Tom Cruise Talks Netflix and Being Intense on Set in GQ Cover Interview

Tom Cruise told GQ magazine as part of a new cover story on the “Digger” star that rumors about him being intense on movie sets are true, and he warns his co-stars upfront about it before filming starts. Movies are all about connecting “humanity,” the Oscar-nominated actor said, and he’s not afraid to be intense or foolish on sets in order to achieve this goal.

“So movies are — this is about humanity. 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,” Cruise said. “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. 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?’”

“I’m very open. It’s not like we don’t have a plan. We have scripts, we have plans, we’re going through it. But I also feel that level of responsibility for — I guess, for everyone,” Cruise continued. “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.”

To stay connected, Cruise has his phone “as far away from me as possible” whether he’s on set or off. As the actor told GQ: “I’m looking and listening, and I want the least amount of time on it. 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 is also adamant about connecting with the next generation of movie stars. The actor’s “Top Gun: Maverick” co-star Glen Powell told GQ U.K. magazine in 2024 that Cruise gave him a six-hour video to watch in which Cruise broke down film history and everything he’s learned about moviemaking over the years.

“It was just very basic. It was something to have people understand, just to have a different concept of lenses and what the lens is and what the frame is,” Cruise now told GQ about the video. “Just the same way as an actor onstage, or in the development of cinema, where it started, and what that frame means and how to understand that frame. There’s just different layers of storytelling, of structure, but also: to understand certain things so that you can forget about it.”

Cruise’s cover story was to mark his starring role in “Digger,” the latest drama from Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The role marks the actor’s first nonaction star vehicle in years and Cruise is feeling optimistic about the movie’s chances of connecting with audiences amid a strong box office turnaround in 2026.

“Hollywood has always gone through ups and downs,” he said. “If you study Hollywood, they’ve been bust and bank and broke. I’m excited. I’m very excited about where movies are … You look at how many people are going to the theaters and where we are and what they want. I’m very excited about it.”

Head over to GQ’s website to read Cruise’s cover story in its entirety.