Tom Cruise: Crazy About Spielberg; Cool With Lauer

Splash News Online

Here's Tom Cruise, 46, at a screening for Valkyrie looking like Steven Spielberg might want to hire some extra security.

In actuality, Cruise is holding a photo of Spielberg and himself that was taken on the set of War of the Worlds back in 2004. The photographer who passed it to him was the one who snapped the picture, which is why Cruise was gracious enough to pose with it.

As of this week, Cruise's life has come full circle concerning his publicity tour for War of the Worlds; so the photo pass is a meaningful coincidence.

It was back during War's promotion that Cruise got into a televised spat with Matt Lauer while being interviewed on the Today show.

Lauer questioned Cruise about his negative views on psychiatry and anti-depressant drugs due to his religious affiliation with Scientology.

Cruise bristled several times during their talk and referred to Lauer as "glib."

It wasn't a compliment.

It was one of the first signs that Cruise, previously considered the All-American boy of the cinema, was a little more...different...than previously believed. And he continues to give interesting interviews.

Fast forward to Monday, December 15.  Cruise again appeared on the Today show, this time to publicize his new film Valkyrie and apologize to Matt.

The Top Gun idol described himself as "arrogant" in June 2004.

Cruise said that his responses were "not as I had intended. In looking at myself, I came across as arrogant. … I didn't communicate it in the way I wanted to communicate it. Also, that's not the way I am. That's not the person I am."

He said he had learned his "lesson."

Here's one sweet and super-cute learning curve that wasn't in Tom's life last time he met Matt. She could have made all the difference.