It seems the gloomy gothic set of Interview with the Vampire wasn’t all brooding stares and bloodlust—at least not according to Tom Cruise. Reflecting on his time filming the 1994 cult classic, Cruise recently shared a surprisingly lighthearted memory involving his co-star Brad Pitt—and it has nothing to do with capes or coffins.
Speaking during Paramount Pictures’ CinemaCon 2025 presentation in Las Vegas on April 3, Cruise was there to promote Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. But in true Cruise fashion, the actor took a detour to talk about his longtime friend and former co-star, Pitt. While discussing action films and their mutual collaborator, screenwriter-director Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise brought up Pitt’s 2013 thriller World War Z, which McQuarrie also penned.
Cruise didn’t stop there. He took a moment to praise Pitt’s latest project, the highly anticipated racing drama F1, which is slated for release on June 27. “Brad’s got a new movie with Jerry Bruckheimer and Joe Kosinski. I can’t wait to see it. It’s going to be awesome,” said Cruise, clearly excited about the film.
That’s when a wave of nostalgia hit. With a grin, Cruise revealed, “It’s great to see Brad driving. He’s very good—believe me. I’ve raced against him. When we were doing Interview with the Vampire, we’d finish shooting and then go drive go-karts all night.”
Yes, while their characters on screen were tormented immortals navigating centuries of sorrow, in real life, Cruise and Pitt were letting off steam with nightly go-kart races.
Ironically, Pitt has often spoken of his difficult time on the film. In a 2011 interview, he described filming as “six months in the f—— dark,” admitting to feeling miserable and creatively stifled, especially compared to Cruise’s more vibrant role as Lestat.
Yet, if Cruise’s memory serves right, not all was gloomy in the world of vampires. The off-screen camaraderie and competitive go-karting added a layer of fun and friendship between Cruise and Pitt that fans may not have expected. Turns out, even vampires need a little speed.