Tom Cruise put on his socks again, stripped down to his shirt and recreated the dance that has become one of the most recognizable scenes in cinema. The 64-year-old actor repeated the moves from "Risky Business" in the Spirit Tunnel on "The Jennifer Hudson Show."
Cruise joined the show on September 29 while promoting his new film "Digger." Instead of simply walking through a hallway of dancing contestants and guests, he performed the choreography from the scene in which his character Joel Goodson dances in his underwear at his parents' house.
“I loved it. They had to get me out of the tunnel. I wanted to dance with more people,“ said Cruise. Then he added: “If you can't enjoy the Spirit Tunnel, you're not alive.“
Cruise remembers every frame of the scene
“Risky Business“ was released in 1983 and follows Joel Goodson – a high school student who is left home alone and gets into a series of problems. His underwear dance to “Old Time Rock and Roll“ Bob Seger's "The Last Dance" becomes an iconic moment in the film and one of Cruise's early Hollywood roles.
The actor told Jennifer Hudson that the scene is etched in his memory. "I remember shooting it. I remember every frame of that scene," he said. Cruise also remembered director Paul Brickman showing him the opening shot.
"Then I said, 'I got you. I know where to go,'" the actor said. He also explained that his movement came naturally because as a child he used to dance in his underwear when no one was watching. "Don't they all do it?" Cruise joked.
The reason is the new film “Digger“
On “The Jennifer Hudson Show“ Cruise also talked about “Digger“ - a film by Alejandro González Iñárritu, in which he plays oil tycoon Digger Rockwell. His character tries to prove that he can save the world from a catastrophe of his own making.
The cast includes Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Bullock, Emma Darcy and Jesse Plemons. Cruise described the project as “the most original film“ he has seen and as one of the most exciting productions he has participated in.
“Digger“ is scheduled to be released in North American theaters on October 2, 2026, with international distribution beginning on September 30.
Sources: People