Tom Cruise wants to reprise his "Tropic Thunder" role, with the character possibly spinning off into his own movie.

The Valkyrie star was almost unrecognisable as fat, balding, foul-mouthed studio executive Les Grossman in Stiller's Hollywood spoof, but he loved the transformation so much he is working on another project as the character.

Tom told E!: "I've started working with Ben on it, and we've kind of talked about different things to do. We were going to do some in our free time, but we haven't found the free time... yet!

"He's a fun character. I've got to talk to Ben, but there could be more to do with that guy, like a full feature film."

Meanwhile, Tom has obtained a restraining order against a military veteran who tried to hand-deliver a letter to his house three times in four days.

Edward Van Tassel, 28, has been forbidden from having any contact with the 46-year-old actor or from going anywhere near his property in Beverly Hills.

Darryl Perlin, senior deputy district attorney for Santa Barbara County, said: "He's definitely a threat. He's a celebrity stalker."

When Van Tassel was arrested after the third incident, officers discovered he had a letter addressed to Tom explaining how his movies helped him through his tour of duty.

Van Tassel's attorney, Robert Landheer, insists his client is not a stalker and the letter is not threatening.

He said: "He is not there to stalk Mr. Cruise as some sort of fan-obsessed person. He wants to enlist him in his mission to get appropriate remedies for soldiers of the Iraq war."

The police report confirmed: "Tom Cruise was a very influential person in his life and his films helped him cope with the war in Iraq."

The military veteran is currently on bail for separate incidents, which included a Halloween stunt where he turned up to a Santa Barbara radio station wearing fatigues and a mask, while carrying a gun. Three days later, he took over a freeway overpass in an effort to protest the Iraq war, causing a traffic jam.

(China Daily/Agencies December 15, 2008)