Even when he's not physically present, count on Tom Cruise to make a lasting impression. Case in point: his short but memorable cameo during the Coronation festivities held in London over the weekend.
After weeks of speculation about whether he’ll appear at King Charles III's Coronation, Cruise did just that, albeit via a pre-recorded message. He and the British Royal Family go all the way back to 1997 when he was asked to attend the funeral of Princess Diana, and he's been seen with various members at various events over the years.
The latest came on Sunday, during the Coronation Concert held at Windsor Castle, capping off a weekend of celebrations after the ceremony that saw King Charles III crowned King. Before Lionel Richie took to the stage to perform, a pre-recorded bit played on the big screen, meant to highlight King Charles III's achievements while painting him into a kind of James Bond-type of figure.
Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan showed up first, recalling for the audiences how the former Prince of Wales got his wings as a fully-trained RAF pilot at just 22 years of age. Television personality and adventurer Bear Grylls was next, mentioning the fact that Charles was a royal aviator and a trained commando helicopter pilot. Tom Cruise was last, telling Charles, "Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty, you can be my wingman anytime."
Fans of Top Gun will recognize the line, and those who've seen the Maverick sequel will undoubtedly recognize the aircraft Cruise was piloting as well.
It was his North American P-51K Mustang single-engined fighter plane, which he bought in 2021 and once called Kiss Me Kate in honor of his ex-wife Katie Holmes. It's the aircraft Cruise loves flying the most, and it's been featured in Top Gun: Maverick, both in the film and in extended featurettes that preceded the theatrical release. Built in 1944 or 1946 (Cruise says it's a ‘44, but online records claim it's a ‘46), the actor bought it from a museum in Illinois, where it had come to what seemed like its final resting place.
Having Tom Cruise, arguably the most badass actor in Hollywood right now, if only for the fact that he does most of his stunts and they're all of the death-defying variety, tell you you could be his wingman "anytime” is no small thing. James Corden would know a lot about that, given his love-hate relationship with Cruise and the frightening stunts they used to do together, against Corden's wishes.
On a funny note, work is work, Coronation or no Coronation. Since he was already in the air shooting the segment for King Charles, Tom Cruise used the opportunity to record a strangely-similar segment for the 2023 edition of the MTV Movie Awards, which also aired on Sunday (May 7) night. Both messages are available below.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News