Tom Cruise issues surprising response to longstanding rumors he’s ‘intense’ on set

Consider the rumors confirmed.

Tom Cruise proudly admitted that he’s “intense” on film sets after years of rumblings.

“Even when I was a kid, they were like, ‘Oh, come on, Tom. You’re so intense.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know what to say. I am intense,’” the actor told GQ for their October cover issue.

“I work hard, and people that work with me, they know. I expect a lot and I’m up-front about it. It’s like: ‘The rumors are true. And do you want this?’”

As much as he’s “intense,” the “Mission: Impossible” star shared that he feels a “level of responsibility” for those he works with and cares for others on set.

“I’m like, ‘Trust me, the rumors are true. I’ll be here before you. What experience do you want?’ And I’m very open. It’s not like we don’t have a plan. We have scripts, we have plans, we’re going through it. But I also feel that level of responsibility for — I guess, for everyone.”

Cruise — who is known to do all of his own film stunts — also explained that his intense nature comes from his true passion he has for film.

“Making films is not what I do. It is who I am,” he told the outlet.

“I got a very good sense of humor about it,” he added. “When I’m interested in something, I want to learn it. I want to understand it. And you want to blast through the confusion and kind of build up that ability.”

When asked what his time off looks like in between movies, Cruise said he’s always “preparing for the next” and doesn’t really have downtime.

“I’m always studying something. I’m always learning something, always. Movies don’t just start when you’re shooting it and on a movie set. There’s sometimes years of preparation.”

In fact, for his upcoming film, “Digger,” Cruise revealed that director Alejandro González Iñárritu “spent 10 years preparing” it and introduced the “Jerry Maguire” star to the project around 2018.

The 64-year-old completely transformed into an eccentric billionaire named Digger Rockwell, who is on a mission to save the world from an ecological disaster, in the satirical black comedy film.

In the shocking trailer, Cruise has gray hair and prosthetics to look older and heavier than his normal appearance.

When the preview first dropped, many fans couldn’t even believe it was him.

Back in July, Cruise detailed the process behind the wild transformation for the film, which hits theaters Oct. 2.

“My process is: I’m absorbing, I’m absorbing, I’m absorbing,” the actor said during a press event at Warner Bros. in Burbank, California. “With the body, we’re communicating a story… I want people to be immersed in a story.”

“You really have to understand the tools — it’s not one-size-fits-all,” he continued. “You have to find the communication, the lenses, the color of the makeup.”

Cruise said Digger’s false teeth also helped him fully get into the outlandish character.

“I put the teeth on, and it’s like, ‘Let’s f–kin’ go,’” he said, as he imitated Digger’s distinct accent.