Tom Cruise says the 'rumors are true' as he addresses his controversial behavior on movie sets

Tom Cruise has heard all the rumours about him being 'intense' on set... and now, he’s finally addressing them.

The Hollywood icon has starred in some of the biggest films of all time, from Eyes Wide Shut and Mission: Impossible to Jerry Maguire, as well as blockbuster hits like Top Gun and Days of Thunder.

But what is Tom Cruise really like when the cameras stop rolling or in-between takes? The actor is shedding some light on what it’s actually like to work alongside him.

The 64-year-old confessed that he is in fact ‘intense’ but said he’s upfront about it with his co-stars before filming starts.

“So movies are — this is about humanity,” he told GQ. "I have nothing against cable or TV or Netflix. I think it’s great. Create jobs and everything. But what I like about cinema is it is all of us coming together in a room and sharing an experience.

“When I’m working with people, I’m not afraid to, as I’m acting, to look foolish, to do it. It’s like: That’s not what this is about. It’s finding our tone, finding these tools together and having an experience. And look, I work hard, and people that work with me, they know. I expect a lot and I’m upfront about it. It’s like: ‘The rumors are true. And do you want this?’ I’m like, ‘Trust me, the rumors are true. I’ll be here before you. What experience do you want?'”

The legendary actor stars in the new dark comedy Digger (David Jon/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)

He continued: “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 continued. “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.’ [Laughs.] I got a very good sense of humor about it, but it was like: 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 build up that ability.”

Cruise said he keeps his phone ‘as far away from me as possible’ to stay connected.

“I’m looking and listening, and I want the least amount of time on it,” he said. “And my crew and people know it’s like, ‘Don’t send me a detailed email. Come talk to me.’ I like to talk to people.

Tom Cruise with Digger director Alejandro González Iñárritu (VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty Images)

Cruise’s next film is quite a big departure from the usual action movie. Digger is described as a dark comedy and satire and was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, who made Birdman and The Revenant.

It stars Cruise as a powerful oil tycoon who contributed to a major environmental catastrophe that could destroy the world. He then goes on a hectic mission to convince everyone that he’s the hero who can save humanity, even though he created the problem. Expect something quirky and off-beat when it arrives in theatres Oct. 2.

A sequel to Days of Thunder is also in pre-production and Anne Hathaway will be Cruise's co-star when the film arrives in June 2028.