Actor Seth Rogen is grabbing attention with his latest series, The Studio, which explores the inner workings of Hollywood. Known for being honest and funny, Rogen often shares what it’s like to work in the film industry. He doesn’t hold back—especially when it comes to stories about fellow celebrities.

One of his most bizarre experiences involved superstar Tom Cruise. Years ago, Cruise called Rogen and filmmaker Judd Apatow to discuss a possible comedy project. But the conversation took an unexpected turn.

Cruise Wanted to Talk—But Not About Comedy

At first, the meeting was all about making a funny movie. But soon, Tom Cruise shifted the topic to something completely different—religion and conspiracy theories. Rogen explained that Cruise began talking about Scientology and even tried to recruit him and Apatow.

Rogen said, “I am a huge Tom Cruise fan, and I watch all his movies. We had a long meeting with him, and a couple of hours into it, the Scientology stuff comes up and how weird he has looked in the press lately.”

Then, Cruise made a bold offer. According to Rogen, he said, “If you just let me tell you what it was really about and give me 20 minutes, you would say no f**** way.”*

At that point, both Rogen and Apatow were stunned. They didn’t expect a pitch about Scientology. “We weren’t really ready for converting to a new religion right then,” Rogen admitted.

Cruise Blamed ‘Big Pharma’ for Negative Press

The actor didn’t stop there. Rogen shared that Cruise claimed the pharmaceutical industry was targeting him. Cruise said they were trying to ruin his reputation.

According to Rogen, “Cruise started explaining to us how the pharmaceutical industry was trying to sabotage him and make him look bad in front of everyone.” Cruise reportedly told them, “They’re scrambling, and they’re doing everything they can to discredit me so I won’t hurt sales anymore.”

This, Rogen believes, ties back to several controversial moments in Cruise’s career. For example, Cruise once criticized antidepressants and famously jumped on Oprah Winfrey’s couch in 2006. Those incidents earned him intense media attention.

Cruise Compared Himself to Controversial Leader

During the same meeting, Rogen asked Cruise about the Oprah couch moment. Cruise claimed the video had been edited unfairly. He then made a shocking comparison.

Rogen said Cruise compared himself to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. For context, Farrakhan is known for making several anti-Semitic remarks. One of his most disturbing statements involved comparing Jews to cockroaches.

Rogen remembered the moment clearly. “Of all the strange sentences I’ve heard in my life, Tom Cruise name-dropping Louis Farrakhan is top three,” he said.

Judd Apatow Helped End the Conversation

Feeling overwhelmed, Rogen admitted he might have been too polite to stop Cruise on his own. But thankfully, Judd Apatow stepped in.

Rogen said, “Thank God Judd was like, ‘Eh, I think we’re good. Let’s just talk about movies and stuff.’” That brought the conversation back to its original purpose.

Cruise’s Long-Time Ties with Scientology

Tom Cruise is one of Scientology’s most high-profile members. He once called the religion “beautiful.” He was introduced to it in 1986 by his first wife, Mimi Rogers, and has stayed committed to it ever since.