Tom Cruise’s co-stars be warned – the Mission Impossible actor has one request from his future colleagues: that they’re as committed as he is.
The famously intense actor has starred in Hollywood hits Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, and last year, the four-time Oscar nominee received an honorary Academy Award for his work in film.
In a rare sit-down interview, Cruise opened up about his work ethic and what he expects from those on his film sets ahead of the release of Digger, a black comedy directed by Alejandro Iñárritu.
In a discussion with GQ, the 64-year-old said: “I work hard, and people that work with me, they know. I expect a lot and I’m up-front about it. It’s like: ‘The rumours are true. And do you want this?’”
When asked whether he really says that, Cruise replied: “Yes! We’re there. I’m like, ‘Trust me, the rumours are true. I’ll be here before you. What experience do you want?’ And I’m very open.”
He added that from a young age, he’s been told that he’s “so intense” to work with. “I’m like, ‘I don’t know what to say. I am intense,’” he said laughing.
“I’ve got a very good sense of humour 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 kind of build up that ability.”
The actor also revealed that when he’s not on a movie set, he’s preparing for his next film. “I’m always studying something. I’m always learning something, always. Movies don’t just start when you’re shooting it and on a movie set,” he said, adding that Iñárritu spent 10 years making Digger.
The film, set for release next month, sees Cruise dramatically transform into wealthy oil tycoon Digger Rockwell, who’s tasked with saving humanity after placing the world in peril. He stars alongside Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller and other actors in the cast.
Fans were left gobsmacked by Cruise’s appearance in the first trailer for the film, in which he appears to prosthetics, with some predicting that he could nab an Oscar for his performance in the kooky project.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the actor would be reprising his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the third sequel to his 1986 action hit Top Gun. He returned to the role back in 2022 for Top Gun: Maverick, which became the actor’s highest-grossing box office debut at the time.
