Tom Cruise stunned the world with his daring stunt at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it turns out, he did it all for free.
Casey Wasserman, chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Games, shared this surprising detail during the CNBC x Boardroom: Game Plan panel in Santa Monica on Tuesday, September 10, praising Cruise’s incredible commitment.
According to Wasserman, the Top Gun star wrapped filming Mission: Impossible in London, hopped on a plane to LA, and filmed the pre-taped stunt where he boarded a military plane. Despite expectations that they’d only get a few hours of Cruise’s time, the Hollywood icon went all in.
“About five minutes into the presentation, [Cruise] goes, ‘I’m in. But I’m only doing it if I get to do everything,’” Wasserman recalled.
On August 11, Cruise closed out the Paris Olympics in epic fashion, launching from the top of Stade de France, grabbing the Olympic flag, and handing it off to LA Mayor Karen Bass and Simone Biles. He then flew the flag to California, skydiving onto the Hollywood sign and adding the Olympic rings — solidifying his place in both Olympic and Hollywood history.