How Kazu Hiro Transformed Tom Cruise Into ‘Digger’ With Prosthetics for His Belly, Nose and Chin

Kazu Hiro transformed Tom Cruise into Digger, an ageing Texas oil tycoon, for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film. The role calls for Cruise to appear markedly different from his familiar action-star image, with jowls, thinning hair, a dishevelled look and a belly; Digger’s company also causes a potential global catastrophe.

The full-coverage design used 12 prosthetic pieces, with the final look combining elements from three designs after Iñárritu changed Digger’s age to 67. Makeup application took two and a half hours on the second test day, and Hiro says the finished routine took about two hours and 15 minutes, including hair and wig work. For shirtless scenes, Cruise wore a prosthetic belly; under suits, it was attached to spandex rather than glued to his body.