The career moment that Tom Cruise will always regret: “I absolutely could have handled that better”
With his dazzling smile and adrenaline-fueled film roles, Tom Cruise has long been one of Hollywood’s most recognisable and bankable stars. Steven Spielberg even praised him for single-handedly saving cinema with Top Gun: Maverick following the pandemic. It’s a bold claim but it was certainly backed up by some serious numbers that saw the picture become a mammoth juggernaut of a film, taking in $1.5billion so far.
In truth, for Cruise, such numbers are part of the job. His Mission: Impossible series has become the ultimate action franchise, one that is not only bolstered by his own stunts but arguably sets the tone for a whole generation of action filmmakers. With this in mind, Cruise might well be considered the ultimate Hollywood hero.
Yet, beyond the blockbuster films and awards, he has notably garnered media attention for his outspoken beliefs and sometimes erratic behaviours during television appearances. Being a star isn’t all about the work; it is also about notoriety.
His deep involvement and vocal advocacy for the Church of Scientology have often intertwined with his public image, leading to media scrutiny and public scepticism, given the reported controversial nature and alleged practices of the religious movement. Despite being often cited as a genuine and unexpectedly generous man off-set and away from the cameras, Cruise’s interactions on TV, especially regarding his beliefs and personal life, have quite often overshadowed his professional achievements, if not outright in the media discourse, then certainly among the general public.
One particular moment that has etched itself into pop culture memory was Cruise’s 2005 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. His enthusiastic couch-jumping and vehement declarations of love for actor Katie Holmes provided a spectacle that was endearing to some and excruciatingly peculiar to others, particularly the filmmakers of Scary Movie 4, who parodied the moment with devastating effect.
This lively and unrestrained display was one of the early incidents that began to shape a narrative of Cruise’s off-screen persona being synonymous with unexpected and, at times, bewildering public displays during televised interviews. The public opinion was that Cruise was desperately trying to create an emotional connection that simply wasn’t there.
Three years following the Oprah incident, Cruise again found himself at the centre of media discussions due to another contentious television appearance. His 2005 interview with Matt Lauer on NBC’s Today show unravelled into a heated debate about psychiatry, a field Cruise dismissed as pseudoscience.
When challenged by Lauer about the merits and success stories of psychiatry, Cruise retorted, “You don’t know the history of psychiatry. I do”. His dismissal of psychiatric practices and unwavering stand, deeply rooted in Scientology’s beliefs, left a distasteful resonance in the public sphere, framing him as obstinate and condescending in the mental health discourse.
A subsequent appearance on the Today show offered a more humble and reflective Cruise. “After looking at it, I really thought it was not what I intended. I thought in looking at myself that I came across as arrogant,” he confessed, showcasing an ability for self-critique and acknowledging the imperfections in his previous stance. His admission, “I absolutely could have handled that better,” offered at least a semblance of vulnerability and a departure from the dogmatic persona exhibited in the past.
Despite admitting his “arrogant” behaviour, Cruise’s perplexing displays continued. A further instance that caused a stir was the leak of audio on the set of the lacklustre Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, where the actor screamed inappropriately at crew members not observing Covid protocols, saying, “If I see you do it again, you’re fucking gone. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherfuckers. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. Because they believe in us and what we’re doing.”
