YouTuber asks Tom Cruise how he built $600 million empire, actor drops life lessons: ‘To lead is to serve’

Also read: Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning movie review: Tom Cruise’s last rodeo as Ethan Hunt makes a feeble appeal for a united world

It’s widely known that Tom Cruise performs his stunts himself, whether it’s hanging from a plane or jumping from heights. When asked about his reputation for pushing boundaries with death-defying stunts and if he fears anything, Cruise replied, “I don’t mind being afraid.” The actor said, “fear is the unknown, and I enjoy feeling that because it puts me in a position where I want to know.” He explained that his way of dealing with fear comes with a lot of research, preparation and determination. “If something isn’t real for me, no matter what, I have to know and experience it and understand it for myself. And when I do that, the fear goes away. The adrenaline is still there. The excitement, the adventure. I want an adventurous life. I want it,” he said with a smile. 

Cruise went into detail about the technical side to his stunts, and said that they are carefully planned for years. He praised director Christopher McQuarrie, and said, “You don’t just sit in a room and draw this up and think you can get it. It’s years of physical training, new technology, wardrobe adjustments, and teamwork. The audience never sees all that, but it’s there in every shot,” he said. He said that while adrenaline and adventure are important parts of his life and he loves the aerial thrills, the real joy comes from collaboration: “It’s this wonderful back and forth, his dreams, my dreams, our whole film crew’s dreams. That’s what I love.”

Also read: Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Heming slams critics over moving the actor into care home amid FTD battle: ‘Opinions are so loud and so noisy’

Speaking of his work ethic and how he was able to build an empire worth $600 million, Cruise said it started in childhood. Even before movies, he wanted to do every job at the “highest level” possible. “Excellence interests me,” he said, acknowledging that perfection is not possible, but he still somehow has the urge to chase it. “It’s my desire to entertain people. It is my desire to deliver the very best that I’ve always felt for myself,” he said.

Before ending, Cruise shared one last message with today’s generation. “You go look for knowledge that you can apply to your lives because there’s so much information out there.” The Hollywood A-lister believes in the philosophy of not being afraid when chasing down your goals. “The important thing is to keep pursuing your dreams and finding accurate things that are going to add to your life and to others. You know, the way that I look at life, I don’t live it for myself. I really know that to live my life, I’m thinking of others. And to lead is to serve. Not to tell people what to do, but to help them to be better.”