Tom Cruise has finally addressed the longstanding talk about his intensity on film sets, and he is not backing away from it.

The actor proudly acknowledged that the reputation fits him during an interview with GQ for its October cover issue, as reported by Page Six.

Cruise said the characterization has followed him since childhood.

“Even when I was a kid, they were like, ‘Oh, come on, Tom. You’re so intense.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know what to say. I am intense,’” he told the outlet.

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Rather than disputing what people have said, Cruise openly confirmed his demanding approach.

He connected that intensity to his work ethic and the expectations he sets for people collaborating with him.

“I work hard, and people that work with me, they know. I expect a lot and I’m up-front about it. It’s like: ‘The rumors are true. And do you want this?’” Cruise said.

At the same time, the “Mission: Impossible” star said his approach comes with a “level of responsibility” toward the people around him.

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Cruise, who is known to perform all of his own film stunts, explained that he cares for those working on set.

“I’m like, ‘Trust me, the rumors are true. I’ll be here before you. What experience do you want?’ And I’m very open. It’s not like we don’t have a plan. We have scripts, we have plans, we’re going through it. But I also feel that level of responsibility for — I guess, for everyone.”

Cruise also linked his intensity directly to his passion for cinema. For him, filmmaking is not merely a job or a professional pursuit that can be separated from the rest of his identity.

“Making films is not what I do. It is who I am,” Cruise told GQ. He also said he maintains a sense of humor about the demanding way he approaches his interests.

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“I got a very good sense of humor about it,” he added. “When I’m interested in something, I want to learn it. I want to understand it. And you want to blast through the confusion and kind of build up that ability.”

That constant desire to learn extends into the periods between his movies.

When asked what his time away from filming looks like, Cruise said he remains focused on preparation and does not really experience downtime.

“I’m always studying something. I’m always learning something, always. Movies don’t just start when you’re shooting it and on a movie set. There’s sometimes years of preparation,” he explained.

His upcoming film, “Digger,” offers one example of that lengthy process.

Cruise revealed that director Alejandro González Iñárritu “spent 10 years preparing” the project and first introduced the “Jerry Maguire” star to it around 2018.

For the satirical black comedy, the 64-year-old actor transformed into an eccentric billionaire named Digger Rockwell.

The character is attempting to save the world from an ecological disaster.

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The film’s startling trailer presents Cruise with gray hair and prosthetics that make him appear older and heavier than he normally does.

When the preview was initially released, many fans struggled to believe the person shown was actually Cruise.

Cruise discussed the work behind the dramatic transformation during a July press event at Warner Bros. in Burbank, California. “Digger” is scheduled to arrive in theaters Oct. 2.

“My process is: I’m absorbing, I’m absorbing, I’m absorbing,” Cruise said at the event. “With the body, we’re communicating a story… I want people to be immersed in a story.”

Cruise said every visual element had to serve the communication of the character. “You really have to understand the tools — it’s not one-size-fits-all,” he continued.

“You have to find the communication, the lenses, the color of the makeup.”

Digger’s false teeth became another important part of that physical transformation.

Cruise said putting them on helped him fully enter the outlandish character and adopt Digger’s distinctive accent.

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“I put the teeth on, and it’s like, ‘Let’s f–kin’ go,’” Cruise said while imitating the character.

His comments about the role echoed the same intense commitment he readily admitted bringing to his film sets.

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