Viacom chairman seeks to make nice with Tom Cruise

LOS ANGELES, Mar 3 (Reuters) Six months after publicly rebuking actor Tom Cruise for his off-screen behavior during a bitter split between the star and Paramount Pictures, Viacom Inc Chairman Sumner Redstone wants to make nice again.

The 83-year-old media mogul, whose company owns Paramount, was quoted by People magazine on its Web site yesterday as saying he has not spoken recently with Cruise but regards him as ''a great, great actor -- one of the best.'' ''He was a great friend. And I look forward to being his friend again,'' Redstone said. He was speaking at a Hollywood premiere on Thursday for the new crime film ''Zodiac,'' which is being released by Paramount.

Cruise's spokesman, Paul Bloch, declined to comment on Redstone's latest remarks.

The Viacom chairman caused a stir in August when he took a parting shot at Cruise as the movie star and Paramount called an end to their 14-year production deal.

''We don't think that someone who effectuates creative suicide and costs the company revenue should be on the lot,'' Redstone told the Wall Street Journal at the time. ''His recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount.'' The remarks were an apparent reference to a string of publicity faux pas by Cruise during the preceding months, ranging from his manic, couch-hopping profession of love for actress Katie Holmes on ''The Oprah Winfrey show'' to his strident denunciations of psychiatry.

A number of Cruise's friends and associates rallied to his defense. And Paula Wagner, the actor's longtime producing partner, struck back at Redstone, calling his comments about the three-time Oscar nominee ''offensive'' and ''undignified.'' Two months later, Cruise struck a new deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. to resurrect the United Artists film studio. He and Holmes also have since married.

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