Tom Cruise in Brazil turns reporters into fans

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Tom Cruise may sometimes confuse his countries, but he’s winning fans among Brazil’s press corps.

A news conference to promote his movie “Valkyrie” turned into something of a fan club meeting when a journalist said he promised his niece he would get a photo with Cruise. The actor immediately obliged.

That prompted another journalist to squeeze under a barrier for a photo. Guards stopped other reporters from doing the same.

Cruise says he’s enjoying his five-day Brazil trip, but sometimes stumbled over differences between Latin American nations

He thanked one questioner with the Spanish “gracias” — though Brazilians speak Portuguese. And he said he enjoys the tango — the traditional dance of neighboring Argentina.

(Source: The Associated Press)