Tom Cruise’s touching words about his mother, revealed by Riz Ahmed
Riz Ahmed says Tom Cruise went out of his way for his mother — a surprisingly thoughtful move you’ll want the sweet specifics on.
Backstage at the world premiere of Digger in London’s Leicester Square, the final pep talk came from an unexpected place: not a rallying cry from Tom Cruise , but a shout-out to Riz Ahmed ’s mom.
“Everyone thinks alright he's going to give a speech, say something inspirational. He just points to be and goes, Riz. Everyone looks at me, and he goes ‘your mom. Amazing! Love your mom. She's fantastic! Beautiful mom.’ That was the last words we heard before presenting the film to the world,” Ahmed recalled.
Ahmed shared the story on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, saying the room was braced for a big Cruise moment before the superstar zeroed in on the person who’d apparently charmed him most that night: Ahmed’s mother.
The admiration ran both ways. Ahmed said his mom met a who’s who at the premiere — “everyone, including the Prince and Princess of Wales” — and when he asked what she thought of Cruise, her review was short and sweet.
“Nice boy!”
His No. 1 fan
Ahmed has often described his mother as funny and “incredibly cool,” the kind of person who leaves a big impression. In a past interview with ELLE, he joked that her top concern isn’t his fame so much as whether he’s eating enough.
On Fallon’s show, the host flashed a photo of Ahmed with his mom — both grinning — a fitting capper to a premiere night where she quietly stole the spotlight.