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BEN STILLER - CRUISE WANTED FAT, BALDING STUDIO HEAD ROLE
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CRUISE WANTED FAT, BALDING STUDIO HEAD ROLE
The idea of playing a fat, balding movie executive in BEN STILLER's new comedy TROPIC THUNDER was all TOM CRUISE's.
The actor is largely unrecognisable in the new film and Stiller admits he had to do nothing to get the movie icon into a fat suit.
The funnyman explains, "The role was his idea. It wasn't even in the script. I didn't have to persuade him.
"Tom is amazing. We'd be talking about the characters, and in the middle of the conversation he'd say something like, `My character should have these giant hands.'
"I seriously believe the man is a movie savant."
17 July 2008 22:11
Also see: Ben Stiller - Tom Cruise
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Haha...yeah, I think I saw a picture of Cruise in that suit a while back.
Didn't even recognize him, and I'm looking forward to checking him out in the flick.
Stiller and Downey Jr. too, of course...
Savant syndrome—sometimes abbreviated as savantism—is not a recognized medical diagnosis,
but researcher Darold Treffert defines it as a rare condition in which persons with
developmental disorders (including autism spectrum disorders) have one or more areas
of expertise, ability or brilliance that are in contrast with the individual's overall
limitations. Treffert says the condition can be genetic, but can also be acquired,and
coexists with other developmental disabilities "such as mental retardation or brain
injury or disease that occurs before (pre-natal) during (peri-natal) or after birth
(post-natal), or even later in childhood or adult life."
Individuals with the syndrome are often simply called savants. This can be a source
of confusion since savant can also mean a person of learning, especially one of great
knowledge in a particular subject. The terms idiot savant or autistic savant are
also used. "Idiot" was used by the medical profession in the late 19th and early 20th
century to refer to a person whose IQ was less than 20, although that usage has now
given way to "profound mental retardation"; the term idiot savant is no longer regarded
as a valid medical term.


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