Tom Cruise has opened up about one of the most demanding sequences he has ever filmed — a 10-minute, single-take monologue in his upcoming film 'Digger' — calling it his favourite scene from the project and describing the experience as a 'dance' between himself, the camera, and director Alejandro Iñárritu.

How the scene came together

Cruise made the revelation during a conversation with Indian actress Avneet Kaur, a glimpse of which Kaur shared on Instagram. In the clip, the Hollywood veteran described the monologue as a feat of collaborative precision, crediting Iñárritu's staging for making the unbroken take possible.

'That's a 10-minute monologue. That's one shot. That's just all one take,' Cruise said. He added that he only performed the scene a handful of times before it was locked. 'I just showed up, he's like, showed all this stuff and then I just did it. That's my favourite scene from the film.'

A character unlike any Cruise has played before

Beyond the technical challenge, Cruise emphasised how unusual the role itself is for him. 'I've never read a character like this. I've never played a character like this. And that's it. We just keep learning and keep creating,' he said.

The actor also revealed that playing 'Digger' required him to develop a distinct voice for the character and to wear a fat suit — described as 'quite heavy' — that shaped his movement and physicality on set. 'The amount of preparation for something like that... and it's all one take,' he noted, underlining the challenge of sustaining both physical and comedic timing under those conditions.

What Cruise said about Iñárritu and the craft

Cruise was effusive about working with Alejandro Iñárritu, the Oscar-winning director known for technically ambitious films. 'To be every day on set with the actors, to work with Alejandro, he's such an outrageous character,' he said.

Describing the rhythm of the monologue sequence, Cruise drew an analogy to performance as choreography: 'You know the beats to play and Alejandro is staging this perfectly. And it is that, it is a dance.' He added that executing the monologue required a fusion of comedic timing, dramatic timing, and physical movement — all sustained across a single, uninterrupted take.

Cruise on the film's emotional weight

Stepping back from the mechanics, Cruise called 'Digger' the most original film he has ever read and described it as deeply moving. 'It's the most original film I've ever read. And such a moving movie. One of the most moving films I've seen. And that's to be able to play this kind of character was a privilege,' he said.

The film, directed by Iñárritu, arrives with considerable anticipation given both the director's track record and Cruise's remarks about its emotional and artistic ambition. A release date has not yet been announced publicly.