Cruisin' with Tom!!!!

Ok - the day is finally here - in June 2015 I wrote this blog after spending 10 hours with Tom Cruise. I planned to save it until the movie came out. Having worked in television news for decades - I don't get starstruck - but it was hard not to get starstruck today since he is my #1 laminated Hollywood list crush!!! So after more than two years of waiting - I'll see on 9/29/17 if I'm officially Tom's co-star! Either way - experience of a lifetime - can't wait to see AMERICAN MADE! CRUISIN' WITH TOM by Lisa Lossie My husband said if he didn’t marry me, he hoped to marry a B type Hollywood actress. Someone kinda sorta famous who wouldn’t cause too much of a ruckus, but famous enough to a score a last minute table at a trendy restaurant or get recognized on the kiss cam at a local sports game. So when I showed up at his office on June 25, 2015 with fabulous hair and two booster seats in hand, the joke was about to become a reality. “You’re going WHERE and I have to do WHAT?” he asked starring at me in bewilderment. I’m heading to Midtown to star in a movie with Tom Cruise. Yes, mega super star THE Thomas Cruiser Mapother IV, known to zillions of adoring fans as simply Tom Cruise. With my best cheshire cat grin, “your B actress fantasy just got an upgrade, babe, Don’t forget to pick up the kids.” Of all things, actress I am not. Never dreamed of being one or acted a single day in my life except for the gig as Fair Ellen in the 4th grade school play. For two decades I was a serious news journalist who graduated from the Edward R. Murrow School of Journalism, interviewed former President Bill Clinton, flew with the Blue Angels, shot a news campaign at Miramar Air Base in San Diego at sunrise, very Top Gun style I have to admit. Ok, see a pattern? Now as a magazine writer, I was determined to get an interview with Tom Cruise, filming his new drama American Made, minutes from my Milton home. And total never gonna happen bonus, shall we bbq and do lunch? Suri can swim with my kids! At this point, you can probably tell, I may just a little obsessed with Tom. Forget the couch jumping and Scientology stuff, I’m not a starstruck kinda gal but he has always been my #1 on my laminated Hollywood list and I’m convinced he would have had me at hello if we only had the chance to say hello. His peeps keep a tight ship around this guy, if I can’t get an interview with THE MAN, maybe I could get cast as an extra in the film and get a few questions answered. My Risky Business sounded more like Mission Impossible. On a random Thursday morning, I rolled out of bed in my tank top and shorts, brushed my teeth and shuttled three kiddies to three activities in three different towns. Settled in at my computer with a nice cup of coffee ready to crank out some articles. After checking in with my top secret Tom Cruise sources, I checked Central Casting Atlanta and with a wild hair, submitted my info and snap for an extra role. Five minutes later my phone was blowing up, how fast can I be in Midtown to shoot a scene with Tom Cruise? If he’s sending his Gulf Stream to get me, super fast, otherwise pretty darn fast! What should I wear, hair, make-up, I was wake-up Milton Mom gym ready besides fabulous hair from a 3 day old Dry Bar blow out! Driving to the address they gave me, with racing heart, I parked my car and followed the yellow signs to WTM as they instructed me. I was seriously thinking it stood for What The... when a black Mercedes van pulled up, the doors opened and a guy said, “Welcome To Mena, hop in!” They have since changed the name of the movie to American Made. Arriving at the location on Spring Street, I noticed Tom’s pimped out Escalade parked right in front. Yes, he’s here! I was greeted and given paperwork to fill out. No photography, no cell phone, no talking to the talent, they meant business and the hundred or so security guards meant to enforce it. I was escorted to hair and make-up and told it was 1984 and I was playing a White House aide. Like totally awesome for this 80’s girl! They gave me a puffy sleeved ivory blouse with orange and green stripes and a velour chocolate brown pencil skirt. The fabulous hair I rocked from three day old Dry Bar wasn’t 1984 White House Chic so they slicked mine back into a low ponytail, did my make-up with a sweep of lovely blue eyeshadow. Not quite the look I was going for to make a first impression on Tom, but I’m sure he would understand, I AM in character. I was then escorted to the “extra holding pen” to wait, and wait and wait. Fruit, chips, pretzels, candy and cheese balls were brought in by the truckload to keep the extras happy. Seriously, I’m about to meet Tom Cruise, do I risk eating cheeseballs? So about 60 of us sat and waited and waited and waited. “You,” someone yelled shattering the silence, “... and you, and you too,” come with me. YES I was one of the “you’s!” We walked around the building and went downstairs. There were about ten of us lined up. “Ok, the first five, come with me, the rest of you, pick an animal name?” Someone yelled Tiger! “Ok, you guys are the Tigers, if we need more, we’ll we say Tigers, got it?” I was thinking, oh crapola, I missed my chance, I’m a Tiger and the others are filming with Tom Cruise. Shortly after getting back to the holding pen, we were loaded up on buses to head to lunch. Lunch was an elaborate spread at American Made Camp. Tom’s trailer, Doug Liman’s trailer, and the cinemetographers trailer were all there along with a ginormous spread of darn good food. At this point, extras started loosing up. The first question, what have you done? What have you done, like this morning, in my whole life, oh, films, what have I done. Nothing. They looked at me, Nothing???? Nope, nothing. My new extra pals had made the circuit. Film hopping from one to the next, hoping for a featured part, maybe a speaking role, half of them were heading to Captain America tomorrow. Me, I have 6 Emmy Awards on my living room shelve but not one for acting. Getting back from lunch, it was now 7.5 hours in the holding pen with one failed casting attempt, successfully resisting the cheese balls and no sightings of Tom. I was about to leave and call this extra gig quits when they called TIGERS! I jumped out of my seat like a jungle cat on the prowl, followed the crew downstairs, through a hallway and down more stairs. Last in line I would not be. My 7.5 hours of extra experience taught me this is cut-throat even at the lowest levels. When we got outside the room, they told us to be quiet because “they” were rehearsing. With dozens of security guards and crew members outside the door, I heard him before I could see him, that low sultry unmistakeable voice that was just so Tom. Then, there he was, standing 8 feet from me, looking every bit as good as the Tom Cruise he looks like on the big screen. After working in television for two decades, I have met hundreds of celebrities, sports stars and politicians, at last I was truly star struck. Tom walked out of the room and Director Doug Limon scouted out the crowd of extras. “You and you,” he said and pointed to go inside the room. We made eye contact, “Me please!” I managed to squeak out and he ushered me inside the room. Score one for the rooky! The senior extra shot me a wink from across the table! So here we were in a White House briefing room with actor Oliver North and actress Fawn Hall and a fake Senator. We were passing around pictures of El Gordo, aka Barry, the biggest drug traffikar on the planet played by Tom Cruise. Doug walks into the room and pats me on the shoulder, “Don’t get too starstruck kid, when he’s in here kid, remember, he’s in character,” he warns. Then HE walks in the room. Wearing tight fitting Wrangler Jeans, cowboy boots, a cowboy style long sleeve blue button up, a silver watch with turquiose detailing and a smile to die for, he looks me in the eye, “Hi, I’m Tom, how are you?” He had me at “hi”, not quite the memorable line I had hoped for but “hi” will work. “I’m so nervous,” I managed to say.

“Don’t worry,” he said as he pats me on the shoulders, “I do this all the time!” Ok, seriously Tom Cruise and I were conversing! Darn, violated rule number one, but he did talk to me first! The scene goes down a dozen times, Tom isn’t liking it. He is intense, in the moment, in character. Wow, he is darn good. We are cleared from the room, when we come back, the cameras are rearranged and Tom is sitting next to me. We lock eyes and he winks. Across the table is Oliver North, Fawn Hall and the fake senator, I look up and smile an uncomfortable smile, and they all smile back. There are 12 people plus the director, cinematographer, security and assistants all in a 12 feet by 12 feet room. The scene starts again, a dozen more takes, Tom still isn’t feeling it. “What are these people doing? Someone needs to look at me or something,” he says. Director Doug Liman looks at me, “You! What’s your name?” I can barely choke it out. When Oliver North says biggest drug traffiker on the planet, you, Lisa, look from the picture to Barry, got it.” “Yes Sir.” He looks at me again, “Ok what’s your line?” “Biggest drug traffiker on the planet, look at Barry (aka Tom Cruise). “Ok, let’s roll,” says Liman. Calm blue ocean, big deep breathe, you’re just shooting a scene with Tom Cruise, think Nicole Kidman, Renee Zelwegger, Kelly Preston, you know you’re just a typical leading lady. Then I hear Oliver North. They’re saying my line, they’re saying my line, I look at the picture and then look over my shoulder with my best non-actress, non-trained, never in my life done anything like this big screen stare with Tom freakin’ Cruise. Six inches from his face I am starring into his eyes, they’re big, they’re green they’re intense, his eyes are locking with mine, there is such intensity in his face, there is such shock in mine. I am starring at Tom Cruise and he is staring back at me, oh take my breathe away, he had me at hello, this mission if you chose to accept, seriously is this for real???? “Alright, alright, just a glance, you don’t have to stare at him that long,” says Liman. We do the scene several more times. If only I had an incling I would be shooting a scene inches away from Tom Cruise’s face I would have packed a breath mint and some face powder. Then it was over and we were told to leave the room and we were put in another holding pen. I am now the extra superstar about to become the banter of extra legend. “Whoa, stuff like that just doesn’t happen, you got the money shot,” I was told over and over again. I couldn’t quit walk and I couldn’t really speak. Here I am, Real Mom of Milton by morning and Tom Cruise co-star at 10:30pm that very same night. I met Tom Cruise, we had a conversation, I filmed a shot with him and our eyes locked 2 inches apart. Just pinch me and shoot me. We are on a closed set, no pictures, no autographs, nothing but my memory. If only I could invent the technology to take a print from a snapshot in my mind, this is one moment I never want to forget. We went back into the room and filmed for a couple of more hours. Then it was done and Tom walked out flashing that smile that broke so many hearts. I gave back my ’80’s wardrobe, had my voucher signed to get my paycheck and boarded the WTM bus back to reality. I didn’t get my interview and I don’t have a selfie - but what was I really going to ask Tom anyway, how do you like your tea, sweet or unsweet? About the Writer: Lisa Lukas Lossie is a
 6 time Emmy Award Winning Television Writer/Producer. After a 20 year plus career in television news as an anchor - reporter - writer - producer - she is now a stay at home Mom to her three Chunkies. She now writes freelance articles for local and national magazines and co-stars with Tom when she is free!