As a celeb with a famous parent, Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of director Ron Howard, grew up with a front-row seat to the entertainment industry. But, while she spent plenty of time on film sets watching her father work, she didn't truly realize the magnitude of fame until she witnessed a situation involving Tom Cruise. At the time, Cruise was pulled (figuratively and literally) into a "crazy" encounter with admirers. When Dallas Howard witnessed that, her ideas of “fame” changed forever.
During a panel at MegaCon Orlando (via People), the Jurassic World alum reflected on one of her most vivid early memories of celebrity culture. It happened in 1992 when she was just 11 years old, tagging along with her dad and the cast of one of the best '90s movies, Far and Away (which her father directed), at a premiere screening in Tokyo for the royal family. That’s when she saw firsthand how intense being an A-lister could be. Apparently, Tom Cruise was pullled into a crowd of people:
Tom Cruise is extraordinary when it comes to press and fan engagement and all of that — absolutely tireless. He was walking in front of me, probably 10 feet in front of me on this red carpet. And all the fans were excited and he was waving and he got a little too close and his arm got sucked and then his entire body got sucked into the crowd.
Of course, the M:I icon might now be known for pulling off some of the best action movie stunts in cinematic history. Still, for Bryce Dallas Howard, who literally saw him vanish into a sea of screaming fans—it was a terrifying thing to witness years ago.
At the time, she only knew Tom Cruise as the fun guy. But watching him disappear into the crowd changed her entire perception of what being a celebrity meant. She continued:
And at that point, I just knew Tom as the guy who works with my dad and was with Nicole [Kidman], they were awesome. He would do backflips on set to entertain us. It was like, he was my dad's young friend. And seeing him get sucked in there and then everyone kind of diving in after him, I was like, 'Is he dead?' It was really crazy.
Thankfully, Cruise was fine—because, of course, he was. According to Howard, the Top Gun star was pulled out of the crowd and carried on like nothing had happened, flashing that signature movie star smile and going right back to greeting fans. The energy, she admitted, was more chaotic than scary, but the experience still left an impression. She explained:
And I was like, 'Is this because people love him?' It was a really kind of weird moment, but not a bad moment, because Tom was right back at it. It was a very happy energy all around. But I think I saw that and was sort of like, 'Steer clear.'
The incident didn’t scare the Spider-Man 3 actress away from Hollywood, but it did make her cautious about fame’s more overwhelming aspects. Unlike some kids who grow up in the industry dreaming of red carpets and star-studded events, she had zero interest in attending glitzy parties or premieres.
As her father, Ron Howard, pointed out during the panel, the Lady in the Water veteran was far more passionate about being on set than chasing the spotlight. That passion has clearly paid off—while she’s had a successful acting career, she’s also made a name for herself as a director in recent years. She’s helmed several episodes of some of the best Star Wars TV series, with her most recent project being Skeleton Crew, which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription.
Since then, the Argylle star has carved out a respectable career as an actress and a passionate filmmaker. But, if there's one takeaway from her early Hollywood experiences, she’d much rather be behind the camera than get pulled into a mob of fans like Tom Cruise.
Be sure to check out our 2025 movie schedule to see what projects Bryce Dallas Howard (and Tom Cruise) have coming soon to a theater near you.
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