Tom Cruise refused to take a paycheck for his Summer Olympics work so long as he was allowed to perform his own stunts.
If the opening ceremony to the 2024 Summer Olympics was marred in controversy (which overshadowed even the highlights), then the closing ceremony was filled with some of the most exciting moments of the entire event, not the least of which was headed by Tom Cruise, who put on one hell of a show – as if that’s any surprise at all…
As Casey Wasserman, president/chairperson of the LA28 committee for 2028’s Summer Olympics (to be held in Los Angeles for the first time since 1984), revealed, Tom Cruise actually refused payment for the gig, which found him rappelling into the stadium, flying on a motorcycle and leaping from a plane. That’s a hell of a lot of work not to get a paycheck! Originally, Wasserman expected to primarily use a stunt double for the Olympics stunts, but soon realized that that’s just not how Tom Cruise operates. As he put it, “About five minutes into the presentation, [Cruise] goes, ‘I’m in. But I’m only doing it if I get to do everything.’”
And so he did, becoming more and more involved in the entire process, committing himself not just to the job but to perfection. “He finished filming Mission: Impossible at 6 p.m. in London, got right on a plane/ He landed in L.A. at 4 a.m. and filmed the scene where he pulls onto a military plane. In L.A., he does two jumps out of the [plane]. He didn’t like the first one, so he did a second jump. Then he helicoptered from Palmdale to the Hollywood sign, filmed from 1 until 5, helicoptered to Burbank Airport, and flew back to London.”
The closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics gave Tom Cruise one of the grandest stages to deliver what we all expect from him: incredible stunt work, selfless deeds and a promotion for Hollywood, perfectly setting up 2028’s event. And no, we’re not surprised he pulled off every single bit of it.
What did you think of Tom Cruise’s work during the Summer Olympics? Was it the standout moment for you? Let us know in the comments section below.