Tom Cruise walked through the “Spirit Tunnel” on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” dressed entirely as his younger self from “Risky Business,” and the clip proves it. The video, posted to social media on Tuesday, shows the actor stepping out of the dressing room to find the show’s staff lined up in black sunglasses, singing a riff on Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll.”
The moment is part of the show’s pre-show segment, where staff members line a hallway at Warner Bros.’ Studio 1 and perform a custom song to welcome each guest. For Cruise’s appearance, the song references his status as a cinema legend. The staff sings a verse about Cruise being a legend everybody knows, with a line about Tom Cruise rock and roll.
Cruise had everything arranged ahead of time for the routine. He took out his own pair of dark glasses and moved along with the music, drawing in some staff members to take part as well. A few of his hand claps missed the beat, yet he threw himself into the act with the same drive he shows in the action scenes from the “Mission: Impossible” films.
Hudson’s Shot
This summer at the World Cup final, Hudson booked Cruise during a change meeting, according to Hudson’s own account in Variety‘s Power of Women cover story.
“I was like, ‘Tom, could you imagine your Spirit Tunnel? What do you think they’re going to sing for you?'” Hudson recalled, shooting her shot.
Cruise knew exactly what he was getting into. “I watch the show, Jennifer,” he told her. “I watch everything. I watched you on ‘American Idol.'”
The Song’s Hook
Each celebrity guest is welcomed onto the stage by staff members who line a hallway at Warner Bros.’ Studio 1, singing a customized song. That particular song references one of Cruise’s earliest movie star-making moments, when he slid into frame to lip-sync and dance in his underwear and shades to Seger’s version of the song.
The staff sings about Tom Cruise at the Happy Place and Tom Cruise rock and roll in the new lyrics, which reference his standing as a cinema legend.
Cruise’s Performance
Cruise threw himself into the bit without holding back. He reached for his own black sunglasses and moved with the music, even pulling in some staffers to join him. His hand claps weren’t always on beat, but Cruise remained just as gleefully engaged here as he is when doing his own stunts in the “Mission: Impossible” movies.
Cruise comes out of the dressing room to see the crew wearing dark glasses and performing to the remix. Without hesitation, he goes with it, dances along, and brings a few members of the staff into the act.
The Movie Behind the Appearance
Cruise has arrived at the show during the promotional push for “Digger,” a film he stars in and which was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, who holds two Academy Awards. In the movie, Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a Texas oil baron whose business might have unleashed an environmental catastrophe that could lead to nuclear conflict.
Cruise had to change his appearance for the part, wearing a fat suit and thinning white hair along with a put-on Southern accent. The film’s absurdist satire called for his complete acting range. The outcome is a theatrical showcase built to return Cruise to the competitive Oscar race for the first time in decades.
“I have never had something that could challenge me in this way, and neither has Alejandro,” Cruise said about starring in the black comedy.
The Studio’s Defense
“Warner Bros. movie is a big swing, and reviews have been wide-ranging (including Variety’s),” so the studio has gone on offense, confronting the negative buzz with a new ad that includes both positive and negative reactions, inviting moviegoers to “decide for yourself.”
The campaign’s approach includes both favorable and unfavorable responses, giving audiences room to reach their own conclusions instead of depending solely on outside judgment.
What Comes Next
Wednesday is when viewers will be able to watch Cruise’s full interview, but the clip below shows his Spirit Tunnel performance first.
Wednesday marks the day the full interview airs, though for now the Spirit Tunnel performance endures as proof of why Cruise continues to rank among the most watchable actors in the business.
Why This Matters
The brief scene inside the Spirit Tunnel barely registers as a major moment, yet it says something essential about Cruise as a person. A movie star of his stature, he approaches every publicity appearance with the same dedication he puts into his films.
The video captures an entertainer who stays completely absorbed in the performance, even when the humor turns back to him personally. That level of commitment has shaped his work across many years.
Cruise gives himself entirely to the bit, whether he is scaling a skyscraper while strapped into a wire harness or moving down a corridor with sunglasses on.
This short clip serves as a pleasant addition to the waiting period before the full interview arrives. It is a minor portion of a bigger journey, yet it manages to convey the essence of the person leading it.
Key Details
- Cruise’s “Risky Business” dance moves and black Ray-Ban sunglasses were the whole point of his walk down the Spirit Tunnel.
- Hudson booked him during a change meeting this summer at the World Cup final.
- The song calls back to his first movie star-making moment from “Risky Business.”
- The staff sings lyrics referencing Cruise as a cinema legend.
- The full interview airs Wednesday.
Source material: “Tom Cruise Pulls Out ‘Risky Business’ Dance Moves for ‘Jennifer Hudson Show’ Spirit Tunnel,” Variety.
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