'We Look Like A Before & After Commercial': Throwback Video Of Robin Williams & Tom Cruise's Playful Friendship

There are many stars whose performances and impact on pop culture will be immortalized forevermore. But few are as bittersweet as the late, great Robin Williams. The acclaimed comedian and prolific performer was known for his heartfelt characters in movies such as "Dead Poets Society," "Jumanji," and "Aladdin," alongside breathing life and laughter into goofier roles in "The Birdcage," "Mrs. Doubtfire," and of course all of the cartoon characters you never realized were voiced by Robin Williams. Aside from his captivating presence onscreen, the beloved actor had a one-of-a-kind sense of humor, which allowed him to improvise a stand-up set in any given situation. One of Williams' most notable and fun bits occurred during the 1994 People's Choice Awards, when "Top Gun" star Tom Cruise (who's aging like fine wine these days) interrupted a Q&A session to hilarious results. Although the pair never worked together, it's clear they were close friends.

Seeing Robin Williams run into Tom Cruise backstage is pure happiness. pic.twitter.com/Bknk0BqGy3

— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) May 11, 2026

As soon as the Oscar winner realized who had called out to him, he immediately broke out into loud, fanatic shrieks, exclaiming, "Tom, I love you! I love you, Tom!" Williams then transitioned into a silly character performance, asking himself, "Raymond, you like Tom? Yeah. A very good friend? Yeah." The "Mission Impossible" star joined the comedian on stage, to which Williams immediately told Cruise, "You're a vampire now" on account of his recent work in "Interview with the Vampire." The A-listers gave each other a big hug before joking around more on stage, standing next to each other as the "Insomnia" star quipped, "We look like a before and after commercial" for cosmetic surgery. He riffed, "Thanks to this incredible implant, you can become Tom Cruise."

Whether they got to collaborate with him or not, Robin Williams was an inspiration to many of the industry's biggest and best comedians. Even though Robin Williams once broke his co-star Robert De Niro's nose on set, the Oscar winner still held him in high regard. Evidently, there was never a dull moment with the "Flubber" star on set. While Tom Cruise isn't typically considered a comedic actor, his hilarious and surprising role in Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder" undoubtedly would have made Williams proud. The "Meet the Parents" star actually worked with the late actor on the "Night at the Museum" franchise, with Williams playing a wax figure of President Theodore Roosevelt with a non-human companion that set the rumor mill churning (Robin Williams' daughter debunked it). 

Stiller and Williams originally met in the late 1970s, as the "Zoolander" star recounted in a 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. He was around 12 at the time and visiting the Improv Comedy Club in L.A. with his parents, with Stiller recalling how Williams had whispered to him, "Stay close to your mother, you'll be safe," (via TikTok). A massive fan of the "Good Will Hunting" star, he has nothing but fond memories of working with him years later. "Anybody who spent time with Robin felt his generosity. Anytime a fan would come over to him — anywhere, anytime — he would give them his attention, and connect with them," Stiller enthused. Williams' humility and humor touched audiences and his showbiz peers alike, making the beloved actor's legacy one that won't be forgotten anytime soon.