Tom Cruise is set to open up about his startling transformation for his new film Digger when he joins Graham Norton for the return of The Graham Norton Show this week.

The Hollywood superstar will take to Graham’s famous red sofa to discuss his striking new role in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s apocalyptic satire, in which Cruise looks almost unrecognisable as eccentric oil tycoon Digger Rockwell.

The actor’s appearance comes just days before Digger begins its international theatrical rollout, with the film opening internationally from Wednesday, September 30, before its North American release on Friday, October 2. Warner Bros. Pictures says the film will be released in theatres and IMAX in North America, with international releases also beginning September 30.

Cruise’s transformation has already become one of the most talked-about elements of the film. Rather than the athletic action-hero image audiences have become accustomed to seeing in the Mission: Impossible films, the 64-year-old star appears as Digger with thinning grey hair, a pronounced belly, facial prosthetics and other extensive makeup designed to dramatically alter his appearance.

What is Tom Cruise’s new film Digger about?

The character is a flamboyant and powerful oil magnate whose actions help unleash an ecological disaster. According to the film’s official synopsis, Digger embarks on a frantic mission to prove he can save humanity before the catastrophe he has helped create destroys everything.

A six-hour transformation to play Digger

Cruise has revealed that becoming Digger was far more involved than simply sitting in a makeup chair for a quick change of hairstyle and costume.

The initial hair, makeup and prosthetic process reportedly took around six hours. Cruise subsequently worked with the makeup team to streamline the process, breaking down the application into individual stages and timing each one.

By repeatedly rehearsing the routine, the team eventually brought the transformation time down to less than an hour. Cruise discussed the painstaking process in a recent interview on the New Heights podcast, explaining how he approached the problem almost like another part of the filmmaking process.

The finished look includes a grey comb-over, heavier frame, facial prosthetics and a distinctive physicality that helps separate Digger from the action-star persona associated with Cruise’s biggest franchises.

The actor has previously described Digger as a particularly challenging project, saying the film presented him with something unlike anything he and Iñárritu had tackled before.

Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Iñárritu, Digger also stars Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons. The film was shot entirely in VistaVision, with Iñárritu collaborating with an acclaimed creative team that includes cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and prosthetic makeup designer Kazu Hiro.

Tom Cruise leads Graham Norton’s return this Friday

Cruise will be the headline guest as The Graham Norton Show returns for its new series on Friday, September 25.

Joining him on the sofa will be Oscar-nominated British actress Florence Pugh, who will discuss her starring role in Netflix’s new adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel East of Eden.

Comedian and actor Lolly Adefope will also appear, talking about taking to the stage as Abraham Lincoln’s wife in the critically acclaimed comedy Oh, Mary!, while John Bishop will discuss his new BBC entertainment quiz show Wisdom of the Crowd.

The evening’s musical performance comes from Emeli Sandé, who will perform her hit Read All About It, Pt. III. The singer is preparing for a UK tour celebrating 15 years of her multi-platinum debut album Our Version of Events.

For Cruise, however, much of the attention is likely to centre on the remarkable transformation that has already left audiences doing a double take.

After decades of playing characters defined by physical intensity and action spectacle, Digger sees the star deliberately disappear beneath prosthetics, costume and character work to portray a larger-than-life oil tycoon caught in an increasingly chaotic fight to save the world.

With the film arriving in UK cinemas from September 30, viewers will soon be able to see the full transformation — and find out what Cruise and Iñárritu have created behind the extraordinary new look.

The Graham Norton Show returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Friday, September 25. The BBC listing currently gives the broadcast time as 10.40pm, with the episode also set to air on BBC America in the US. Future guests include Andrew Garfield, 50 Cent and Olivia Colman.

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