TOM CRUISE

The star plays World War II Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg in World War II thriller Valkyrie, about the German soldier's plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944.

Cruise often fantasised about fulfilling his character's goal as a youngster - but only learned how difficult the murder would be after he took on the role.

He says, "I always wanted to kill Hitler; I hated him. As a child studying history and looking at documents, I wondered, why didn't someone try and stop it?

"When I read the script, it was entertaining and informative to know what the challenges were and what it was like to be in the environment."

And despite several controversies delaying the film's release to Christmas Day last year (25Dec08), Cruise insists he enjoyed shooting the movie: "It turned out to be an incredible adventure, just to be there and shoot at these locations that Stauffenberg was. It was a very powerful experience and hopefully it will communicate with the audience.

"It has certainly influenced my life, just knowing that there were people who tried to stop him (Hitler)."

Source: WENN