‘The Mummy’ Star Recalls Humiliating Moment When Tom Cruise Avoided Kissing Her for a Weird Reason

Actress Annabelle Wallis once shared a surprising and slightly awkward story about filming The Mummy with Tom Cruise, revealing how a planned romantic scene never made it to the final cut in a way she did not expect.

Speaking in February 2017 on Late Night With Conan O’Brien, Wallis recalled the moment she learned that a kissing scene between her and Cruise would not happen. She described her reaction with humor, but also admitted she was genuinely disappointed at the time.

During the interview, the host brought up the situation and asked about the missing scene, suggesting that something had changed during production. Wallis responded by calling it “a very sad day for Annabelle,” explaining that she had been excited about filming a romantic moment with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

She said she had fully built up the scene in her mind before arriving on set. According to Wallis, she had imagined it as a major moment for her character and even joked about how she planned to tell her friends and family about it afterward.

She recalled the moment clearly, saying, “There was another amorous moment, a little kissing scene. And I got to set and was like, ‘This is an amazing moment.’ I would tell all my friends, my children, about this kissing scene with Tom Cruise.”

However, the situation changed quickly once filming began. Wallis explained that she approached Cruise on set in a playful and confident mood, joking with him about the scene. She told him, “C’mon Tom, it’s about to be the best day of your life.”

According to her story, Cruise then asked to speak with director Alex Kurtzman. In that conversation, he said he was not comfortable with the kissing scene and felt it did not work for the story. Wallis said he made the decision quite suddenly and in front of a large crew, which made the moment feel even more intense.

She described the experience with self-aware humor, saying, “And he talked himself out of kissing me in front of 900 people. Can you imagine what I felt like? Not good.”

Host Conan O’Brien reacted strongly during the interview, expressing shock and joking frustration over the situation. The audience also responded with laughter and applause as Wallis told the story, turning it into a light but memorable moment on the show.

The discussion later spread online, where fans debated the decision. Some viewers defended Cruise, suggesting the romantic moment did not fit the tone of the film or the characters’ dynamic. Others simply saw it as an unusual behind-the-scenes anecdote involving two major Hollywood actors.

The Mummy (2017), directed by Alex Kurtzman, was intended as the start of a larger shared universe for Universal’s classic monster characters. The film starred Tom Cruise alongside Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, and Russell Crowe.

Wallis’s story continues to circulate as a quirky behind-the-scenes moment, showing how creative decisions on set can sometimes lead to unexpected and very public surprises for the actors involved.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!