Interview with Tom Cruise by Driven magazine

What does a World War II movie like Valkyrie have to say to movie-lovers of today?
“I read the script, and I just thought, ‘This is an incredible suspense thriller.’ And I put it down and said, ‘Is this really true? Did this really happen? Like, these were cool moments, but they actually happened? They’re in no way just movie conventions?’ And when you’re looking at a story like this, I think it’s timeless, really. In movies, we try to create the bad guys, and I just love those stories of little fish swimming upstream, against insurmountable odds. Also, for me, I grew up wanting to kill Hitler.”

Really? You really thought about killing Hitler when you were a kid?

“I did. You know, I hate these tyrants. As a little kid, when I was four years old, I remember I saw these war documentaries, like The World at War. And I remember thinking about Hitler, and wondering, ‘Why didn’t somebody just kill that guy?’ Being a guy who enjoys reading about history and knowing about it, I found this story to be engrossing. Also, it gave me some relief to know that it wasn’t everyone who was evil in Germany back then. I think we know, instinctually as human beings, that it couldn’t possibly have been everyone. And to know that yes, even in high command there is someone like my character, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, and a Resistance, who opposed it. So that did give me some relief. I found it to be really inspiring. You know, in movies we try to create these kinds of things — but this really happened.”

For you, what was the strangest part in making Valkyrie?

“When I put on the Nazi uniform, it was freaky. We had an authentic uniform, and all us, when we see that uniform, we go nuts. However, my character wasn’t actually a Nazi, he wasn’t in that party. He actually despised that ideology, and those people.”

What was it like wearing that eye-patch for the better part of the movie?

“For a few days, I was disoriented with that eye-patch. But you want to have a movie feel authentic, because then it emotionally invests the audience in it. And I think that (director) Bryan Singer had a really original and cool way to tell this story.”

Claus von Stauffenberg, your character, was unbelievably heroic. Do you think you could rise to an occasion like that in real life and be that courageous?

“I would like to think that I would. I think we all feel that way. These men were under incredible pressure, they couldn’t even tell their kids about their feelings. As a father, that’s something that struck me to the core, because I have an incredible relationship with my children. We’re able to discuss anything and everything. Particularly here in America, and the way that I was raised, we are encouraged to think for yourself, no matter what people are saying or what images are coming at you. I’ve always looked for, and been encouraged to think for myself, as an individual, and not just going with the crowd. But, that’s not how it was, that’s not how that society was. You wonder, ‘How did that happen, where people weren’t thinking for themselves? People weren’t standing up to this insanity and tyranny, and here’s this man who did.’ So to not be able to have those conversations with your children, and to say, ‘This is not okay,’ while they’re being educated and inculcated into this craziness. The day this man took the bomb to Hitler was the day his son was indoctrinated into the Hitler Youth. So he hated this, but he couldn’t tell his son, because his son might go to school and tell other children. That’s what children do. You know, he might tell them, ‘My father doesn’t like Hitler.’”

How do you feel about the gap between who you are and the way the media perhaps incorrectly perceives you, or misrepresents you?

“You try to bridge that gap. You can’t spend your day trying to bridge that gap, night and day. But I’ve always had to deal with that. Certainly, it’s been accelerated, because, just the way the media and the internet — we all know how it’s changed, right from the beginning, with Risky Business. I remember talking with Paul Newman, and he said to me, ‘Look, you’ve just got to live your life the best you can.’ I remember back in 1985, when I was working with him on The Color of Money, I thought, ‘Oh yeah, he’s had stuff like this happen to him.’ And you don’t think about that. But look, I’ve got to prioritize, because I have a family, and I have a life. So you have to just adjust. And the basics of what I do, making movies and my love of film, that hasn’t changed. It’s actually grown.”

How do you feel about the way the media reported on the problems you had filming Valkyrie in Germany? Was it all overblown?

“It’s a great headline, but like in the film, it wasn’t everyone. You know, we had an outpouring of warmth and excitement about doing the film there, and about me being there, and my family being there. We had a great experience in Berlin. The government partially financed the film. At the end of shooting, I received a wonderful award, called the Bambi, for courage in bringing this story to the screen. And how accurate and respectful we were to the spirit of the Resistance. So this is an important story, and it’s something we should all know: that it’s never everyone, it’s never every society that feels that way. I think it’s been misrepresented in that way, too. But we had a great time, and it wasn’t just on the movie set. This was a very sensitive subject that needed to be dealt with in a proper and respectful manner — and recognized for what it is. It’s a time I know we’ll never forget, making this film.”

Does Tom Cruise, the artist and actor, ever conflict with Tom, the businessman, now that you are running United Artists? Did you worry about the cost of the film and originally planning to shoot in Tunisia and ending up in California? At the end of the day, if Valkyrie ends up not recouping its costs, will it effect other films you want to make?

“I’ve produced a lot of films. Mission Impossible was the first film I produced, and then I went on and produced all the Mission films and The Last Samurai. I’ve just produced a lot of movies beforehand, so there’s always the balance of art and commerce and the challenges of that. I like to look at those as opportunities as opposed to restrictions. So that aspect of it has always been there. It’s not just having talent in making a film, but it’s also important to know that you surround yourself with great people. I own a piece of United Artists, and we’re starting it up, but we had the writer’s strike. And, we’ve got the pending actor’s strike.”

We’re also in the midst of a crisis in our world economy.

“Yeah, and you know what? It just comes down to having very good people that I work with. I always try to surround myself with people that I respect, that I enjoy working with. That’s what we have, we have great people that we work with. I’m very happy to have these guys on board with MGM and the gang that we have. At the studio, it’s actually a very exciting time. But I am an actor, first and foremost. Even though we’ve set it up, I’ve never had an exclusive deal as an actor with anyone — ever. Even in producing films, I’ve always been very careful to not say, ‘I’m just going to be with one.’ I’m an actor. That is my love, acting. So, that’s first and foremost with me.”

This is useful as it portrayed what it was like during filming for Valkyrie but also his other films which he has done. This is useful for my production as it gives us a insight into Tom Cruises mindset and how he thinks about everything, and in particular, the nazi regime.