Jamie Reidy comments on Matt Lauer’s recollection of his infamous Today show interview with Tom Cruise.
June 28th, 2005 seems like ages ago.
I remember watching the interview live, which was strange as I never get up early enough in California to watch Mr. Lauer’s stint each morning. But, crashing at my friends’ apartment in Hoboken, NJ, I was up because their kids were up.
I remember watching Tom Cruise morph from charming/in-love guy, to dismissive zealot. It made for riveting television.
Appearing on CNN’s Piers Morgan show (but talking with guest host Donny Deutsch) last night, the Today Show host recalled that the interview was taped. That fact blew my mind, as I assumed the guy who so cooly dodges disaster in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE simply lost his cool under the enormous pressure of live television.
But that wasn’t the case. Mr. Katie Holmes could have cleared his throat, sat up straight and said, “Let’s do that again.” I’ve done taped TV interviews, and that’s how it works. Simply amazing that the actor kept rolling.
Here is the original Today Show interview:
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What’s your recollection of Lauer’s interview with Cruise?
That interview video is a perfect example of “this is your ego NOT on drugs but should be.” “There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance.” OK no more insulin. Mr. Cruise said there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance. What an ego-maniacal dope…
It’s funny-sad watching that clip.
The biggest drawback to being famous and powerful is that the many people around you nod right along with every uninformed stupid idea that hurtles out of the head. Cruise could have a worthwhile story if he just stopped feeding LSD to some of his ideas.
Oh I’m sure Tom thought he had all the reason in the world on his side at the time. An ego that big? Probably never occurred to him how arrogant, dismissive, entitled and ignorant he was being.
Makes total sense. If I were batshit crazy, I would think psychiatrists were evil, too, just like if I were a bank robber I’d probably hate how much power cops have.