5 Not-so-smooth Tom Cruise interviews you need to see

There are celebrity interviews that go viral because they’re funny, awkward, or unexpected. Then there are the ones with Tom Cruise. Over the years, Cruise has delivered some of the most bizarre interview moments in Hollywood history. These weren’t accidents or PR disasters.

They were moments where Cruise showed up exactly as he wanted to—intense, unapologetic, and often completely unpredictable. From jumping on Oprah’s couch to confronting a prankster mid-premiere, Cruise never let anyone else control the room.

Each clip shows a different side of him. In some, he’s aggressively serious. In others, he’s unfiltered to the point of discomfort. But they all leave you thinking the same thing: What just happened? Whether he’s lecturing Matt Lauer on psychiatry or telling an Australian journalist to “put your manners back in,” Cruise doesn’t play by the usual press tour script. That’s part of what makes these moments unforgettable.

This list covers five weird interviews that stood out from the rest—not just because they went viral, but because they changed how people saw Tom Cruise. If you’ve ever wondered why his press appearances still get talked about decades later, these five interviews will answer that question very quickly.

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5 Times Tom Cruise showed rude interviewers their place

1. The Matt Lauer Showdown (2005)

Tom Cruise appeared on Today to promote War of the Worlds, but the interview turned confrontational. Matt Lauer brought up Cruise’s comments about Brooke Shields using antidepressants. Cruise did not back down and immediately challenged Lauer’s understanding of psychiatry.

He told Lauer that antidepressants only mask problems and insisted there was no such thing as a chemical imbalance. When Lauer questioned him further, Cruise spoke over him and said he had studied the history of psychiatry. He asked Lauer if he even knew what Ritalin was and how it was used on the street. His tone was sharp and direct without shouting.

This interview became infamous because Cruise held his ground and never softened his opinion. He rejected the entire field of psychiatry on live television. The moment shaped public perception of Cruise for years and still gets referenced when people talk about celebrity interviews gone tense.

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2. “Put Your Manners Back In,” Peter Overton (2005)

During a 60 Minutes Australia interview, Peter Overton brought up Nicole Kidman and asked if she was still the love of Tom Cruise’s life. Cruise stayed silent for a second and then said that Overton had crossed a line. He made it clear he didn’t like where the conversation was going.

When Overton tried to explain that the public wanted to know, Cruise did not accept that answer. He told Overton to take responsibility for his own question. He reminded him that this was a one-on-one interview and that blaming it on viewers was weak.

The moment instantly became one of the most played interview clips from that year. Cruise showed no hesitation in calling out what he saw as a disrespectful question. His phrase “put your manners back in” stuck with viewers because it was delivered with precision and control—without any need to raise his voice.

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3. Water prank backfires at War of the Worlds premiere (2005)

While attending the London premiere of War of the Worlds, Tom Cruise walked the red carpet and gave interviews. A fake reporter from a prank show approached him with what looked like a microphone. He then sprayed Cruise in the face with water.

Cruise took a moment to register what had happened. Then he leaned in and asked the prankster why he would do something like that. When the man tried to walk away, Cruise held his wrist over the barricade and said he was being rude. He said it three times. He called the man a jerk each time.

This moment became a defining red carpet clip. Cruise didn’t lash out, and he didn’t laugh it off. He calmly demanded respect. The pranksters were detained by police. The entire scene showed that Cruise could stand up for himself without chaos. It reminded everyone that he doesn’t accept cheap jokes.

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4. The Oprah Winfrey Show couch incident (2005)

In May 2005, during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Tom Cruise exhibited uncharacteristically exuberant behavior while discussing his relationship with actress Katie Holmes.

His animated expressions of affection culminated in him jumping on Oprah’s couch, a moment that quickly became iconic and widely parodied. While not a direct confrontation with an interviewer, this incident showcased Cruise’s willingness to defy conventional expectations during media appearances.

The episode significantly impacted public perception, highlighting his passionate nature and leading to extensive media analysis.

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5. Peter Overton gets a second serving (2005)

The tension between Cruise and Overton did not end with the Nicole Kidman question. Later in the same interview, Overton asked if Cruise and Kidman ever spoke about each other’s work. Cruise froze for a moment. Then he repeated his earlier line.

He told Overton to put his manners back in. This time, his tone was firmer. Overton apologized right away. Cruise didn’t yell or change his posture. He held eye contact and let the silence do the rest. The message was clear: there would be no more questions about Kidman.

The second warning in the same interview was a rare moment of real-time escalation. Cruise didn’t lose control. He simply reminded the host again that there are boundaries. The repetition of that single phrase made the moment iconic. It turned into a quote people used whenever someone asked a question that went too far.

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