Names and faces

■ Tom Cruise made an expletive-laden rant at colleagues on the set of his latest “Mission: Impossible” movie, after he reportedly spotted two workers failing to respect social distancing rules. In audio released by the Sun tabloid, the 58-yearold Hollywood star can be heard warning that anyone caught not following the rules to stay at least six feet away from others will be fired. “If I see you doing it again, you’re f***ing gone and if anyone on this crew does it, that’s it,” he is heard saying on the audio recorded during filming in Britain. “That’s it. No apologies.” During his outburst at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, which is about 30 miles north of London, Cruise cataloged the difficulties he and everyone in the film industry are facing during the coronavirus pandemic. The timing of the outburst was not clear, though the Sun said production of the movie returned to Britain two weeks ago. Many movies have either been delayed until after the pandemic is over or because of covid-related delays on set, including the seventh installment of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. During his outburst, Cruise noted the higher costs for insuring a movie during the pandemic. He also voices his concerns about the direct impact on families and their ability to pay bills if the movie shuts down. “That’s what I sleep with every night,” he said. “Do you understand the responsibility that you have?”

■ Australian actor Craig McLachlan was cleared in court Tuesday of allegations he indecently assaulted his stage co-stars in 2014. The 55-year-old had been charged with seven counts of indecent assault and six of common law assault against four women during a run of the musical “Rocky Horror Show” in Melbourne. Magistrate Belinda Wallington dismissed all 13 charges against McLachlan, a former star of long-running Australian TV series “Neighbours” and “Home and Away.” While Wallington wanted it known the four complainants “were brave and honest witnesses,” she said their testimonies did not prove McLachlan’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. She also rejected McLachlan’s suggestions the women colluded against him. McLachlan has denied all the allegations against him, which included that he tickled a woman’s thigh from behind while onstage. Prosecutors argued this amounted to indecent assault or, failing that, assault. Melbourne Magistrates Court was told McLachlan played tricks on the cast to make them laugh. In her decision, Wallington said the actor seemed to have thought touching his co-star this way was funny. But she could not exclude the possibility that an “egotistical self-entitled sense of humor led the accused to genuinely think that (the woman) was consenting to his actions.”

Cruise

McLachlan