‘I Didn’t Mean To.’ How One Of Tom Cruise’s Co-Stars Broke His Nose During A Sex Scene

When you think of Tom Cruise on set, you probably picture precision, control, and maybe a few death-defying stunts. But according to one of his co-stars, one of his most painful on-set moments didn’t come from a new action movie sequence. It came from a sex scene gone sideways, which left the actor with a broken nose.
During a recent interview shared by Page Six Radio on YouTube, actress Gina Gershon opened up about filming the classic ’80s romp Cocktail and revealed one moment that was meant to be playful ended with Cruise taking a knee directly to the face. Gershon explained that the scene in question was her first-ever sex scene, and by her account, he couldn’t have been more supportive, even after the face-smooshing. She explained:
It sounds like a pretty standard bit of on-set collaboration, and long before movies had on-set intimacy coordinators to help with such sequences. No matter how much actors work together to try and make moments feel natural, and maybe even a little fun, things can always get a bit unpredictable. According to Gershon, the turning point came when Cruise tried to elicit a more genuine reaction from her, though he unfortunately picked the exact wrong method. She continued:
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Gershon made it clear that tickling wasn’t just a minor annoyance for her, but a hard boundary thanks to an older brother’s torment, but apparently, Cruise didn’t think she was being serious. In the middle of filming, he apparently tried it again. That’s when instinct took over, and she kneed him in the face.
But, per Gershon’s account, the Top Gun icon took it like a champ. She added:
Not exactly the kind of on-screen chemistry you plan for, but to his credit, the Mission Impossible leading man handled it like a pro. Instead of getting upset, he immediately took the blame and tried to ease Gina Gershon’s panic, all while clearly dealing with a very real injury.
It’s a small moment, but it fits with the reputation he’s built over the years as someone who takes the work seriously and looks out for his co-stars. And it’s kind of wild to think that after decades of doing death-defying stunts, one of his more painful on-set moments came from something much simpler: a tickle.