Tom Cruise Talks "Top Gun," Paul Newman And Race Cars | Letterman

Tom isn't afraid of going too fast.
(From "Late Night," air date: 8/10/88)
#tomcruise #topgun #letterman
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Welcome to the Letterman KZbin Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. These highlights have been artisanally-produced, carefully-curated, and chosen completely at random by an old computer that used to pick numbers for the New York Lotto back in the 90’s.

[@jackal242]

This was recorded before Rain Man. That's amazing. A real gem.

[@rex-racer]

Nice to see him in the early days. He was such a sponge for everything. I remember hearing Newman and Hoffman and others talking about “the kid.” He’s done some great acting, but his action work, and of course doing his own stunts, has become his career-definer. After the MI series and his space movie are done, it’d be interesting for him to get into some serious drama work and cap off his amazing run with an Oscar.

[@willyboy6126]

I agree, Rex...Tom is a very capable and good dramatic actor....and yes, an Oscar would be well-deserved for a 4 decade-plus career, where Tom has been a top box office draw!😎

[@thelettermanpodcast]

In many ways, perhaps he is this generation’s Paul Newman.

[@Cross-CutFilms]

@@willyboy6126 I was hoping he'd get a nomination for Top Gun Maverick, but nope. 😮‍💨

[@Braylon18]

Should've won the Oscar for Magnolia

[@thelettermanpodcast]

@@Braylon18 magnolia fan needs to weigh in.

[@phillipalexandrou1769]

And what a LEGEND he turned out to be.

[@fairygodmomma2313]

These were glory days for Letterman AND Cruz, nice & trippy, thanks!!!!!

[@rogerc23]

Lettermen is a donkey.

[@benbergin538]

Tom's eyes stare right into your soul

[@willyboy6126]

A Four decade career (and counting), and Tom Cruise is still a *TOP* box office draw! Not many can say that, or even come close to success like that. 😎👍

[@thelettermanpodcast]

If there was a big time show business guy for the modern age, Tom would be it.

[@willyboy6126]

@@thelettermanpodcast So true and one of the last true, great movie stars of all time! 😊

[@dajosee]

Keanu Reeves with a heaping spoonful of crazy

[@dazofthemoo1531]

Apparently he's a weirdo. But who cares. He's a living legend. And the stunts he does are incredible. Even the 'little' ones. For such an A lister to do his own stunts.... well, imo, he isn't an actor that does his own stunts. He's a stuntman that acts!

[@sweiland75]

Samuel L. Jackson

[@peterquinn7878]

That's his old Rain Man haircut! He was very cool back then...

[@FrancaBarbieri-pj9yl]

That smile❤

[@scottbarkley496]

TOM CRUISE = LEGEND

[@unknownuser0006]

He's changed very little, I love his accent

[@Topspin89]

Accent? Are you from the states? I don't hear an accent, but that's because I'm American.

[@sweiland75]

@@Topspin89 Americans have many accents.

[@kpec3]

I think he sounds like LA a little.

[@davidlean1060]

Yo homie, that my briefcase?

[@FathomlessJoy]

Wow memories! RIP Mr. Hunt

[@Rlrlrl1962]

he is so handsome !!

[@pjchj3599]

Perfect face feature , charming smile , relax story telling

[@nigel900]

SCIENTOLOGY! HELL YEAH!

[@vrvaughn]

I used to see Tom Cruise around the neighborhood when he was living over on 10th street… Those were fun days in New York City. Matt Dillion was hanging around.. Would run into Willem Defoe .. Good memories of a fantastic time in a great city.

[@spamalot1664]

Ah you lucky mug!

[@Californiakid1999]

Tom his an amazing guy

[@HunterTucker-b3n]

Beautiful days

[@anothermonday5664]

Dang, really had that Christopher Reeve, Jr. thing goin on.

[@jimhenderson9173]

Yeah, if Chris Reeve was 5'5".

[@jonneye]

So cool to see

[@e09271]

Man this here takes me back and i was 1 lol awsome thanks!

[@mirabella2154]

Goodness, he was gorgeous.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

Tom wasn’t bad either.

[@willyboy6126]

@@thelettermanpodcast lol...😉

[@garymcaleer6112]

Regardless of the man's religion, Tom's a great actor. We know this because he can be himself and play any role. Few have that gift.

[@flyjarrett]

“Religion.”

[@selfdiscardedkingofruin7291]

I'm a 50 year old male and have never watched Days of Thunder. But I have seen Talladega Nights if that counts for anything lol.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

We just met someone who never saw Top Gun but did see hot shots a dozen times.

[@BookClubDisaster]

Talladega Nights is much better.

[@kowalski5599]

Cruise needs to do a legacy sequel to The Color of Money. Top Gun 2 did great, let's revisit Vince.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

GREAT idea. With the current combination of a sequel/remake culture, color of money is a fantastic choice to be given that treatment. Who is a good choice for his protege?

[@kowalski5599]

@@thelettermanpodcast Honestly, I'm not really a fan of new talent, it's hard to watch times change, but I did see an interview or two with that Austin Butler guy, and he had a cool vibe about him. It's hard for those of us getting older to accept any new talent, though.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

@@kowalski5599total agreement, and full circle in some ways. Johnny used to talk about how there was nobody left in show-business as he knew it. It’s very easy for gen x to think the same way. Dave is kind of doing the opposite, embracing some of these up-and-coming superstars, which again shows how prolific he is compared to Carson at the same age.

[@kowalski5599]

@@thelettermanpodcast Yeah, I do definitely see the difference in that regard. Dave does his best to embrace the new generation, while still being himself. Carson was friendly with them on the show, but it felt like business. On a side note, amazing how the Carson's proper successor got screwed out of the franchise, and then Dave's proper successor got screwed out of the franchise. Proof we live in the darkest timeline.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

@@kowalski5599 we have a slightly different take; in our view, both Dave and Conan are legends because they were forced to forge their own paths differently than Carson, doing unprecedented things vs a straight ahead inheritance of the franchise to continue business as usual. Those things, are much more interesting. Our host can talk for hours (and, does, at length, whether we want him to or not) on this endlessly fascinating subject.

[@gonnahavemesomefun]

Anyone else here here after seeing a KZbin video claiming that Christian Bale used this interview as inspiration for American Psycho?

[@brahmburgers]

Letterman interviews Tom like Tom's a little schoolboy.

[@Malcolmdeeb]

4:43 Actually, Abbie Hoffman was in Born on the Fourth of July with Cruise.

[@YasminaYoucef]

I love this interwiew and i enjoy and very interesting about of paul newman it was very good actor and man and i like racing cars in the life and movie perfect tom as usual see you soon mister Cruise ❤️❤️🇱🇷🇫🇷🇬🇧💯🗼🗽🗽💪🏎️👄

[@thelettermanpodcast]

What a Maverick!

[@thelettermanpodcast]

@mikejones11219 really! Wow. Sounds interesting and not at all like a scam of any sort. In fact, we are so excited about this we are going to share it with someone very special. *immediately reports comment*

[@richardyoon4209]

Tom Cruise next appearance with Dave was 14 years later in 2002

[@justinmj6586]

Tom's interviews were the inspiration for Cristian Bale's performance in American Psycho.

[@JJJZANESVILLE2]

Oh, yes.

[@JJJZANESVILLE2]

And my interviews are the inspiration for Blue Velvet.

[@JJJZANESVILLE2]

And, Justin...your interviews are the inspiration for:

[@JJJZANESVILLE2]

Nah..probaby not. What where your interviews inspirtation for?

[@justinmj6586]

@@JJJZANESVILLE2 Because that has been reported by the director of the film. His interviews with Dave particularly.

[@bluebear1985]

We'll be right back with Jimmy McDonald.

[@venkybabu8140]

Leaves to alcohol. Sometimes barks.

[@RevengeAvenger]

Imagine if Scientology wasn't in his vocabulary.

[@Rex69Rutherford]

He wouldn't be the legend he is without that doctrine... it worked for him, in many ways

[@SweeranSwift]

Never noticed his beautiful blue eyes

[@katxl7]

But that's his best feature?

[@catherinegigliotti1368]

Hair montage Dave...

[@bossfan49]

No walk-out music?

[@SimonBishop779]

I came here because I heard Christian Bale based his American Psycho character on it. But frankly, it just looks like Tom’s hating every minute of the interview.

[@edgodsall3740]

Such a bizarre bloke… I love the mission impossibles mind..

[@iLKEErdec1988]

I’m glad bands started playing while the guest comes out because that’s awkward

[@Lemon_water14]

✨

[@patriciac7697]

Wow he's so Cute 😊

[@TomCruise-wg8eh]

Smile, thanks for your love and support towards me 🌹

[@samghost13]

Such a cool dude it is terrible the whole story with that... The crazy people behind that sect!

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (Siracusa, Nueva York; 3 de julio de 1962), más conocido como Tom Cruise, es un actor y productor de cine estadounidense ganador de tres premios Globo de Oro, un Premio Saturn y una Palma de Oro honoraria. A lo largo de más de cuatro décadas de carrera ha protagonizado, películas de gran éxito comercial que también han sido aclamadas por la crítica. Tiene entre su repertorio las cintas de acción Top Gun (1986), Days of Thunder (1990), la saga Misión imposible (1996-presente) y Top Gun: Maverick (2022); las películas dramáticas El color del dinero (1986), Rain Man (1988), Nacido el 4 de julio (1989) y Magnolia (1999); la película gótica de terror Entrevista con el vampiro (1994); la comedia romántica Jerry Maguire (1996); así como las películas de ciencia ficción Minority Report (2002), La guerra de los mundos (2005) y Oblivion (2013). También ha protagonizado los thrillers The Firm (1993), Collateral (2004), Valkyrie (2008) y Jack Reacher (2012).

[@jimhenderson9173]

I find Cruise to be an actor that can pull off just about anything. As a guest on a talk show, I find Cruise to be possibly the dullest human ever.

[@kristinstrickland1038]

Not at all. He's too charming to be dull.

[@jimhenderson9173]

@@kristinstrickland1038 If you're hoping he sees your comment and calls for a date, think again. He's too dull for words.

[@kristinstrickland1038]

@@jimhenderson9173 Well, I know nothing about Tom Cruise. I watched Top Gun and the first Mission Impossible as a kid. The last time I saw him in a movie was early 2000s War of the Worlds. But I came across this interview today and thought, "I've heard such terrible things about Tom Cruise - I had no idea he was actually sincere and charming and passionate about his interests!" I felt guilty for believing the mean statements about him I have heard over the years. I see now he deserves better.

[@jimhenderson9173]

@@kristinstrickland1038 This is a free country. You're free to believe anything you like. All I'm saying is I saw an interview he did on a late night show and he was at a loss to say anything meaningful about his recent movie. The best he could muster was something, "Yeah, it was something". That alone showed me his best dialogue is written by someone else.

[@biglouie9547]

Is little Tom dead or alive ?

[@Sherrysmusicetc.Myfavori-qd6gk]

david letterman is punking tom. Tom believes his own hype

[@GrotrianSeiler]

I don’t understand Letterman’s popularity. I guess people love his sarcasm. It’s all just very annoying.

[@jimhenderson9173]

I used to love Letterman's quirky humor and then all of a sudden he turned political and hated and mocked all republicans. It was then that he lost me completely.

[@billthomas8994]

Yes, he was great in his early NBC days. Not so much in his latter years. Still, gotta say Dave’s coming off as smarmy and trying too hard with this interview.

[@LabRat10101]

Tom Cruise, a tiny man.

[@vb8428]

How big of you...

[@thelettermanpodcast]

With a huge song in his heart.

[@rodStack]

And you lack self confidence so you have to shame others

[@c.dipeshanand5552]

I won't lie. From thumbnail he is looking like Christopher Reeve.

[@jimhenderson9173]

Yeah, if Reeve was a shrimp.

[@alba4203]

Video vecchio rip Paul Newman