Tom Cruise punched Jack Nicholson on set of most famous film, co-star claims
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Actor Kevin Pollak has revealed Tom Cruise landed a blow on Jack Nicholson while filming their most tense – and iconic – scene for A Few Good Men, but it’s not what it sounds like.
Recalling his time on the set of the 1992 legal drama on Steve Kmetko’s Still Here Hollywood podcast, Pollak said watching his A-list co-stars act out the famous “You can’t handle the truth!” courtroom scene was incredibly charged.
Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise in their most iconic scene from A Few Good Men. Columbia Pictures
“When Tom’s character, Kaffee, comes in for the kill – ‘I want the truth’ – well, while he’s coming in and the camera is next to Jack’s face, shooting Jack’s POV of Tom and Jack has to put his face as close as he can to [the] lens,” Pollak said.
“And Tom’s coming in, camera shooting, and this is what Tom’s looking at during the scene.”
Pollak mimicked Nicholson’s outrageous clown impression, then continued, “Jack is doing this, making the most ridiculous clown face you’ve ever seen”.
“And Tom stayed in the pocket and finished the scene and then punched Jack Nicholson in the shoulder.”
Fortunately, the punch was in good humour and both stars started laughing as soon as the cameras stopped rolling, breaking the tension on set.
Cruise and Pollack played Lieutenants Daniel Kaffee and Sam Weinberg, while Nicholson starred as Colonel Nathan R Jessep in the film.
The Oscar-nominated classic was written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by the late Rob Reiner.
Hollywood legends Rob and wife Michele Reiner were killed in December 2025. Their own son Nick Reiner, 33, is accused of stabbing his parents to death.
Michele and Rob Reiner were allegedly stabbed to death in their home last December. NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx/AP via CNN
In June, Pollock remembered the joy Rob brought to the set of even his most intense films like A Few Good Men.
“The big thing with Rob was just, if we’re not having fun, there’s no point in any of this. And he said that while we’re doing a very intense courtroom drama,” he told People.
Clearly that attitude extended to Cruise and Nicholson, who were clearly having fun even while filming some of their most heated scenes.
Cruise, Demi Moore and Kevin Pollak starred together in A Few Good Men. Columbia Pictures
Despite his massive star power, Cruise has developed a reputation for being pretty easy-going behind the scenes during filming.
Just ask his Digger co-star Sandra Hüller.
Cruise wore padding and prosthetics that made him almost unrecognisable for the film and caught her by surprise when he turned up one day makeup-free.
Cruise surprised his Digger co-stars with how easy he was to work with. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty
Unprepared to suddenly see the actual, un-disguised Tom Cruise standing right in front of her, Hüller startled, lost her footing on a rolling chair, and ended up on the floor.
“It was really embarrassing – I literally fell off the chair,” she told nine.com.au
“I just literally fell off, and I’m still dying thinking about it.”
Cruise seemed to exceed the expectations all of his co-stars, including that of fellow Hollywood stalwart John Goodman, who finally worked with him after 30 years in the industry.
“Everything I heard about him is not enough – he’s incredible, he’s a wonderful man,” told nine.com.au.
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