heads, executives, and writers insisting that the addition of a sprinting sequence is necessary, nobody would be willing to disagree.
The actor can run very fast, and he’s damn sure made audiences aware of the fact he can run very fast, with the Mission: Impossible franchise providing the ideal playground for extended unbroken takes of Cruise doing just that in the inimitable arms-pumping way that he does it.
Only on very special occasions will he allow anyone to join him in shot when he’s embarking on one of his famous fast-paced sprints, but Hayley Atwell found a roundabout way to be welcomed into such an exclusive club when they literally found themselves joined together for great swathes of M:I sequel Dead Reckoning.
The pair end up handcuffed together in Christopher McQuarrie’s globetrotting espionage adventure, so there was really no other option than to have the two of them pound the pavement. A gentle jog? A brisk walk? Not a chance when Cruise is involved, allowing his co-star to gain a unique insight into his methodology.
When James D’Arcy asked if he really was as fast as he appeared in the movies, Atwell answered in the affirmative. “Yes, but what I’ve noticed on set is it’s not his speed that’s the most impressive,” she said to Interview. “He’s studied the form, he’s studied how to run. So when he’s running, it feels like it’s with every cell in his body, as if he’s running towards the thing he wants to save and also running away from a bear.”
It’s a bizarre point of comparison, but Atwell did at least explain how it looks like Cruise is running away from a bear and saving the world at the same time. “There’s not a lazy foot or a turned in knee at any point, and it creates this form that’s really beautiful to watch because it’s anatomically correct,” she continued.
Adding: “It’s kind of amazing because you think some people might be faster than him, but he runs with such an urgency where you feel it.”
Cruise has never publicly commented on whether or not he really imagines a ferocious grizzly lurking just behind him, but let’s just say that he does. That way, his distinctive running style becomes a marvel of both science and nature.
