Tom Cruise knows how to make an entrance, Top Gun: Maverick star Jay Ellis can confirm.
Ellis told host James Corden that when he met the matinee idol for the first time, Cruise orchestrated the blockbuster of introductions.
Ellis, who played Lt. Reuben ‘Payback’ Fitch in the Oscar-nominated Top Gun sequel, said he was at a gathering at producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s office for a table read of the script when in came Cruise like the cinema god he is.
The double doors parted, Ellis recounted, and Cruise pulled into the office on a red motorcycle, removed his helmet with a model-like shake of his hair, put on his sunglasses, and said, “Hey, I’m Tom Cruise.”
“Everyone is like, is this a prank show?” recalled Ellis, who added that Cruise was perfectly lit by the sun as it all went down.
The moment should surprise absolutely no one. Cruise is a master of the grand gesture, whether it’s having coconut cakes flown around the world to friends and associates, skydiving as he thanks fans who watched Maverick, or even blasting film crew members who violate Covid-19 safety rules. He always goes big.
Like Mission: Impossible 2 co-star Thandiwe Newton once said, Cruise is a “very dominant individual.”
Watch Jay’s interview with James Corden below...