Actor arrives for 13th Korea visit with 'Digger'
Record-breaking trips cement his bond with Korean audiences
"If you'll have me, I'd love to come back to Korea 30 more times."
Since first setting foot in the country in 1994 for "Interview with the Vampire," Tom Cruise has now made his 13th visit to Korea — the most of any Hollywood star in history. So familiar has he become that Korean fans affectionately call him "Tom hyung," a term of endearment for an older brother. This time, he arrives with "Digger," a film that marks an unprecedented transformation in his acting career.
Cruise spoke Thursday at a press conference for "Digger" held at Conrad Seoul in Yeongdeungpo-gu, calling the film "an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind story."
Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who wrote and directed the film, had been expected to attend the event alongside Cruise, but was unable to travel due to an unforeseen personal matter that arose just before his scheduled departure. "Director Iñárritu is truly heartbroken that he couldn't be here," Cruise said. "He was looking forward to meeting Korean audiences more than anyone."
"Digger" is a black comedy set against a global climate catastrophe triggered by a hairline crack at a glacial drilling site in Greenland. At its center is Digger Rockwell, an eccentric oil chaebol who caused the crisis and now appoints himself humanity's savior.
"I love films across many genres — whether I'm watching them or deciding what to make," Cruise said. He described director Iñárritu as "a master, a historic filmmaker and an extraordinary artist," and went on to say that he had previously worked with a range of legendary directors, including Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick.
Cruise said the film's greatest appeal lies in its originality. "'Digger' was unlike anything I had ever seen," he said. "That's why I wanted to work with Iñárritu on this. He spent nine years preparing this film."
To inhabit the role, Cruise underwent extensive prosthetic makeup to create a protruding belly and a bald head, shedding the action-hero image he has carried for decades. His performance has already generated considerable buzz in film circles at home and abroad.
Asked whether he was hoping for a best actor Oscar, Cruise was direct. "I didn't choose this role with a trophy in mind. I merely make films," he said.
"Storytelling and the audience have always been at the heart of my filmmaking life," he added. "The act of making any film is itself a privilege and a rare experience. This film is one where Iñárritu has completely reinvented the structure of cinema and the grammar of storytelling."
The arrogance, rudeness and narrow-mindedness of the world's most powerful billionaires and the politicians who prop up America are laid bare on the stage that is "Digger," held up for satire and ridicule.
"Being able to play such an outlandish character was a great joy," Cruise said. "The film is set in the modern world, but the story itself has a timeless, classical vitality. If you watch closely how each character reacts and behaves as events unfold, you'll discover that transcendence at the heart of the story."
shee@heraldcorp.com
