“I knew while I was in the room that something incredibly special was happening,” the “House of the Dragon” star says.

Emma D’Arcy hypes up Digger with ‘phenomenal’ Tom Cruise: ‘It’s unparalleled’ (exclusive)

"I knew while I was in the room that something incredibly special was happening," the "House of the Dragon" star says.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in Vanity Fair, Vulture, IGN, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

May 27, 2026 12:00 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Emma D'Arcy and Tom Cruise. Credit:

Samir Hussein/WireImage; Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

- Emma D'Arcy talks the "unparalleled" *Digger* with the film's "phenomenal" Tom Cruise performance.

- The *House of the Dragon* star recalls taking notes on set whenever they weren't shooting.

- "I knew while I was in the room that something incredibly special was happening," D'Arcy says.

What could add even more heat to *Digger*, the upcoming film touting a transformative Tom Cruise performance and the filmmaking talents of Alejandro G. Iñárritu? How about a *House of the Dragon* star?

Following the season 3 premiere of the *Game of Thrones* prequel drama this summer, Emma D'Arcy will appear on screen in what has been pegged as "a comedy of catastrophic proportions." The actor behind Rhaenyra Targaryen hypes up the film in an interview with ** for a *House of the Dragon* digital cover story.

"It's sort of unparalleled, and Tom Cruise is phenomenal," D'Arcy says. "I'm very excited. I haven't seen it, but I knew while I was in the room that something incredibly special was happening. I would've gone there and shot nothing. I would've been happy just to stand at the door and ogle at that process."

Plot details are still scarce, but Cruise plays billionaire Digger Rockwell. According to early reports, the movie is about how the most powerful man in the world incites a global disaster and then races to prove himself to be the savior of humanity. Digger also stars John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed, Sophie Wilde, and Michael Stuhlbarg.

Tom Cruise in 'Digger'.

Cruise's physical transformation hasn't been publicly released, but an early teaser showed him through a blacked-out silhouette. Footage released at CinemaCon in Las Vegas earlier this year drew further buzz.

"This kind of movie is why I wanted to make movies…I have to say, it took 40 years for me to be able to put on the boots of Digger Rockwell," Cruise said during the Warner Bros. panel in mid-April.

'House of the Dragon' stars fire up EW's exclusive season 3 cover shoot

'House of the Dragon' season 3 trailer goes all in on fire and blood

D'Arcy describes the experience as "one of those career moments where the whole time it's happening, you can't believe it."

"I had my notebook with me, and anytime that I wasn't shooting, I was just trying to make notes about how Alejandro [and] Tom were working, about that process, about the extraordinary rigor that Alejandro brings to every element of his work," they say.

Emma D'Arcy for EW's 'House of the Dragon' season 3 cover shoot.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

In addition to *House of the Dragon*, which returns June 21 with season 3 on HBO, D'Arcy is currently in Texas shooting indie film *Parachute* from writer/director Annie Silverstein (*Bull*). The indie is set on a drop zone and tackles how military veterans use skydiving to treat PTSD and chronic pain.

"I've jumped three times and, unfortunately, can confirm it's amazing," D'Arcy says. "I don't know what we do with the knowledge that jumping out of an airplane is really amazing. If I lived out here, I have no doubt that I would be working towards my solo license, but I have a terrible track record for injury."

*Digger* will open in theaters on Oct. 2.

- Comedy Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Comedy”