Way Too Much Fun on "Samurai" Set
http://www.teenhollywood.com/d.asp?r=55032&cat=1027
When we recently chatted with the cast of the dramatic actioner The Last Samurai, we learned that life and death action filmming is stressful so cast members got a little crazy to relieve the tension.
Tom Cruise evidently wants a singing career. Japanese co-star Ken Watanabe who plays fierce last Samurai leader Katsumoto, joined Tom in belting out "Close to You" by the Carpenters when the director of the film repeatedly asked the two to bring their horses a bit closer before re-shooting a huge charging battle sequence.
Another fierce Samurai warrior in the film , Tom's co-star Hiroyuki Sanada once played Seymour in the play "Little Shop of Horrors" in his native Japan and burst into a chorus of "Suddenly Seymour" with Tom joining in.
Tony Goldwyn, who plays stern officer Colonel Bagley, was leading a huge charge with hundreds of horses and extras when his fake moustache started falling off! He yelled to a Japanese extra to check if it was still on. The poor terrified fellow spoke no English and thought Tony was screaming in anger at him. But, moustache flapping in the breeze, Tony finished the shot.
And you thought this was a serious movie!
John Lindsey
Oderint, dum metuant-Let them hate, so long as they fear.