Tom Cruise is owning his reputation for being “intense” on set.
The 64-year-old star, currently promoting his dark comedy Digger, told GQ that he warns co-stars about his demanding style before cameras roll. He framed the trait as an open invitation rather than a hidden flaw, asking collaborators directly what kind of experience they want from the production.
“So movies are — this is about humanity,” Cruise said in the GQ interview. “I have nothing against cable or TV or Netflix. I think it’s great. Create jobs and everything. But what I like about cinema is it is all of us coming together in a room and sharing an experience.”
The actor traced his intensity back to childhood. “Even when I was a kid, they were like, ‘Oh, come on, Tom. You’re so intense.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know what to say. I am intense.’ [Laughs.] I got a very good sense of humor about it, but it was like: When I’m interested in something, I want to learn it. I want to understand it. And you want to blast through the confusion and build up that ability.”
Cruise emphasized that his approach comes with full transparency. “When I’m working with people, I’m not afraid to, as I’m acting, to look foolish, to do it. It’s like: That’s not what this is about. It’s finding our tone, finding these tools together and having an experience. And look, I work hard, and people that work with me, they know. I expect a lot and I’m upfront about it.”
He then delivered the blunt pitch he makes to colleagues: “It’s like: ‘The rumors are true. And do you want this?’ I’m like, ‘Trust me, the rumors are true. I’ll be here before you. What experience do you want?'”
The Mission: Impossible star also detailed his aversion to digital communication during production. He keeps his phone “as far away from me as possible” and instructs his team to skip lengthy written updates entirely.
“I’m looking and listening, and I want the least amount of time on it,” he explained. “And my crew and people know it’s like, ‘Don’t send me a detailed email. Come talk to me.’ I like to talk to people.”
Cruise’s next project marks a sharp turn from his action-hero persona. Digger, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu of Birdman and The Revenant fame, casts him as a powerful oil tycoon who caused an environmental catastrophe and then scrambles to recast himself as humanity’s savior. The satire is scheduled for theatrical release on Oct. 2.
The actor also has a sequel to Days of Thunder in pre-production, with Anne Hathaway, 42, set as his co-star for a June 2028 release.