Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life — or never stop working.
Tom Cruise said he has never taken a day off during his nearly 40-year career in Hollywood.
The 59-year-old star is promoting his highly anticipated “Top Gun: Maverick” sequel film.
When asked what he does on his days off, the actor replied that he’s not sure because he’s never taken any PTO.
“This is a day off for me because I am not shooting!” he told Bella. “I’m just chillin’ now. I don’t have days off. Look, I’m fortunate, I’m lucky. I’ve spent my life on movie sets and traveling the world, which is what I always wanted to do. So this is not work — I’m living the dream.”
His seemingly shocking revelation aligns with a recent anecdote from director Doug Liman, whom Cruise worked with while shooting “Edge of Tomorrow” in 2014 and “American Made” in 2017.
“I lived with Tom when we made ‘American Made,’ ” Liman explained to Deadline. “When you work with Tom, it’s a seven-days-a-week job. No matter how hard a worker you are, and I consider myself that, it’s nothing compared to Tom.”
He then recalled that, after working “40 or 50 straight days,” he asked Cruise whether he would want to celebrate his birthday — July 3 — with “a long weekend” over the July 4 holiday.
But the hard-working actor replied that it would be the perfect time to have an eight-hour aviation meeting they had been having trouble scheduling.
“I am beyond tired and I’m like, ‘You want to have an eight-hour meeting on your birthday?’ He said, ‘Yes, that’s what I want for my birthday. I want to be making a movie. That’s the best birthday present.’
“There was no blowing out candles, either,” Liman added, explaining that Cruise doesn’t eat cake in order to maintain his fit and chiseled physique.
Cruise is notorious for his dedication to his roles, often performing many of his own wild stunts. During a masterclass at the Cannes Film Festival, Cruise wondered why everyone seems to be fascinated with his insistence to perform his own stunts.
“No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance?’ ” he replied.
Cruise’s work ethic and dedication to his craft seem to be paying off with the actor and producer being listed as one of the richest actors in the world with his “Mission: Impossible” franchise alone grossing more than $2.8 billion worldwide, according to Forbes.
