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Tom Cruise described the Prince and Princess of Wales as “amazing” and “charismatic” after they joined him at the premiere for his latest feature Digger.
William and Kate were present at Tuesday’s central London screening, an occasion that also served as a royal film performance – an exclusive gathering showcasing the contributions of off-screen personnel across the UK film and TV industry.
The 64-year-old actor was accompanied on the black carpet by figures including Sir David Beckham and actor Riz Ahmed.
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show to talk about the occasion, Cruise remarked that he had enjoyed having the royals there.
He described the couple as “amazing” and “charismatic”.
“I had such a good time,” he said.
Tom Cruise during filming for the Graham Norton Show (PA)
During the premiere, a smiling Cruise commented “great jacket” as William walked towards him wearing a tuxedo with a striking, double-breasted, velvet jacket and bow tie.
Kate wore a purple, floor-sweeping, Jenny Packham dress accessorised with Diana, Princess of Wales’s earrings and the Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir necklace.
On the season return of Norton’s talk show, Cruise also explained the extensive transformation he had to undergo using prosthetics for Digger.
“Let me make it clear – none of that is me,” he said.
“The make-up was taking so long that I decided to get it down from six hours to one – it was like a ballet getting everything in place. It was just like Formula 1. I had someone else hold the stopwatch.”
The actor stars opposite Ahmed, Sandra Huller and Jesse Plemons in the film, in which he plays an oil tycoon whose company sets off an ecological disaster before being tasked with a mission to save humanity from his own mess.
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Tom Cruise attend the ‘Digger’ (Getty)
He continued: “My character is outrageous and unpredictable. He says things that others may be thinking and never say. It’s a timeless story about power, greed, and ego framed in a very timely manner by Alejandro G Inarritu – one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.
“I’ve never read a script like it, and I have never seen a character like Digger.”
Cruise also told Norton about his childhood dream to have an “adventurous life”.
He said: “I am always doing something, learning something new which I can add to characters. I want to push every artform. I love the challenge of doing one thing while working on another. To create is life.”
Inarritu has previously won two Oscars for best director for Birdman and The Revenant.
This will be Cruise’s first film since the 2025 release of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning.
Digger will be released in cinemas on 2 October.
The Graham Norton Show airs at 10.40pm on Friday on BBC One.