
It turns out that even queens are nervous around Tom Cruise.
House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke, who plays Queen Alicent Hightower in the hit HBO fantasy drama, recalled the time she “blacked out” meeting Cruise, 61, on the set of her film, Ready Player One.
On the Tuesday, June 4, episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Cooke said the movie’s director, Steven Spielberg, often had his A-list friends drop by the set — including George Lucas and Tom Cruise.
“There was a celebrity guest every single day. You’ve got Steven Spielberg, who I’ve got to interact with every single day — again, mortified, because I’m like, ‘Oh god, don’t look at me,’” the actress explained.
One day, Cooke, 30, said she heard “whispers around the cast” that Cruise — who Spielberg directed in Minority Report and War of the Worlds — was to visit the set.
Cooke said she was wearing a velour “tight tracksuit that was all velcro” and had various cameras and lights attached to her.
“I was talking to my friend and I see Tom Cruise just walk across the stage, and I was like [trying to hide],” she said. “And then I hear Steven go, ‘Olivia, come meet my good friend, Tom Cruise.’”

“I blacked out,” she continued. “I completely blacked out. But apparently, my friend ran to the top of the stage to watch this interaction. Apparently, I bowed like a servant. Like, boobs to knee. And then [I] shook his hand and came to.”
Host Stephen Colbert asked Cooke if there was chemistry between them, to which she quipped, “I think it was void of chemistry.”
Cooke reprises her role as Alicent Hightower in season 2 of House of the Dragon, which premieres Sunday, June 16, on HBO.
As the fight for the Iron Throne between Alicent’s son, King Aegon II (played by Tom Glynn-Carney), and her former BFF, Rhanerya Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) heats up, Cooke teased that viewers can expect “bloodshed, legacy, power, sexuality, and dragons, obviously” this season.
Speaking to Us Weekly at the House of the Dragon season 2 New York City premiere on Monday, June 3, Cooke’s fellow castmembers revealed whether they are Team Green (representative of Aegon and House Hightower) or Team Black (the colors of the Targaryen clan).

Theo Whitman/HBO
“Well, I’m a feminist, so I’d quite like to see a woman in power, so I think the Blacks,” said Tom Glynn-Carney, going against his character’s family. “However, that’s not the film that we’re playing right now. We’re playing against Black.”
Meanwhile, Ewan Mitchell, who plays Alicent’s other son, Prince Aemond Targaryen, said, “I’m Team Green through and through.”
News
From Little Dolly to Rising Star: Alyvia Alyn Lind’s Stunning Transformation Since “Coat of Many Colors” Will Leave You Speechless!
Can you believe it’s been nearly a decade since an eight-year-old Alyvia Alyn Lind stole our hearts as little Dolly Parton in the TV movie Coat of Many Colors? That pint-sized blonde with a voice full of soul and a…
Beyoncé Declares Herself the Ultimate Black Icon, Says She Has Surpassed Michael Jackson—Demands His Awards Be Handed Over to Her!
In a shocking and controversial turn of events, music superstar Beyoncé has reportedly claimed that she has officially surpassed Michael Jackson as the greatest Black icon of all time. Not only that, but sources suggest she has demanded that all of Jackson’s awards and accolades be transferred…
KENNEDY: The Karlie Kloss Girl-on-Girl Gossip That Got Too Hot – The REAL Reason Taylor Swift Is Hiding!
For a long, hot minute Taylor Swift was stuck in daily headlines like stubborn toilet paper on a shoe. Now she’s squirreled away, allegedly in hiding with paramour Travis Kelce, and refusing to accept calls, texts or visits from her most loyal lady friends….
NUMBERS DON’T LIE: Taylor Swift DOMINATES Spotify & Proves She’s the GREATEST Artist on Earth!
You can say whatever you want. You can roll your eyes. You can pretend she’s “overrated.” But here’s the thing—the numbers don’t lie. 💰 Eight-figure Spotify royalties.🎧 Record-breaking streams.👑 Unstoppable global domination. Taylor Swift just swept Spotify once again, raking in jaw-dropping streaming numbers and proving…
Sofronio Vasquez Snags a Jaw-Dropping Prize at Sound of Music with ASAP Champions—What Did He Win That’s Got Everyone Talking?
Hold onto your seats, because Sofronio Vasquez, the Filipino vocal powerhouse who conquered The Voice USA Season 26, just added another feather to his cap—and it’s a big one! At the electrifying Sound of Music with ASAP Champions event, this…
Taylor Swift & Ellie Goulding: The Collab That Fans Are Dying to See! Will It Ever Happen?
Taylor Swift and Ellie Goulding: two of the biggest names in pop music, two powerhouse vocalists, and two artists whose styles blend effortlessly. Yet, despite their long-standing friendship and shared stage moments, they have never officially collaborated on a song. With their history of…
End of content
No more pages to load