"What I find sometimes that is tricky is if actors are using too much of their own life in a picture, in a scene, they get locked into a particular way to play the scene, and it lacks an immediacy"

Tom Cruise is suggesting that when actors utilize too much of their own life experiences in a scene, they can become too connected to a specific method of playing the scene. This can lead to an absence of immediacy in the efficiency, as the actor is not able to be as spontaneous and reactive to the other actors in the scene. He is suggesting that stars need to have the ability to draw on their own life experiences, but also be able to detach from them and be open to the other actors in the scene. This will allow for a more natural and immediate efficiency, as the star is able to respond to the other actors in the scene in a more organic way.