Tom Cruise reveals how a 1982 flop taught him to take control in Hollywood
LOS ANGELES, May 13 — Tom Cruise has criticised modern film schools for failing to teach young actors the technical skills needed to succeed in cinema.
The Hollywood veteran said many up-and-coming actors do not understand basics like cameras, lighting or editing, unlike past stars such as Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando.
He said actors must learn how visual tools influence storytelling and emotions, urging them to spend time in editing rooms and study film composition.
“Nicholson and those guys who came up with him understand that lens,” Cruise said at a British Film Institute event in London.
“It is important to understand the tools around you. There is tech. It is like understanding the stage as an actor but for a lot of artists it is not taught in film school: how to understand the lens and what it can do, and why there is eye movement and recognise the effect it has.”
He described the lack of training as a serious gap, adding that Brando’s grasp of lighting made him a standout among the greats.
Cruise said his own breakthrough came not just from acting but from studying story structure and observing how great actors worked behind the scenes.
Recalling a poor experience on the 1982 flop Losin’ It, Cruise said it taught him the importance of knowing who was really capable of making a film.
After the success of Risky Business, he demanded more creative control on Top Gun, asking to be involved in all production meetings.
Cruise also praised the late Tony Scott for revolutionising aerial and motorsport filming, calling his work on Top Gun and Days of Thunder “extraordinary”.
The BFI awarded Cruise a fellowship in recognition of his contributions to cinema and his long-standing ties to Britain’s film industry.
(Source:MalayMail)
