Tom Cruise danced & sang 10 hours per day to prepare for ‘Rock of Ages’

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Leave it to Tom Cruise to one-up Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima in the diva preparation department. While Adriana may very well eschew solids for nine days and exercise twice per day for her chosen art, Tom took his role as rocker Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages so seriously that he reportedly sang five hours per day and then added another daily dose of five hours strictly dedicated to dancing. Well, I guess this sort of explains why Mr. Desperate To Please was photographed rocking out on a balcony to universal cringes. All of this fuss happened just so that Tom was able to belt out songs such as “Pour Some Sugar on Me” to the best of his ability. Still, Tom bestows all credit upon Katie for his relatively newfound fascination with dancing:

On Dancing: “I had started dancing because I was inspired by my wife. She kept saying, ‘You’ve got to do a musical sometime,’ Kate’s a dancer, so she would say, ‘Let’s go to dance class,’ and she would take us and that’s how I kind of came up with the idea of Les Grossman doing hip-hop. And then to take it to this level with this? It was really fun.”

On Preparing For His Role: “I was working on it when I was finishing Mission and I was singing five hours a day and I was dancing five hours a day. Adam said, ‘Look, we’re going to have a lot of fun,’ and we really did…. I did six months preparing for the movie, and all my stunt training and all of those years doing that, it helped me with the choreography.”

On Working With Director Adam Shankman: “He’s on fire. What he accomplished with Hairspray was amazing. My daughter has seen it 15 times and our whole family has watched it over and over and it’s just enormously entertaining. To be able to hold that tone throughout is really something.”

[From 21 Frames]

I kind of love that Tom went home at night from the Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol set and headed straight into dancing mode. After all, nothing quite polishes off a day of dangling from a giant phallus as, say, doing the hustle in the pale moonlight. Really though, I am somewhat impressed by Tom’s devotion to be the best little dancer that he can possibly be, but ten hours per day of practice is a bit excessive although not entirely inconceivable because — let’s face it — Tom is manic. He is the classic unhinged, lift-wearing midget. He must be exhausting to be around, which is probably one reason that Katie looks so zoned out all of the time. Seriously, when these two make whoopie (shut up, you know that’s what they call it), Tom still feels the need for speed. Yuck.

In addition, no one should be the least surprised that Tom loves Hairspray, and I’d be willing to bet that he’s the one who encouraged Suri to watch it fifteen times. “Awww, dad …. again?” Seriously, Tom probably admires John Travolta for having the metaphorical balls to wear a dress in that movie; yet Tom must also take comfort in the fact that he’s the one who’s brave enough to wear the heels in Rock of Ages. And for that matter, in all of his other movies as well.

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Photos courtesy of Fame

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33 Responses to “Tom Cruise danced & sang 10 hours per day to prepare for ‘Rock of Ages’”

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  1. Eve says:

    I am somewhat impressed by Tom’s devotion to be the best little dancer that he can possibly be…

    LMAO!

    And:

    In addition, no one should be the least surprised that Tom loves Hairspray, and I’d be willing to bet that he’s the one who encouraged Suri to watch it fifteen times. “Awww, dad …. again?”

    I’m also willing to bet that he probably asks her to perform all the movie’s dance routines along with him.

  2. Jackie says:

    maniac or addict. i think his workaholism and extreme religious beliefs point to deeper issues.

    why are there never any pictures of him on vacation?? prancing in the water with his family?? buddy, take a break already.

  3. MariPily says:

    His dedication doesn’t surprise me at all. He’s an excellent actor. He’s just annoying and weird in real life.

  4. Anonymous says:

    For some reason, I just find these pictures gross.

  5. dorothy says:

    Waking up to pictures of Tom’s “happy trail” is disturbing.

  6. tapioca says:

    He didn’t say “Suri”, he said “his daughter”.

    Poor Isabella, forgotten by everyone!

    But yeah, we all know who he meant…

  7. gee says:

    He is a strange egg.

  8. MariPily says:

    How is dedicating ten hours a day doing something job-related considered a manic workaholic? He’s an actor, so he spends his job hours dancing and preparing for a role, instead of in a cubicle or office somewhere. I’m at work eight hours a day, and sometimes I even take work home, and I suspect most of us who are employed do the same thing. And he does take vacations when he’s not working, just like the rest of us do. I think people like to mock this man simply because they don’t agree with his religion.

  9. LDB says:

    I agree with MariPily. He is a very talented actor but I can’t get past the fact that he promotes a (I believe) very dangerous cult. I wish I could put that away and just enjoy his acting but I can’t.

  10. lila says:

    Why do I get the feeling he already was singing and dancing 10 hours a day before this movie ever came along?

  11. NM9005 says:

    Joaquin Phoenix, Leo D. and many more are manic about their craft. They’re perfectionists. Nothing wrong with that, they get paid millions to act so why not work hard for it???

  12. atorontogal says:

    His religion forbids his children from seeing their mother Nicole Kidman. How can anyone allow that in the name of their beliefs?

  13. Adrien says:

    He plays a rockstar, he’s forgiven for wearing Cubans.
    However, the name Stacee Jaxx is no rocker name. What kind of a badass, Cuban boots wearing, tattooed, shirtless rockstar would choose “Stacee” as a stage name? That’s the worst rock name since Moby. The guy who played “Stacee” on Broadway looks Glambert camp than Prince or Bowie androgyny.

  14. Marjalane says:

    As in all things Tom Cruise, I can only say: blech.

  15. wunder says:

    “He is the classic unhinged, lift-wearing midget.” lol

    This is going to be Tom’s/Stacee’s Moulin Rouge, extended karoake vid. . .

  16. sassenach says:

    @atorontogirl Tome does not stop his kids from seeing Nicole. They have joint custody. I am sure that Nicole does not like the fact that they are being raised scientologists, but just deals with it.

  17. Nanea says:

    Another movie I would have liked to see… with another lead.

    Sorry, I don’t support the crazy cult.

    And professional singers and dancers also train for hours each day, and do their households without the help of indentured laborers, have a family life, and then they go out and do a show/play/whatever every night. They’re not paid nearly as much though.

  18. autumndaze says:

    I don’t find him particularly talented; he plays a version of his intense self every time.
    You can’t argue with his work ethic, however.

  19. Nev says:

    “in the pale moonlight…”

    hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

  20. LeeLoo says:

    Awwwwwww. Tom worked so hard at that movie.

    Too bad it’s gonna bomb. Tom Cruise movies do not sell. The only reason MI: 4 MAY sell is because J.J. Abrams directed it. Since 200t any movie with Tom Cruise in it has not performed well at the box office. I don’t see that trend letting up anytime soon.

  21. Belle Epoch says:

    NOT. SEXY.

    Blechhhh

  22. Original Tiffany says:

    @sassenach-you don’t know COS very well, do you? Or even have a family member in that cult or you’d know she is a supressive person. They aren’t ALLOWED to see her per their church and how could she even have custody? Aren’t at least one over 18?

  23. skuddles says:

    Lord poor Katie – no wonder the girl has to dope to cope…

  24. Hmmm says:

    He looks silly for a man his age.

  25. ellie66 says:

    gag!

  26. Ruffian9 says:

    A lot of work for a movie that will most likely bomb….

    And those photos? Dear lord…why am I feeling embarassed for him?

  27. Alix says:

    Whatever the opposite of a lady boner is, that’s what these pix give me. Blech.

  28. Ashley says:

    It seems a bit mean to always pick on someone about their height (something they cannot help much). He’s not even THAT short, really.

    I guess I feel bad for him on that front b/c I have a guy friend who considers himself to be short, and man, he is sooooo self-conscious about it. His fear that girls won’t like his height cripples him in social situations and leaves him depressed. So, if Tom is anything like my friend, I give him a pass on the lifts (although I think it’s better just to own it).

  29. annieanne says:

    I find it pretty revolting that he refers to Suri as “my daughter”, not “my younger daughter”. It’s like Isabel and Conor disappeared from his world the minute Katie popped that kid out.

  30. C.Lynn says:

    “My daughter has seen it 15 times”

    This statement made me feel bad. Which daughter, Tom?

    Both Tom and Nicole have done this in interviews, i.e. both have spoken of their bio children as if those are the only children they have.

  31. RuddyZooKeeper says:

    No he didn’t. Not physically possible. An amateur would blow his voice doing that crap. And professionals know better than to hit it that hard every day. Five hours? Nonstop singing? Then 5 hours dancing? Six months? Nope. Didn’t happen.

  32. Str8Shooter says:

    Good for you, Tommmy Boy, unleashing your hidden Broadway DIVA side.

    Man, that closet door is getting closer and closer to coming off the hinges!!

  33. John says:

    This is one of those movies that will reflect how humorous he is, and then again he will show more of his many talents, He is careful about his religion and anyone must respect all that as every religion is the same thing with a different name, why are we only critics and don’t help in the process of a better society like Tom does, lets all entertain each other, too much hate going on for nothing particular, what kind of people have we become when we can just go out and dash everyone for nothing.