'It Is Who I Am': Inside Tom Cruise's All-In Philosophy on Filmmaking

Tom Cruise doesn't just make movies. He says it's who he is. Ahead of his new film "Digger," the actor opened up to GQ about the mindset behind his passion for filmmaking.

If there’s one thing one can pick up from Tom Cruise’s latest and rare interview with GQ, it’s that he lives and breathes cinema. Speaking to the publication ahead of the release of his new film, “Digger,” Cruise revealed on several instances how much passion he has for filmmaking. In fact, he says, “Making films is not what I do. It is who I am.”

Interviewer Zach Baron wasn't entirely sure why Cruise, who rarely sat down for interviews, agreed to this one. Asked why he’s been elusive when it comes to lengthy sit-downs, Cruise said, “I’ve been very busy,” working on his films, finding new opportunities, and pushing the limits of his skills and competence.

Asked what he does in between movies, Cruise candidly replied, “I’m preparing for the next.” For Cruise, the production of a movie takes years of development, citing “Digger” director Alejandro G. Iñárritu as an example. Iñárritu had been planning the project for roughly a decade before he reeled Cruise into it.

Cruise described his role in his latest film as the most demanding, where he gets to use everything he’s learned as an actor. “It is the culmination of all my skills. I’ve never done it before,” he said, adding that it’s his most challenging role so far.

Back in April, he also said this kind of movie, where he portrays a billionaire executive causing an environmental disaster, is “why I wanted to make movies.”

Iñárritu had also shared his surprise by Cruise’s transformation in the movie, revealing another kind of fearlessness, different from the actor’s usual stunts.

Speaking of stunts, Cruise also shared in his GQ interview that he doesn’t fear death, explaining, “It's not like I'm not afraid. I don't mind the feeling.” Known to be a risk-taker, his goal, he says, is always to “move the uncertainties more into the certainties” and create new ones, as part of the adventure.

Despite the level of success he’s achieved in his career, Cruise has no plans of slowing down. In fact, for him, "a person without a dream, they've decided not to live." Describing his own approach to work and life, Cruise said, "I'm an all-in kind of guy... I am not a halfway kind of person."

Tom Cruise jumps from the roof of the Stade de France during the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris on August 11, 2024 | Source: Getty Images

Throughout the conversation, Cruise repeatedly circled back to one idea: that he sees his life, both on set and off, as a continuous adventure rather than a finished body of work. As he put it, once one goal is achieved, another dream is already waiting to take its place.