• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Actor Says He Nearly Beheaded Tom Cruise

Posted on: Saturday, 17 January 2004, 06:00 CST

Actor Hiroyuki Sanada said he came about half an inch from chopping off Tom Cruise's head with a sword while filming a fight scene for "The Last Samurai."

Sanada, who plays a samurai in the movie, said he was swinging a real sword when Cruise's mechanical horse malfunctioned and didn't fall down as planned.

"Tom's neck was right in front of me, and I tried to stop swinging my sword but it was hard to control with one hand," Sanada said.

When he finally stopped the sword, the blade was a mere half-inch from Cruise's neck, Sanada told reporters Thursday through a translator while promoting the film in Taipei.

"The film crew watching from the side all screamed because they thought Tom's head would fly off," said Sanada, using his hand to make a chopping motion to his neck.

He didn't say where or when the close call took place.

In "The Last Samurai," Cruise plays a Civil War veteran recruited to go to Japan to train soldiers to fight samurai, warriors who protected their feudal lords.

More News in this Category