What Alden Richards told Tom Cruise during first meeting

Alden Richards could hardly believe his luck when he came face-to-face with Tom Cruise—the man who inspired his journey both as an actor and as a reservist.

The Kapuso actor was among the invited guests at the red-carpet premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning held in Seoul, South Korea, where Tom personally greeted a select group of influencers and celebrities.

“Sobrang surreal lang yung moment,” Alden shared in an exclusive interview with GMA BaliTamBayan.

“Hindi naman kami na-promise-an na may chance talaga maka-meet and greet si Mr. Tom Cruise, but nagkaroon ng opportunity.

“Mabait yung team niya, and, apparently, binigyan niya ng chance na makausap siya.”

The encounter was captured in a video posted by Alden on Instagram last May 8, 2025.

In the clip, the Hello, Love, Again actor is seen firmly shaking Tom Cruise’s hand and give him a brief embrace.

ALDEN RICHARDS’S HANDSHAKE MOMENT WITH TOM CRUISE

Though background music muted their conversation, Alden has since opened up about what really transpired during that unforgettable moment.

“During the handshake, kaya hindi ko binitawan yung kamay niya because ramdam ko yung firmness ng handshake niya,” he said.

“Kaya dinalawa ko pa just to show respect. And I told him basically everything—on how he inspired me with all of his work, his, you know, yung stature niya of being an actor, yung mga nagawa niyang pelikula.”

For Alden, Tom was the reason he pushed himself physically in his craft.

“Siya yung inspiration ko kung bakit hindi ako nag-i-stunt double with most of my action scenes.

“Pero pag sobrang delikado na, siyempre, doon na tayo nagpapa-double.”

ALDEN RICHARDS ON BECOMING A RESERVIST PILOT

Beyond acting, Tom’s 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick became the catalyst for Alden’s decision to become a reservist pilot in the Philippine Air Force.

“Sobrang angas niya magpalipad ng jet, at meron pa siyang sariling fighter jet. Kaya sabi ko sa kanya, he was the inspiration behind my journey to becoming a pilot.

“I thanked him for everything. Sabi ko, ‘Thank you so much for your work and for inspiring a lot of people. Not only people, but most of the time, you inspire a lot of actors like me.’

“And I told him, ‘I hope I can work with you soon.’ Tapos niyakap niya ako. Tapos nagulat nga rin ako with that opportunity. So, I’m just so happy it happened. It’s a blessing.”

What left an even deeper impression on Alden was the way Tom faced his fans.

“It’s a humbling experience because I saw how Tom Cruise relates also to people. Ramdam mo yung sincerity niya talaga. He looks you in the eye. He listens to you intently,” Alden said.

He witnessed how Tom took the time to interact with each fan, especially the Korean audience who showed up in droves.

“Parang yung meet and greet na yun, talagang iniisa-isa niya yung mga Korean fans. Kinakausap niya regardless kung gaano katagal.

“Pag-entertain niya po sa mga Korean fans niya during that time is really remarkable. And all the more ko siyang naging idol.”

GRATITUDE BEYOND WORDS

After the brief encounter, Alden quietly stepped behind a tarp—overwhelmed with emotion.

“Parang right after nga rin po nung premiere, nagtago ako dun sa likod ng tarpaulin ng Mission Impossible kasi naluha talaga ako with the opportunity,” he revealed.

“And then nilapitan ko po yung head ng digital marketing ng Paramount International, then I thanked her saying that, ‘Thank you for giving me the chance to meet him and to get the chance to talk to him because it has been a childhood dream.’

“Sobrang sarap lang po ng experience and nakakatuwa na na-inspire niya ako to do more as an actor, and to do more as a person dahil kitang-kita mo sobrang bait na tao, sobrang accommodating, sobrang down to earth.

“And basically that moment made me realize why Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise.”