TORONTO -- Tom Cruise loves Toronto and, if yesterday was any indication, the feeling is mutual.
After a day of private media interviews, including with The Sun, and a tumultuous appearance at MuchMusic, where he hugged fans and waded into the frenzied crowd, Cruise wrapped up his whirlwind visit with a breezy press conference.
Naturally, someone asked him about returning to Toronto -- in this case to promote the Dec. 14 release of the romantic thriller Vanilla Sky -- and the affable megastar lit up.
"It's exciting to be back," Cruise said. "I love it." Asked if had fond memories, Cruise said: "Yeah, I do. I was getting my pilot's licence while Nic (his former actress wife Nicole Kidman) was shooting To Die For here, so I've flown over this city many times and I enjoyed the flying that I did here and the walks I had here and going to hockey games and going to the baseball Opening Day."
This time around, Cruise is sharing his visit with his new girlfriend and Vanilla Sky co-star Penelope Cruz, as well as the film's writer-director Cameron Crowe. The trio is doing an intense press tour of Toronto, Chicago and Dallas.
Cruise was playful when asked what he would do on a hot date with only $10 U.S. to spend. "Well," Cruise said, looking at Cruz, "what are we going to do?" She giggled and Cruise answered the question. "I'll tell you what I like -- getting a couple of hamburgers, going to the beach and looking at the stars. I love that."
As for Cruz herself, Cruise said: "She's a lovely woman and a lovely person." Cruz was even more demure on Cruise. Even in the solo Sun interview, she discreetly stuck to their working life together, preferring to describe what he was like on set.
"He was really generous with the other actors and with everyone in the crew and he worked really, really hard (as both co-star and co-producer). Everyone else had a good time working. It was a very, very good experience."
VITALS - TOM CRUISE
Birth name: Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Born: July 3, 1962 at Syracuse, New York
Height: 5-foot-7
Marriage status: Twice-divorced, two children
Mimi Rogers: May 9, 1987-90
Nicole Kidman: Dec. 24, 1990-Aug. 8, 2001
Member of the Church of Scientology.
Has three sisters: Marian, Lee Anne and Cass
(1991) Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world.
At age 14, he enrolled in a seminary to become a priest -- he dropped out after one year.
Is right-handed when writing, but does most things left-handed.
(1990) Chosen as People's Sexiest Man Alive.
(May 2001) Filed a $100-million defamation lawsuit against porn star Kyle Bradford, who claimed he had a homosexual affair with Cruise, although Bradford later claimed that he never said such a thing to the French magazine Actusta that supposedly quoted him.
(2001) Dating Vanilla Sky co-star Cruz, Penelope.
VITALS - PENELOPE CRUZ
Birth name: Penelope Cruz Sanchez
Born: April 28, 1974, Madrid, Spain
Height: 5-foot-6
Sometimes Credited As: Penelope Cruz or Penelope Cruz Sanchez or Penelope Cruz Sanchez
Nickname: Pe, Madonna of Madrid, Spanish enchantress
After filming Horses, she became a vegetarian.
She donated her entire Hi-Lo Country salary to the Mother Teresa children's sanctuary in Calcutta after spending a week there volunteering.
Daughter of Eduardo (merchant) and Encarna (hairdresser).
Sister, Monica.
Brother, Eduardo.
(2001) Dating Tom Cruise.
She was named after the song Penelope by Joan Manuel Serrat.
More Artists
