Tom’s All Man

Some are calling his role in Magnolia the bravest move of his career, but what's really bothering the gossip-mongers about Tom Cruise is whether he cheated and roped in the prosthetics guys for his 'respect the cock' speech. The scene in question would suggest (how shall we put this) that Mrs Cruise is a very lucky laydee indeed, but Hollywood has been awash with rumours, following the movie's release, that Cruise might have employed the Boogie Nights technology for his appearance in tight white briefs. Well thankfully, another member of the Magnolia ensemble is only too happy to lay the rumour to rest. 'I think that was all Cruise.' William H Macy tells the April issue of Empire. 'All Cruise, all of the time.' When told of the impression the said appendage had on the Empire team, Macy quips, 'Yep, it did seem to be flopping around in there, didn't it.' Evidently the prospect of revealing his lunchbox on the big screen didn't deter Macy himself from trying for the Cruise part himself. 'That's the role I wanted,' he told our interviewer. 'I did ask Paul [Thomas Anderson] who was playing [that] part - that's the role I wanted. He said, "Tom Cruise is playing that part"...I said 'Can't you at least let me read?' The April issue of Empire goes on sale 1 March 2000.