Tom Cruise Talks 'Rock Of Ages,' Glee Club And Singing In Front Of Def Leppard In 'Playboy' Interview

Tom Cruise will be the first to admit that he isn't a singer, but his years in glee club at least taught him a thing or two about holding a note.

In an interview with Playboy magazine, Cruise opens up about his new film "Rock of Ages" and singing for Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott.

In "Rock of Ages," Cruise plays Stacee Jaxx, a rock star with a catalogue full of classic ’80s hair metal hits, like Def Leppard's “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and Bon Jovi's "Wanted (Dead or Alive)." Before production, Cruise worked with Axl Rose’s vocal coach to get his vocal chords ready for some serious belting

"It’s like learning a new sport or a skill for a character," Cruise told the magazine. "I had to find out how to move air through the vocal cords and where to place it in my head, in the chest. It’s something you have to do every day to strengthen your voice."

However, Cruise's toughest challenge came on his first day of filming, when he sang in front of Def Leppard. (Talk about being thrown in the deep end.) Frontman Elliott had some not-so-nice things to say to the actor. Luckily, the rockstar's nasty comments were all in good fun.

“The lead singer, Joe Elliott, points at me and goes, 'F--- you! F--- you!,'" he said. "Then I saw big smiles on their faces, and I realized I’d gotten their stamp. It was a very cool moment. It was important they knew I was honoring their music and not making fun of them.”

Listen to a snippet of Cruise's "Pour Some Sugar on Me" below. "Rock of Ages" hits theaters on June 15. For more with Cruise, click on over to Playboy.com.

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