Tom Cruise Goes Undercover as a Fat Guy in New Film

Tom Cruise was all set to surprise his fans with a cameo appearance in buddy Ben Stiller's movie Tropic Thunder, scheduled for release in July 2008. Cruise took on the bit role in which he wore a fat suit and chest wig to appear as an overweight, balding film mogul. The film Tropic Thunder is a story of actors who go into the jungle to make a Vietnam War film, only to find themselves in real enemy territory. It is a comedy featuring stars Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Matthew McConaughey. Tom Cruise portrays the fictional movie studio head James Lipton.

According to an E Online News article, a staff photographer for photo agency INF, Insight News and Features, captured Cruise in costume and legally released the photos to entertainment news outlets.

Just as celebrity publications were nearing deadline for print on Friday, November 16, 2007, editors were notified in writing by INF and Mr. Cruise's attorneys that legal action would be taken if any of the pictures were published.

Web sites like Just Jared immediately removed the photos. Even the syndicated celebrity news web sites complied. In fact, initial sources cited for this article had to be cut as they disappeared in a matter of hours.

However there is a photo on Huffington Post and another on Film School Rejects if they have not been deleted by the time this article prints.

Two questions come to mind with this latest celebrity fiasco:

Why is Tom Cruise so irate?

Just how powerful is the Cruise empire?

One, it is admittedly frustrating that a celebrity cannot have any sort of secret but that is an obvious fact of life for a media superstar like Tom Cruise. Tom has not kept a low profile and should not be surprised that his movie role was discovered. Cruise is fodder for this very thing and the diligent paparazzi are always waiting with their long camera lenses.

Two, it is alarming how quickly the legally obtained photos were squelched. With this kind of almighty long-reach, the resources of Mr. Cruise may have been better focused in preventing the photos from being taken in the first place. Film sets can be closed and guarded. When a cameo appearance needs to be protected for the integrity of a movie, the budget surely covers the security cost of making that happen. Alternative filming methods could have been employed. Cruise could have taken personal measures to ensure his anonymity.

Instead, the photos were taken and released to the media. Tom Cruise is making an issue of it which will bring even more media and public attention to the incident. That raises two more questions:

Has Tom Cruise run out of publicity stunts?

Why doesn't he just let it go and let it die?

On the first count, the parade of celebrities donning fat suits would seem to never end. Tom may be trying to stay in the news, but wearing a fat suit isn't funny or unique anymore. It's desperate. The only reason to do it is for publicity.

Secondly, sending out the legal thugs with protection orders doesn't do anything to quiet the situation. All it does is reinforce the idea that Tom Cruise is no longer a fun-loving team player. He thinks he makes the rules.

One more strike against Tom.

sources:
Larry Carroll, "Tom Cruise's 'Tropic Thunder' Fat-Suit Photo Leaks Online", MTV.com
Courtney Hazlett, "Tom Cruise's fat suit fracas", msnbc.com
The Internet Movie Database
"Tom Cruise Dons Fat Suit", Just Jared.com
Just Jared, "Tom Cruise Dons Bald Patch and Fat Suit for New Role", The Huffington Post
Neil Miller, "Tom Cruise Rocks a Fat Suit for Stiller's 'Tropic Thunder'", filmschoolrejects.com