I have interviewed everyone from Brad Pitt to George Clooney, (Lucky me!) and I have observed that what makes them stars. It's not what's on the big screen but how they treat their fans.

Case in point, of the biggest stars in my time: Tom Cruise.

Currently on a relentless media tour for his sci-fi thriller, "Edge of Tomorrow," Cruise was scheduled to make a quick stop at Toronto's Scotiabank Theatre Wednesday night. Few details prior to the event were released to either the public or the small number of invited media.

To me, between the police presence and the private security detail, it looked like this stop had greater security than a visit by the prime minister.

Warner Bros., the studio behind the reportedly $178-million picture was stingy with details of this red carpet event, not even confirming which star would be attending. They claimed it was meant to be a surprise for fans at the screening, but EVERYONE knew we were under their "Cruise Control." We were told "whoever" was attending would arrive at 6:58 p.m.

At precisely 6:58, the de rigueur SUVs drove with purpose into the underground parking garage, and minutes later. Tom Cruise stepped out flashing his famous megawatt smile. He didn't walk to the waiting media, focusing instead on the throngs of fans just hoping for a glimpse.

Turns out they got much more than that.

Handshakes turned to photo ops and a willing ear to listen to whatever they had to say. One fan even shared his love of fishing (apparently something Cruise enjoys), showing the star a picture of the 51-pound lake trout caught in the Northwest Territories' Great West Lake back in 1998.

They say it's the little things that count and for these fans, a little went a long way.