Tom Cruise and Elle Fanning shared a warm reunion at the recent Saturn Awards, where Elle Fanning received the Best Actress award for her role in Predator: Badlands. The long-standing connection between the two was rekindled as Cruise quickly approached Fanning, embracing her with a heartfelt hug and a kiss, both sharing joyful smiles during the event.
Roots of Their Connection from War of the Worlds
Their bond dates back to 2005 during the filming of War of the Worlds, where Elle’s sister Dakota Fanning starred alongside Cruise. At that time, Elle was only six years old but was already present on set, and the sisters developed strong ties with Cruise. Reflecting on this early encounter, Elle recalled giving Cruise a crayon drawing depicting a scene from the movie featuring her sister and Cruise running away. She said,
“I remember my photo [I gave him] was of one of the War of the Worlds things – it was my sister and him running away.”
“It was a crayon picture. That’s my memory of meeting him. And he said he remembered. It seems like he does!”
she added.
Ongoing Affection Between Cruise and the Fanning Sisters
Tom Cruise’s connection to the Fanning family has been particularly close, especially with Dakota. Demonstrating this, Cruise gave Dakota her first mobile phone on her 11th birthday. The tradition of thoughtful gifts continued, as Dakota shared in an interview that Cruise consistently sends her shoes for her birthday each year. She explained,
“He always sends me the same thing every year, after the cellphone,”
and added,
“I loved shoes when I was little, and I started to be able to fit into really small adult shoes when I was on the War of the Worlds press tour, so I was very excited about them. And so from that birthday on he always sends me shoes.”
Significance of This Ongoing Relationship
The heartfelt reunion at the Saturn Awards highlights the lasting personal connections Tom Cruise has maintained within the industry, especially with the Fanning sisters. Their shared history, which began during a major film production almost two decades ago, continues to influence interactions today. This renewed public display of camaraderie not only celebrates Elle Fanning’s recent achievements but also foreshadows future collaborations and enduring friendships in Hollywood.
