Jakarta – Legendary director Steven Spielberg has just shared an interesting story about his experience working with Tom Cruise.
Although both are known as first-class professionals, there is one specific habit of Cruise that Spielberg says is very unusual for an actor of his size.
Spielberg, who is now 79 years old and directed Cruise in the 2002 film Minority Report and 2005’s War of the Worlds, recalled the experience while speaking at a keynote event at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, reported by People, Monday (23/3/2026).
According to Spielberg, Cruise knew exactly where the camera should be placed or what sequence to shoot next, even before the technical crew set it up.
Tom’s ability to understand the technical aspects of production in depth was considered by Spielberg to be something extraordinary and rarely found in other actors.
There was also something else that amazed him. In his conversation with panel host Sean Fennessey, the director shared that Cruise, now 63, always arrived on set every morning before the crew.
“Tom Cruise is there every morning when I arrive,” Spielberg said.
“I usually arrive before the crew. So, sometimes I arrive on set at 6:30 in the morning.”
Spielberg talked about how much attention Tom Cruise paid to every little detail on location. He didn’t just come to act, but seemed to monitor the entire production.
Cruise often arrives first and leaves last just to make sure the transitions between scenes run smoothly.
“When filming Minority Report and War of the Worlds, Tom insisted on arriving on set at the same time I arrived, so we could map out the plan for the day together… that really helped me,” he continued, adding that the process was a very close collaboration.
He is very fluent in discussing camera lenses, lighting, and even the most complicated stunt settings.
For Spielberg, this habit is not something annoying, but rather a form of the highest dedication to the art of acting and filmmaking. Spielberg admits that working with someone who has director-level technical understanding, such as Cruise, makes the shooting process much more efficient and dynamic.
This praise from Spielberg further strengthens Tom Cruise’s reputation as Hollywood’s ‘golden boy’ who not only relies on a handsome face, but also extraordinary intelligence in understanding the visual language of films.
(ass/pus)