How Long Do People Get Tom Cruise's Famous Christmas Cake? Kirsten Dunst Gets Candid After Working With The Actor 30 Years Ago

The tale of the famous Tom Cruise Christmas Cake is a Hollywood legend, but unlike most legends, this one is actually true. Every year around Christmas time, Cruise sends out white chocolate coconut bundt cake to some of his former co-stars and friends as a holiday gift from the Mission: Impossible actor. It’s an honor to get on the Christmas cake list, with celebs celebrating when they get the honor. However, many have wondered how long your name lasts on the list, and if there is an expiration date for how long you will receive a cake after working with Cruise on a movie. Kirsten Dunst worked with the actor 30 years ago, and is offering some insight.

It’s been three decades since Tom Cruise and Kirsten Dunst collaborated on The Interview with the Vampire. Dunst was only 11 years old at the time, and it was one of her first big on screen roles. Due to this collaboration, even before her teenage years, the Marie Antoinette actress earned a place on Cruise’s Christmas cake list. As it turns out, this is the gift that keeps on giving. The Oscar nominee told Entertainment Tonight that even after all these years, she is still receiving the cake each December, saying:

Still getting that cake

I guess there is no bounds for how long someone can continue getting that dessert, so excited co-star Glen Powell who recently made the cake list can expect to receive a package from Cruise every year with no end in sight. Years may pass between Top Guns and other potential collaborations, but time doesn’t seem to get you kicked off the cake list. Once you are on the exclusive list, you are on it for life. For Dunst, it must act as a nice reminder of some of her early acting days, and the experience she had at the beginning of her career. Also according to Tom Hanks, the cake is delicious, so who wouldn’t want to still be included?

Dunst also revealed that she is amongst one of Cruise’s luckiest former co-stars, as her household not only gets one but two Christmas cakes from the Jerry Maguire actor. Dunst’s husband is frequent collaborator Jesse Plemons, who she just worked with a third time on Alex Garland’s Civil War. Plemons has an impressive filmography of his own, and additionally worked with Cruise on American Made. This earned him his own Christmas cake, and therefore, their household receives double the cake around the holidays. She said:

Jesse gets the cakes so we double up on our cakes.

This is a pretty cool flex. While A-listers like Michael Bay and Hayley Atwell can get excited about gorgeous bundt cake delivered year after year, not many can claim that they get two sent to their house. This makes me think if there is any other doubling up happening on the cake front. Cruise has worked with couple Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz individually as well, on Collateral and Vanilla Sky respectively, so I’d love to hear if they are also getting multiple cakes. With such a prolific career like Cruise, I wonder if he’ll ever draw a line in the sand. However, after that impressive Top Gun: Maverick payday, there is probably enough cake money to go around.

When Kirsten Dunst isn’t receiving gorgeous Christmas cakes from former co-stars, she is starring in some of the best movies in recent memory. You can see her in her latest film, Civil War, which is getting great reactions from critics and is currently playing in theaters nationwide. For more information on other exciting titles hitting the big screen later this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.

Caroline Young
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Writer, podcaster, CinemaBlend contributor, film and television nerd, enthusiastic person. Hoping to bring undying passion for storytelling to CinemaBlend.