Tom Cruise Says He Doesn't Fear Death in Rare New Interview: "I'm Not Afraid to Feel Afraid"

Tom Cruise doesn’t give many personal interviews, so when he sat down with GQ for one published Tuesday, September 15, plenty of folks leaned in to listen. At 64, the actor known for doing his own death-defying stunts had some surprisingly plain-spoken things to say. He doesn’t spend much time worrying about public misconceptions of him, and he’d rather focus on today and tomorrow than what anybody else thinks.

The line that got everyone talking was simple.“Do I fear death? No. I don’t.”Cruise explained that he accepts life’s certainties and uncertainties, and he added a second thought that might matter even more:“I’m not afraid to feel afraid.”For a man who has dangled from airplanes and jumped off cliffs, that’s a honest admission that courage and fear can share the same heart.

He also described life as an adventure and said he looks for common ground in people. That’s the kind of wisdom that plays just as well on a front porch as it does in Hollywood, and it’s a good reminder that the brave life isn’t about being fearless, it’s about showing up anyway.

What’s the last thing you did even though you were scared? We’d love to hear your story.