Why Tom Cruise never made a movie

While he has become one of the actors most involved in the making of his films, Tom Cruise has never taken the plunge into directing. He explains it today.

Would Tom Cruise want to get behind the camera?

The question has been asked regularly for years. And on the podcast New Heights by Travis and Jason Kelce, the star of Mission: Impossible even admits that it comes back since childhood: “You know what? Ever since I was a kid, my friends have been telling me: ‘You should direct“.

However, Tom Cruise has never been through the looking glass. And it’s not for lack of having studied the profession. The actor explains that he has closely observed the directors of previous generations and their ability to chain projects together:

“I studied the cinema of the past: at the time, they were able to shoot four films a year. And that’s what I want: to make a lot of films, that’s what I’ve always wanted. The thing is, I love working with different directors. I like learning alongside them, discovering their stories, preparing the ground for them. Offer them opportunities…”

Therein lies the real reason. Tom Cruise doesn’t want to choose between being an actor and supporting other filmmakers. If he directed a film himself, he would lose this possibility:

“If I realize, I can’t do this anymore. I no longer have this experience. That’s kind of how I see things.”

He also cites his desire to work with cinematographers and actors, to observe their methods and discover their point of view. This philosophy also explains why Cruise is also present on the sets:

“I’m not interested in locking myself in my trailer. I love being with the crew on set. I like being with everyone.“

Even when he’s not in front of the camera, the actor says he spends his time observing, talking with the director and following every step of making a film.

This need to be involved goes far beyond simple acting. As a producer, he can already have a lot of influence on a project. For Top Gun: Maverickfor example, he had participated in the very thorough preparation of the casting so that the actors could film certain aerial sequences themselves.

It should be noted that Tom Cruise still tried his hand at directing once in his career, for television: in 1993, he directed an episode of the anthology The Fallen Angelswith Peter Gallagher, called “The Frightening Frammis”.