Tom Cruise's 'Samurai'

Everything about the new movie "The Last Samurai" is big. The budget was a reported $140 million. Battle scenes are filled with hundreds of elaborately costumed extras. And, of course, it features one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Tom Cruise.

Blades of steel meet nerves of steel in "The Last Samurai." Cruise plays a Civil War hero who travels overseas to train the Japanese army. After his capture by rebel Samurai warriors, he comes to know and love their ancient culture.

While the actor has become accustomed to adoring fans and praise from Hollywood, he recently received one honor that took him a bit by surprise.

With a Marie Claire magazine in hand, The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen points out it is the first time the magazine has ever put a man on its cover -- and that man is Tom Cruise.

"That's pretty cool," Cruise says, "They could not have made a better choice."

Modestly he says, "What happens is no one buys it and that'll be the end of that," and laughs.

But that is unlikely, especially since the photo shows off the muscular physique that Cruise attained through intense training for "The Last Samurai." He also gained some weight.

He says, "It was about 25 pounds that I had. I've lost it since then. It was pretty much muscle."

The training involved sword work "to build up my forearms and my shoulders. It was, really, changing my entire body."

"The Last Samurai" examines the challenge of keeping one's integrity in a chaotic world.

Cruise says, "I think a man does what he can until his destiny is revealed."

He notes anyone with a position of power or celebrity faces the temptation to not live life with integrity.

He says, "It has its challenges. But for me, it's always been about the work, about making movies. It's something that I've wanted to do and so the choices are actually pretty easy. You know, I've made the choices, what I feel is right – and for not only myself, but for my family and the people around me."

Cruise says his focus comes from what he believes.

"I'm a Scientologist and those things have helped me in my life, but I definitely want to set a good example for my children. I want to be happy. I want to do things. It's not an effort to really do the right thing. It.s just (that) there are choices that you have to make in life and for me, I'm lucky enough to be able to have the life that I have."

Even though Cruise is now divorced from Nicole Kidman, it's clear their children remain a top priority.

He says, "I'm there for them, whenever they need me. They know that. One thing that I've done with them is that I've never told them that I would do something and then not done it. I've never said, 'Oh, I'm going to be there at that point' and then not done it. I mean, literally in their entire lives, I've never done that. So when I tell them, 'It's going to be O.K., I promise,' They know, 'Oh, O.K., any time he's promised something, he's always delivered,' so they know that. They know that with me."

The pretty woman by Cruise's side these days is actress Penelope Cruz - his girlfriend of the past two years. While Kidman is no longer with him on the red carpet, Cruise says she'll always hold a special place in his heart.

Asked what his fondest memory of Kidman is, Cruise says, "Well, there are many. When you have shared kids together, there's just so many times of the laughter and the things we had. Those times when she's holding our child for the first time, those moments. There are many, many moments that I'll never forget"

He says they are hard to narrow down and with a big smile he adds, "I think I'll keep some of those for myself."