Tom Cruise has praised Kate Middleton, saying Prince William made the "smart choice" in marrying her, after spending time with the royal couple at the London premiere of his latest film, Digger.
In an interview with US TV show Extra, the 64-year-old actor described Catherine, Princess of Wales, as having a "great sense, incredible sense of humour" and being "obviously very intelligent and fun".
Cruise on the royal couple
Cruise said of the couple: "They're so charismatic and so elegant. That dress that she was wearing... stunning. William did well. Way to go, smart choice. Yeah, I gotta give it to William. Way to go. Smart choice."
He added: "I have so much respect for them. You know, they're amazing people, and how dedicated they are to their country and also what they give to the world. And they're just beautiful people and fun, very funny."
Royal connections and the premiere
The Princess and Princess of Wales married in 2011 and have three children: Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and eight-year-old Prince Louis.
During the London launch of Digger, Cruise was seen alongside director Alejandro González Iñárritu as well as Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Salma Hayek, and Hannah Waddingham. He took Kate's hand to help her down the stairs, a move he also made at the London premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in May 2022.
Body language expert Judi James commented on the interaction: "It's when they turn the corner to greet the stars of the film, though, that she gets her strongest and warmest signals of approval, from Tom Cruise. The way he uses a tie-sign with his hands and a tilt of the head to appear to show he is blown away by her appearance here and the relaxed kiss on the cheek that he gives her is only topped off by the way he gallantly holds his hand out to take hers as they walk down the steps."
About the film
Cruise stars opposite Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, and Jesse Plemons in Digger, playing an oil tycoon whose company sets off an ecological disaster before being tasked with a mission to save humanity from his own mess.
Speaking on The Graham Norton Show, he said: "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 shared his childhood dream to have an "adventurous life", explaining: "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."
