Tom Cruise lit up BAFTA HQ this week, taking to the stage for a special ‘A Life in Pictures’ conversation sponsored by Samsung, writes Steve May. In London for the premiere of his new film Digger, Mr Cruise spent the evening looking back across more than forty years in front of the camera, reflecting on the craft, collaboration and sheer graft behind one of the most varied careers in modern cinema.
ERT was in the audience as Mr Cruise spoke with Edith Bowman, revisiting films from Risky Business and Born on the Fourth of July to Magnolia, Collateral and the Mission: Impossible franchise.
He described Digger as “the most outrageous character I’ve ever read,” calling the script one of the most original and moving he has encountered. He also talked warmly about the shared endeavour of filmmaking, saying: “You don’t do it alone. It’s all of us… every single one of us together trying to create this story that we’re going to entertain the world.”
The event, supported by BAFTA’s Official Screen Partner Samsung, offered an insightful, celebratory look at Mr Cruise’s career, from his early breakthrough in Taps to his ongoing championing of theatrical cinema.
The superstar confided that he contractually never has to promote any of his movies, but he does it anyway because he loves the business.
“I’ve always wanted to learn. Even early I was always on set, even when I wasn’t needed. I was there taking it all in, learning.
When asked by interviewer Edith Bowman why he chose Mission Impossible to be his first project as a Producer, he quipped “I liked the theme music.”
Samsung is the official screen partner of BAFTA, and that seems entirely appropriate. Top Gun: Maverick has become the screen demo of choice for retailers selling high performance, big screen TVs.
“BAFTA celebrates the very best in creative craftsmanship, so it feels like a natural partnership for Samsung with our industry-leading TVs bringing that extraordinary talent and storytelling to life in people’s homes,” said Dan Harvie, VP of HEA at Samsung UK and Ireland.
“At the heart of this is a shared belief in celebrating creativity, championing talent and inspiring the next generation of storytellers and innovators. Our role is to bring those stories to life, through technology, in the most authentic way, making every viewing experience as rich and immersive as possible, enabling viewers to fully appreciate the creativity and craft behind every production.”
Samsung’s involvement was a reminder of how closely premium display brands align themselves with the biggest names in film, but on the night the focus was firmly on Mr Cruise, his stories and the films that have shaped a generation of movie goers.
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