Actor Alden Richards described his recent encounter with Hollywood star Tom Cruise as a surreal moment, after meeting him at the red-carpet premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning in Seoul, South Korea.
Richards was among a select group of celebrities and influencers invited to the event. He shared the experience on Instagram, posting a video of his handshake and brief conversation with Cruise.
“I could hardly believe my luck,” Richards said. “We weren’t really promised a meet and greet with Mr. Tom Cruise, but fortunately, the opportunity arose.”
The actor, often referred to as Asia’s Multimedia Star, expressed gratitude to Cruise’s team for facilitating the interaction. He also described Cruise as a personal inspiration, citing the Hollywood actor’s action films as the reason he avoids using stunt doubles unless absolutely necessary.
Richards added that Cruise’s 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick inspired him to become a reservist pilot in the Philippine Air Force.
“Off-cam, he has a jet and owns a fighter jet, too. That’s why I told him that he inspired me a lot. I thanked him for everything, for inspiring a lot of people and fellow actors like me.
“I also expressed my dream to work with him soon. Then, he embraced me. I really got surprised with that opportunity. I’m just so happy that it happened. I consider it a blessing!”
The Kapuso royalty is also hats-off to Tom when it comes to relating with people, especially his supporters.
“It’s just a humbling experience because I witnessed how he deals with his fans. He is so sincere. He looks at you directly in the eyes and listens to you intently. The way he interacts with people is so remarkable. That’s why the more I look up to him,” ended Alden.
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Tom Rodriguez is a picture of a happy father at present to his child Korben. Truly, fatherhood becomes him. In one of his latest Instagram posts, he flexed a short video of his son while the baby is playing.
In his caption, the be-dimpled actor wrote a short poem for Korben which read: “Never knew love could be so small / Ten tiny fingers say it all / My whole world wrapped in cotton white / Learning how to love at first sight.”
Tom also pointed out how his nine-month-old son brings joy in his everyday life.
“Every day with you has been a quiet kind of magic, my son.
“Your laughter fills our home, your wonder fills our hearts, and your presence—however small—has made our world infinitely bigger.
“Your momma and I still catch each other smiling and asking, how did we ever get this lucky? “And we mean it, every single time,” he stated.