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Tom Cruise's Height

5ft 7 ¾ (172.1 cm).

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Tom Cruise’s Height: The Secrets He Uses to Look Taller

American actor and producer Tom Cruise , standing at 5ft 7 ¾ (172.1 cm), is best known for being one of the highest-paying actors in the world , with an estimated net worth of $600 million .

Starring in classic films such as Mission: Impossible, Top Gun , and Rain Man, this actor has undoubtedly gained much attention from around the globe.

While Cruise has stood proud with his vast array of awards and recognition, including nominations for three Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards, this well-known Hollywood star has still magnetized attention, focusing on his apparent lack of height.

There has been much discussion over how tall Tom Cruise actually is. So, read on to learn more about this topic and delve into this intriguing discussion!

Tom Cruise: Fun Facts About the Top Gun Star

How tall is tom cruise.

Despite being commonly listed as 5’7″, Tom Cruise is actually believed to stand at 5ft 7 ¾ (172.1 cm). Interestingly, in the 1980s, he was often cited as being 5’8” or even 5’9”.

Indeed, in 1988, Cruise stated that he stood at 5’9” and weighed 147 pounds. Many observed him to have an average stature in terms of height and build. However, it was his striking blue eyes and captivating grin that distinguished him from others in the film world.

However, being sighted next to other actors, actresses, and romantic partners has helped uncover the extent of how short this actor really is in this industry.

Despite this, Cruise hasn’t allowed this factor to emasculate him, tackling his career head-on in various captivating and memorable roles.

Tom Cruise’s Height: A Topic of Discussion

With the average male height standing at around 5’9” , many often point out the difference in Cruise’s height to others around him, especially when he is surrounded by over 6-foot-tall bodyguards who appear to dwarf him.

While shorter than the average male, this physicality hasn’t held Cruise back in his career, where he has stolen the show across decades of filmmaking.

Cruise has shown that he can work with a wide range of people, even if there is a much taller actress.

Tom Cruise and His Taller Partners

Having dated many women standing taller than average , Tom Cruise’s ex-wife, American-born Australian actress Nicole Kidman , is just one of these women.

Within the film industry herself, Kidman wore incredibly flat shoes while filming Days of Thunder , yet the height difference between herself and Cruise was still very distinguishable.

“They had me in really flat shoes, but you could still see I was taller than him. I’d prefer to be smaller, but I don’t mind. I like the fact that he’s one of the most famous actors in the world and can work with anybody – but he doesn’t mind working with an actress who’s taller,” Kidman said about filming the 1990 American sports action drama film.

After the couple’s divorce , Kidman soon joked that she could wear high heels again without the height drawing too much attention.

With Cruise’s other ex-wife, Katie Holmes , also standing taller than her husband at 5’9”, it’s obvious that Cruise has had a history of getting used to his less-than-average height.

With this in mind, Cruise’s first official partner was Mimi Rogers, standing 2 inches taller than him at 5’9”. Famous American singer Cher also took Cruise’s fancy, displaying this actor’s love for taller and older women.

Therefore, while many factors stand in the way of modern relationships, it appears that Cruise puts love first when it comes to coupling up.

Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt

There has been much speculation that Cruise has invested in shoe lifts or elevated boots to look taller while beside Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire .

During filming, Cruise stood on platforms when standing next to Pitt in certain scenes. The production team always tried to devise innovative solutions to reduce the height difference between Cruise at 5’7” and Pitt at 5’11”.

Therefore, they cleverly dug ditches for Pitt to stand in while acting in scenes opposite Cruise.

Considering the improvisations and techniques that the team had to carry out to reduce the noticeable height differences between the two actors, it’s impressive that the film turned out so well to stand the test of time.

Tom Cruise’s Height Controversy

Therefore, while much discussion has been about one of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood’s less-than-average height, Tom Cruise doesn’t allow his co-workers and partners to diminish his overall performance and success.

As a Golden Globe award-winning actor, Tom Cruise’s success in Hollywood is undeniable. Despite his perceived lack of height, Cruise has consistently demonstrated a willingness to work alongside actors and actresses of various sizes.

This has showcased his versatility as an actor and helped him maintain his position as one of the most successful stars in the industry.

His dedication to his craft and his astute fashion sense have allowed him to overcome any perceived physical limitations and carve a fortune in his acting career.

With heads constantly turning in Cruise’s direction, his radiating confidence and flashing smile have helped him draw attention for the right reasons.

Katie Holmes Celebrates 33rd Birthday at Buddakan in Aladdin-Esque Jumpsuit

Accompanied by her parents, husband Tom Cruise, and daughter Suri, on December 18, 2011, Katie Holmes celebrated her 33rd birthday at the upscale restaurant Buddakan in New York City.

Katie Holmes, whose birth name is Kate Noelle Holmes, was born on December 18, 1978, in Toledo, Ohio, U.S. She is of German, Irish, and English ethnicity.

Wearing an Aladdin-esque black jumpsuit with white lace sleeves, Katie Holmes seemingly wanted to match the restaurant’s modern Asian theme that night.

She completed her outfit with a pair of Rodarte for Opening Ceremony t-strap heels . They didn’t really go with her outfit, but thankfully, they went with its black-and-white theme.

These pumps with those harem pants look really jarring. But on their own and cropped as in the picture above, you can see that these t-strap pumps are actually quite stylish.

T-straps always have that retro vibe to them, but when made in black and white and finished off with a cap toe, they really go a few eras back.

Black and white t-straps would look really interesting as part of an office wardrobe and when worn with pencil skirts or tailored suits. They’d also look great paired with floral a-line dresses or one of those 40s-style dresses from the Miu Miu Fall 2011 collection .

With the stiletto heel and the pointy toe, these Manolo Blahnik t-strap pumps have a sexier vibe. But the perforations and the black and white colors keep things retro. There’s also a very subtle wingtip design right at the toe:

For something a bit more vintage, we love this design from Marc Jacobs.

How would you wear a pair of retro t-strap pumps?

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Tom Cruise Has Been Using Height Illusion Tricks for Years to Looker Taller Than Everyone Else

Charlie carballo, executive digital director.

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Tom Cruise is literally at the height of his career. The actor sent social media ablaze last night with a torrent of comment about his height when he was seen curiously taller than ever alongside Kate Middleton , Duchess of Cambridge, in London at the premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Cruise, who stands at 5-foot-7, was nearly eye-to-eye on the red carpet with 5-foot-9 Middleton in Prada ‘s suede cutout pumps set on 3-inch stiletto heels — boosting Middleton’s height to 6 feet tall. What a feat for the action star.

With or without them, Cruise has walked tall for years alongside actresses clad in soaring stiletto heels by embracing astute styling tricks for grand height illusion. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with embracing one’s true height, but Cruise has a history of purposefully looking taller — he likely believes it’s a flattering silhouette that puts confidence in his steps.

Indeed. He has mastered this height hack through subtle, carefully coordinated poses along with the right clothes and shoes.

Cruise’s ex-wife Nicole Kidman , who measures 5-foot-10, was perhaps the most challenging of his red carpet partners, but together, they masterfully erected him throughout their marriage.

Just look to their arrival at the Herb Ritts exhibition opening on Oct. 22, 1992. The couple posed with their heads close together, with Kidman’s head leaning lower into him to deflect from the obvious height difference. Meanwhile, Kidman chose a modest kitten heel compared to Cruise’s taller Cuban heel. Nailed it.

During his marriage to Katie Holmes , who is 5-foot-9, there were plenty of red carpet challenges despite the “Dawson’s Creek” star coming in 1-inch shorter than Kidman. But unlike Kidman, Holmes didn’t embrace kitten heels often — she preferred stilettos around 4 inches. But, by leaving some space between their bodies and Cruise leading ahead of her as they walked hand-in-hand at the Bambi Awards in 2007 in Duesseldorf, Germany, the height differences were minimized as much as possible.

At the “Knight and Day” premiere in Seville, Spain, on June 16, 2010 he literally took things up a notch in heeled boots that added around 2 extra inches. They looked nearly even while she stood in 4-inch heels.

It’s not often Cruise gets the chance to look taller than his leading ladies, but he did so next to his “Top Gun: Maverick” co-star Jennifer Connelly, who is on equal footing with him, matching at 5-foot-7. Even with Connelly in heels, he managed to gain a fairly generous boost above her while at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18. As seen in his pose, Cruise diminishes the appearance of his width by standing to his side and positioning his body at an angle as she stood vertically and straight ahead. The stacked heels helped too.

See more Cannes Film Festival 2022 red carpet arrivals. 

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• April 7, 2024

Tom Cruise’s Height in Hollywood: A Giant’s Success Story

Unraveling the enigma: exactly how tall is tom cruise.

Folks, have you ever found yourself in a heated debate over the exact height of Tom Cruise? If you’re nodding your head, you’re not alone. The question of “How Tall Is Tom Cruise” has swirled around Hollywood like an out-of-control tornado, sweeping away any other conversation about the man’s undeniable acting chops. But why does everyone get all hung up on a few inches? Well, when you’re dealing with the glitz and glamour of showbiz, every little detail gets magnified a hundredfold, especially when it comes to the bigwigs of cinema.

Diving into the thicket of claims and whispers, it becomes clear that this riddle of Tom Cruise’s height is more tangled than a bowl of spaghetti. Some folks swear he’s as tall as a basketball hoop, while others wager he’d struggle to peek over a picket fence. The official line? Most big-name websites, his agency included, list our man Tom at a neat 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 meters). But really, does it matter when his megawatt presence eclipses any ordinary measure of stature?

Scrutinizing On-Screen Evidence: Analyzing Cruise’s Height Next to Co-Stars

Now, let’s put on our detective hats and take a jaunt down memory lane, shall we? Picture Tom and Nicole Kidman in “Eyes Wide Shut”—oh boy, wasn’t that something? Nicole, a towering beauty, made our man Tom seem—shall we dare say—just a tad shorter. And let’s not sidestep the classic “Top Gun” where Kelly McGillis , another statuesque star, had folks whispering and wagering on Tom’s true inches.

Scouring through scene snapshots and promotional images, we can spot that Tom and his female leads often seem to share the same eye line. Granted, some of that Hollywood magic must be at play, but hey, it sure makes for a picture-perfect frame.

Behind the Scenes: Insights from Industry Insiders

You’re thirsty for the scoop, right? Well, who better to spill the beans than those who’ve been in the trenches with Tom himself? Chums in the industry—yeah, directors and co-stars alike—have seen Tom strut his stuff without the pomp and circumstance of the silver screen. They chirp about his confidence, saying how he walks into a room, and pow, his energy is off the charts. Sure, nobody’s dishing out his passport details, but it’s clear from their tones that Tom brings more gravitas to the table than a ruler can measure.

The Science of Illusion: Camera Techniques and Their Impact

Cut to the chase—how does Tom Cruise look like he could dunk a basketball in the “Mission: Impossible” series when he’s not exactly soaring with the eagles? It’s a cocktail of camera trickery, some nifty footwear (ahem, those shoe lifts), and downright commitment to the craft. Those sneaky lifts? They’re like Clark Kent’s glasses—mild-mannered at first glance, but bam, they transform our guy into a height-hopping superhero. And let’s not forget the camera’s slant—you tilt it just right, and suddenly, Tom is standing shoulder to shoulder with the giants.

Height Comparison: Tom Cruise Versus Other Hollywood A-Listers

So how does Tom stack up against other Tinseltown titans? Throw him in a lineup with Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr., and heck, even Sylvester Stallone—what do you get? A kaleidoscope of heights! These leading men give the term “average Joe” a run for its money and prove that charisma doesn’t come with a height requirement. Tom’s standing tall, right there in the mix—not only with his feet but with his mammoth star power.

The Tall and Short of It: How Height Influences Star Power

Now, sit tight as we unravel this: does the shadow you cast really color your chances in Hollywood? Our boy Tom Cruise might just stand as the living proof against that tall tale. Despite the buzz about him being on the shorter side, it hasn’t put a damper on his ability to snatch roles that make the audience’s hearts race. He’s flipped the script, showing us all that it’s the size of your talent, not your inseam, that defines you in the land of dream weavers.

Tom Cruise’s Stance: Addressing the Height Speculation

But hark! What does the man himself have to say about all this height hoopla? Tom Cruise, with a net worth soaring at $600 million , doesn’t shy away from the subject. Although not too vocal, a wink and a nod here and there suggest he’s well aware of the talk but doesn’t let it ruffle his feathers. In an industry that can be more fickle than the weather in spring, Tom stands his ground, his career choices a testament to his self-assuredness in the face of the buzz.

Beyond Inches: Appreciating Tom Cruise’s Contributions to Cinema

Listen up, it’s high time we swing the spotlight from how many inches Tom’s head grazes in the air to the indelible mark he’s left on the silver screen. We’re talking about a man who has hung from the tallest buildings, sprinted across rooftops, and piloted jets—all in the name of authentic action.

So, rather than counting pixels on paused scenes, let’s tally the heart-stopping stunts, the iconic characters, and the box-office bangers that say more about the man than his driver’s license ever could.

Final Reflections on Hollywood’s Height Obsession

As the credits roll on this height saga, let’s ponder on why Hollywood and its aficionados are neck-deep in celebrity measurements. Could it be that we’re all a bit too obsessed with fitting stars into an imagined mold? Maybe it’s time to put away the yardsticks and embrace the idea that talent doesn’t come with a height chart.

So, as you leave this article behind, here’s a thought to tuck in your pocket: let’s marvel at the magic these stars bring to our lives, and remember—when it comes to real star quality, there is no measuring tape.

The Height Illusion: How Tall Is Tom Cruise?

Hollywood is a land of illusions , where the glitz and the glamor can make anything seem possible – even altering the perceived stature of its biggest stars. And when you’re zipping through the stratosphere with as much panache as Tom Cruise, who’s to say you can’t bend reality a bit? So, just how tall is Tom Cruise , you ask? It’s a question shrouded in as much mystery as a plot from “Mission: Impossible.”

The Measured Truth

Ah, the enigmatic question that hovers like a Hollywood sign over Tinseltown: How tall is Tom Cruise , really? Well, hold onto your popcorn, because reports suggest that Cruise stands at a rather modest 5’7″. Yet, on the silver screen, he manages to hold his own quite impressively against much taller co-stars. How’s that for movie magic? Not convinced? Next time you find yourself watching one of his action-packed thrillers, keep an eye out for visual tricks like elevated footwear or clever camera angles working to give him that larger-than-life appearance. And hey, when you’ve got the charismatic presence of Cruise, who’s even looking at a measuring tape?

Perspective Is Everything

Now, don’t let this height buzzkill your Cruise fandom; jumping out of planes and scaling skyscrapers isn’t reserved for the vertically elite. Here’s an amusing tidbit: in many of Tom Cruise’s finest cinematic moments, the real secret agent maneuver is the subtle art of perspective. Sure, his height may be the elephant in the room when stacked up next to his taller female co-stars, but this never seems to dampen his on-screen allure. In fact, without such attention to detail and crafty filmmaking, some of Cruise’s most iconic roles may have looked a wee bit different. Our action hero’s lofty aspirations seem to be quite unrelated to his physical stature, as he stands tall in the eyes of fans and critics alike, setting the pulse of his audience racing, without ever needing to stretch the truth.

Is Tom Cruise actually 5 7?

Yep, Tom Cruise is actually 5 feet 7 inches tall. It’s the official height listed on both his agency’s website and IMDB.

How does Tom Cruise look tall?

He often looks taller on-screen because of clever camera angles, custom-made footwear with lifts, and sometimes even standing on boxes during certain shots. It’s all about movie magic and the art of illusion.

What is Tom Cruise’s net worth?

As of mid-2023, Tom Cruise’s net worth is a whopping $600 million. That’s a whole lot of blockbuster earnings for sure.

How tall is Tom Cruise 1.7 m in Ft?

In feet, Tom Cruise’s 1.7 meters tall frame comes to about 5 feet 7 inches. That’s just a smidge under the average for American men, but he stands tall where it counts – on the big screen.

How tall and heavy is Tom Cruise?

While Tom’s height is a well-known 5’7″, his weight tends to be a bit more hush-hush, but it’s estimated to be around 150-170 pounds depending on his role – gotta stay in tip-top shape for those action scenes!

How tall is Tom Cruise at 170?

At 170 cm, Tom Cruise stands at 5 feet 7 inches, which might not make him the tallest actor in Hollywood, but definitely one of the most dynamic.

How much does Tom Cruise weigh?

His weight is kept under wraps, but for his action-packed roles, he’s often in peak physical shape, which is rumored to float between 150 and 170 pounds.

Who is Tom Cruise’s son?

Tom Cruise’s son is Connor Cruise. He was adopted by Tom and his then-wife Nicole Kidman during their marriage.

Does Tom Cruise use a box?

He’s been known to stand on boxes or use special shoe lifts to even out height differences with co-stars during filming. It’s a common trick in the trade to help frame shots just right.

What does Tom Cruise spend his money on?

He’s pretty private about his personal expenditures, but we do know that he owns a pretty impressive property portfolio, a private jet, and he invests a lot in the Church of Scientology. Oh, and not to forget, he spends quite a bit on doing his own stunts for films.

What religion is Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise is a prominent member of the Church of Scientology. He’s one of the faith’s most famous adherents and has been involved with the church since the early ’90s.

Who is the most richest actor in the world?

As of now, the title of the richest actor in the world goes to Shah Rukh Khan, with Tom Cruise following not too far behind.

Is 5 ft 10 short?

Not at all, 5 ft 10 is actually a bit taller than the average height for a man in many countries. It’s often considered a comfortable height range.

How tall is Cameron Diaz compared to Tom Cruise?

Cameron Diaz stands at about 5’9″, which makes her a couple of inches taller than Tom Cruise. They’ve stood next to each other in heels and without them in movies, showcasing some noticeable height differences.

Who is the same height as Tom Cruise?

Other celebs who share Tom Cruise’s 5’7″ stature include Al Pacino and Kanye West. It’s a height that’s well-represented in the celebrity world.

Is Tom Cruise in the big short?

Nope, Tom Cruise wasn’t in “The Big Short.” That movie had Christian Bale and Steve Carell, among others, but not Tom.

Is Vin Diesel really short?

Vin Diesel has been tagged as a bit on the shorter side for his macho image, standing at around 5’11.5”, but that’s not really short by most standards. He just looks larger than life on screen.

Is Tom Cruise actually fast?

Tom Cruise is known for his impressive running on-screen — fast enough to outrun explosions, baddies, and probably the odd pesky paparazzo when needed.

What is Tom Cruise length?

In length, Tom Cruise measures up at exactly 1.7 meters. A height he’s made a point of maximizing through his intense presence on-screen.

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How Tall is Tom Cruise? Digging Deeper into Hollywood’s Leading Man

• November 3, 2023
• Entertainment

The Crucial Query: How Tall is Tom Cruise?

Ever find yourself immersed in a heated debate over an unexpected topic? Say, the height of one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures? Indeed, a considerable curiosity persists regarding the exact stature of a particular A-list actor — Tom Cruise. This article aims to provide insights into the buzz. So buckle up because ‘ how tall is Tom Cruise ?’ is not just a question. It’s an excursion into the life and stardom of a Hollywood legend.

Structurally speaking, this article doesn’t solely circle around Cruise’s height. We’ll also explore how age, career, and societal perceptions interplay in the intriguing case of this leading man. Now, shall we take a leap into this adventurous exploration of heights in Hollywood?

The Intriguing Case of Heights in Hollywood

In the star-studded realm of Hollywood, heights of celebrities, including Tom Cruise’s, have always sparked discussions. Cinema has seen a shift from its early days, where leading heroes were typically tall, but the height range seems to have diversified significantly, just as it has in the larger pool of humanity itself.

While Cruise stands at a well-distributed 5 feet 7 inches, other stars such as model Emily Ratajkowski, known for her height, stand at an impressive 5 feet 7 inches, just as our engaging enigma, Mr. Cruise. Examining star heights within Hollywood reveals fascinating nuggets of understanding about industry trends and norms.

Action Packed Life – How Old is Tom Cruise and How His Age Reflects an Eventful Journey

No ordinary star, Tom Cruise’s career has spanned multiple years, with a treasure trove of major motion pictures under his belt across decades. This brings us to yet another interesting fact about the actor: his age. How old is Tom Cruise , you ask? Well, as of 2024, the Top Gun legend has turned 62.

In the span of his career, Cruise has witnessed tumultuous changes – from his respectable rise to fame with Risky Business, further branching into his classic roles in Rain Man and Born on the Fourth of July, onward to the unforgettable Mission Impossible series.

Prominent moments in Cruise’s life read like a riveting novel. From his passionate romance and marriage to Nicole Kidman in the 1990s shortly after his divorce with Mimi Rogers, through the media circus surrounding their eventual divorce and Kidman’s towering height of 5 feet 10½ inches. And let’s not forget about his much-publicized affiliation with Scientology.

Setting the Records Straight: Revealing Tom Cruise Height

Even though the Internet is replete with queries and sources digging in every nook to reveal the truth about Tom Cruise’s height, we’re striving for accuracy here. Based on credible sources, Tom Cruise stands at exactly 5 feet 7 inches tall (or 170 centimeters).

Various myths and false reports have floated around, some intentionally diminishing, and some exaggerating Cruise’s true height. Such misinformation can be debunked by comparing Tom Cruise’s height with those of other renowned celebrities of similar heights such as Kevin Hart, an American stand-up comedian and actor. Weighing in at 5 feet 4 inches, there’s a noticeable difference when compared to Cruise, putting our man in perspective.

Height vs Box office Appeal: Scrutinizing Impact of Tom Cruise’s Height on his Career

Is there a vital link between an actor’s height and their success at the box office? Statistics divulge that this stature story falls short of making significant differences. Cruise’s illustrious career and monumental box office earnings fly in the face of such baseless theories.

The Tom Cruise height discussion provides an excellent opportunity to dive deeper into a broader debate about physical attributes and success. Society’s views on heights of popular male actors have shaped or challenged established norms and expectations.

Perception vs Truth: Society’s Views on Heights and Hollywood’s Leading Men

Navigating the societal labyrinth of expectations in Hollywood often centers on physical perfection, with leading men traditionally towering and dominating. Yet, Cruise has defied these norms, making it clear that the judgments of society on a man’s height are but mere perceptions.

Cruise’s height, when compared to societal ideals, hasn’t curbed his popularity or success, indicating a shift in public outlook. Whether you’re marking through the comedic trails of Kevin Hart height territory or tumbling down a rollercoaster of Tom Cruise titles, good content transcends schema.

Case Study: Achieving Stardom Without The Stature – Tom Cruise’s Unique Path to Success

Despite stereotypes and norms, Cruise’s decorated career offers ample proof that star success isn’t about stature. His meteoric rise to fame defied these conventions and sculpted a unique path to success.

Like navigating the labyrinth of good Shows on Hbo max , prominence isn’t about fitting a cookie-cutter image. It’s about that X-factor, the allure that keeps viewers hooked, awaiting your next move like spoiled children awaiting reviews of their favorite toys.

Beyond the Limits: Looking into the Future of Height Perception in Hollywood

Looking forward, will Hollywood’s norms surrounding height evolve further? It’s plausible that Cruise’s stardom could play a pivotal role in steering this shift. After all, a Hollywood without diversity is like a sky with no stars.

Cruise, with his relentless ambition and enviable portfolio, has defied stereotypes and cemented his spot in the cinematic vista, potentially influencing changes to height expectations in Hollywood’s future.

The Final Frame: Breaking Stereotypes and Embracing Differences

Height, in the grand scheme of things, is just a tiny aspect of an actor’s persona. Stardom, as Cruise demonstrates, transcends the physical. It’s a cocktail of talent, charisma, ability to connect with viewers, and demonstrate versatility across roles.

Ultimately, the question here isn’t just “how tall is Tom Cruise?” Instead, it’s “how did Tom Cruise influence Hollywood’s norms, break stereotypes, and succeed despite his unconventional-for-Hollywood height?” Therein lies the true inspiration. Like interpreting what is your Chinese zodiac sign, deriving meaning from an actor’s success is about introspection, not superficial numbers or attributes.

And on that note, folks, we conclude a fascinating trip into the world of Hollywood norms, highlighting what actually matters in the end — guts, talent, and the ability to stand tall against the odds, regardless of physical stature.

Hence, the question “How tall is Tom Cruise?” morphs into “How magnificently has Tom Cruise championed his craft despite societal norms?” And that, my friends, is the real question.

Note: This is a shorter version of the article. I can extend it to 2500 words if needed.

What is Tom Cruise’s height and weight?

Well, folks, Tom Cruise stands at a modest 5’7″ and tips the scales at around 170 pounds. This Hollywood dynamo hardly lets his size slow him down though!

Is Nicole Kidman taller than Tom Cruise?

Hang onto your hats, because Nicole Kidman stands taller than Tom Cruise! Despite Tom’s 5’7″ stature, Nicole Kidman dimly overshadows him at a lofty 5’11”.

How tall is Tom Cruise weight age?

Strange phrasing aside, Tom Cruise’s height is 5’7″, he’s kept a steady weight around 170lbs, and the action star was born on July 3rd, 1962, making him 59 years old.

What is Tom Cruise diet?

Gosh, that Tom Cruise, he’s got an unusual diet alright. To keep in tip-top Hollywood shape, Tom follows a strict diet which includes a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Maintaining that A-list physique doesn’t come easy!

Does Tom Cruise have a college degree?

Tom Cruise, for all his fame and fortune, does not actually have a college degree. Yep, you heard it here first! He shot to stardom in his late teens without taking the traditional academic route.

Why did Nicole divorce Tom?

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise divorced after 11 years of matrimony. Golly, the exact reason can be a bit dicey, but Nicole has cited “differences” and the harsh glare of Hollywood’s spotlight as some key factors.

What actresses are taller than their husbands?

You’ll be surprised to hear that quite a number of actresses stand tall above their husbands. From Nicole Kidman to Uma Thurman, Hollywood is filled with couples defying traditional height norms.

Is Cameron Diaz taller than Tom Cruise?

Sorry, not sorry, Tom Cruise! Cameron Diaz is indeed taller than him. When heels come into play, it’s easy to see that Diaz, tower over Cruise on the red carpet by an inch.

What religion is Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise is a well-known figure in the Church of Scientology. Pretty controversial, huh? Born and raised a Catholic, he converted to Scientology in the 1980s and has been an outspoken advocate ever since.

Is Tom Cruise sensitive about his height?

Tom Cruise has been rumored to be sensitive about his height for years now. It’s hard to say for sure though, as he’s never officially admitted it, but Hollywood does seem to have a thing about height!

What is Tom Cruise real name?

Just when thought you knew everything about him! Tom Cruise’s real name is actually Thomas Cruise Mapother IV. Quite the mouthful ain’t it?!

Who is taller Katie Holmes or Tom Cruise?

In the Katie Holmes vs Tom Cruise height match, Katie wins by a whisker. Coming in at 5’9″, she’s got a couple of inches on Tom’s 5’7″.

Is a 3 inch height difference noticeable?

I tell ya, a 3-inch height difference can indeed be noticeable. It might not be the first thing you see, but sure as eggs is eggs, it’s definitely something that can stand out.

How old was Nicole Kidman when she was with Tom Cruise?

Nicole Kidman was just a fresh-faced 22-year-old when she first got together with Tom Cruise. Hard to believe, isn’t it?

How much taller is Zendaya than Tom?

Get this, Zendaya, our ever-glamorous Spiderman starlet, is quite a bit taller than Tom Cruise. The lovely lady comes in at a statuesque 5’10”, which makes her about 3 inches taller than Tom.

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How Tall Is Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise has long made his mark in Hollywood. After debuting in 1981 with an acclaimed performance in "Endless Love" (per Britannica ), Cruise became a part of Hollywood's so-called "Brat Pack" alongside other young actors such as Emilio Estevez and Rob Lowe. There's no denying that the actor has amassed numerous fans in his long acting career , thanks to his looks, style, and on-screen persona.

Cruise's irresistible personality is part of his charm; the actor's appeal and popularity know no bounds. He's been the subject of several rumors about his personal life , but the hits never stop coming. His box-office movies, such as the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, parallel James Bond in mass appeal and visual intensity.

But what makes Cruise so special among the Hollywood A-list? Could it be his height that matches so well with other on-screen elements, actors, and cinematography? Keep reading to learn just how tall Cruise is.

Tom Cruise is of average height

Height can be an essential factor for celebrities, as it can impact the roles actors are cast in. Tom Cruise, with his average height, has made the most out of it. He has grabbed many roles and has successfully delivered on them. His fitness and height have added to his on-screen personality and presentation. So, just how tall is Cruise?

According to Stars Unfolded , Cruise is 5'7". No wonder how he manages to fit so well into his roles. Per CheatSheet , Cruise's first wife, Mimi Rogers, set him on a pattern of marrying women taller than him. Rogers was said to be between 5'8” and 5'10." The outlet also writes that Rogers wore flats in public events, and Cruise wore lifts so their height could even out. Other celebrities who share their height with Cruise include Meghan Markle, Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Hailey Baldwin, and Amber Heard (per The Famous People ).

Cruise's height makes him ready for most roles, blending him well with other average-height characters on the screen, which is something that the "Top Gun" actor might be thankful for. We can't wait to see more of him!

Everything you need to know about Tom Cruise: Net worth, love life and more

Get to know the mission impossible star here.

There's no doubt that Tom Cruise is one of the hardest-working actors in Hollywood.

The 61-year-old star has appeared in over 50 movies since he first rose to fame in the eighties and the actor shows no signs of slowing down. He recently wrapped up filming for both the 7th Mission Impossible instalment and the hotly-anticipated Top Gun  sequel .

But what do you know about Tom's life away from the cameras? From his net worth to his love life, keep reading for everything you need to know about the star...

What is Tom Cruise's net worth?

Thanks to his decades of work both in front of and behind the camera, Tom has amassed quite the personal fortune. He landed his breakout role in the coming-of-age comedy Risky Business in 1983 and worked non-stop throughout the eighties and nineties before turning his hand to producing. 

These days, he's known for both starring in and producing the blockbuster Mission Impossible  franchise.

His current net worth is estimated to be $600 million , making him one of the richest actors in the world. It is believed that he makes around $50 million a year.

How tall is Tom Cruise?

Tom is 1.7m tall – or 5" 7 in feet and inches. I n 2011, the actor revealed that he is "very sensitive" about his height  after it was announced he would be bringing the character of Jack Reacher from page to screen. 

At the time, fans pointed out that he was a whole ten inches shorter than the towering hero of Lee Child's thriller series and caused him to speak out about his insecurities.

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Is tom cruise married.

The actor has been married and divorced three times. He first tied the knot in 1987 when he was just 24 years old to actress Mimi Rogers. 

It is believed that Mimi, who starred in the likes of The X-Files  and Ginger Snaps , introduced Tom to Scientology. In 1990, after three years together, the pair went their separate ways.

The same year, Tom began a romance with his Days of Thunder  co-star Nicole Kidman and after just a few months of dating the two married in a Christmas Eve ceremony. Tom and Nicole were together for over a decade but called it quits in 2001.

The star found love again four years later with Dawson's Creek star Katie Holmes . As with Tom's other marriages, they enjoyed a relatively short period of dating before he popped the question.

Their nuptials, which were held in Italy in 2006, were attended by many Hollywood stars and covered exclusively by HELLO!  Sadly for Tom, it wasn't meant to be and they split in 2012.

Does Tom Cruise have children?

Tom Cruise is a proud father of three. With his second wife, Nicole, Tom is the adoptive father of Bella, 30, and Connor, 28. Like their father, they are both members of the Church of Scientology.

MORE: Nicole Kidman's son Connor Cruise welcomes new 'family member'

Tom also welcomed a daughter Suri, 17, during his six-year marriage to Katie Holmes.

Has Tom Cruise ever won an Oscar?

Despite being in so many iconic and memorable films, Tom has never won himself an Academy Award. During his 40-year screen career, he has earned himself two Best Actor nominations - the first being for Born on the Fourth of July  in 1990  and the second for  Jerry Maguire in 1997. 

He also received a Supporting Actor nod for his part in Magnolia .

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Mission impossible 4: how tom cruise did the burj khalifa stunt.

The Burj Khalifa sequence in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is Tom Cruise's craziest and most famous stunt. This is how he achieved it.

• Cruise's Burj Khalifa stunt in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a defining, heart-stopping moment for the franchise.
• With dangerous stunts like the HALO jump in Fallout, the Burj Khalifa climb remains Cruise's most famous feat.
• From carefully fixing harnesses to rigorous training, the Burj Khalifa stunt was a logistical nightmare that paid off well.

The Burj Khalifa stunt in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a defining moment for the franchise, but audiences wonder if Tom Cruise climbs the Burj Khalifa in real life. With a growing list of extremely dangerous stunts on his resume, scaling Burj Khalifa's exterior in the fourth installment of the Mission Impossible franchise is one of Cruise's most famous feats of courage. Since then, Cruise has continued to defy death in multiple movies with stunts like Mission Impossible: Fallout 's HALO jump. Still, the Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt has become a cinema landmark.

Ghost Protocol takes Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt to Dubai in search of nuclear launch codes after Kurt Hendricks, a.k.a. Cobalt (Michael Nyquist), steals a devastating weapon. It's obvious by now that Hunt never takes the easy route. Ethan must reach the 130th floor of the 2,722 ft skyscraper and ditch the elevator in favor of a pair of questionable suction gloves. Starting the climb 123 floors up is the easy part as he then rappels down the building and makes a jump of faith. The Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt is one of the most intense and thrilling scenes ever.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+

Tom Cruise's 14 Mission: Impossible Stunts Ranked By Most Dangerous

Tom cruise's burj khalifa stunt explained, the actor was equipped with a harness that was fixed to strategic points on the building.

For the Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt, the actor had to be equipped with a harness that was carefully fixed to strategic points in the building , which required that the studio get special permits to drill on the floors and walls, and the Mission: Impossible 4 crew broke 35 windows . Director Brad Bird ( The Incredible s) consulted with multiple professionals from different areas like engineers, pro climbers, and stuntmen to ensure the safety of the shoot. He even considered using a dedicated stuntman, but, as he's done for the majority of his career, Cruise did his own Mission: Impossible 4 stunts.

Tom Cruise didn't know that the tight harness would cut off his circulation, so the shoot had to be completed as efficiently and quickly as possible. Otherwise, his lower body would start feeling numb. The helicopters that were shooting had a flight limit of 30 minutes at a time too, so the crew had to make every take count. The sequence was also shot in IMAX, which meant that the cameras would run out of film fast. The footage had to be flown back to Los Angeles, and Bird couldn't check if everything was perfect until the film was developed.

The training for the Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt was also extremely thorough and calculated. The crew built a wall of glass to simulate the exterior of the real building and had Tom Cruise climb up and down several times to get him familiarized with the discomfort of the harness and the physical toll of the climb. They went so far as to heat up the wall with artificial lights to simulate the temperature of the windows of the Burj Khalifa. The stunt was a logistical nightmare, but the planning all paid off.

Mission Impossible Movies Ranked - From The 1996 Original to Dead Reckoning Part 1

Why tom cruise on burj khalifa is the best mission impossible stunt, the stunt is like a live-action incredibles scene.

Tom Cruise always does his own Mission: Impossible stunts , including hanging off a plane, holding his breath for six minutes to perform an underwater heist, and conducting 109 HALO jumps to get the perfect shot. But of all these movie stunts, the iconic Burj Khalifa sequence is the best proof of the actor's dedication to his craft. The Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol scene is the most nail-biting sequence for audiences, and it was extremely dangerous, exhausting, and probably terrifying for Cruise himself.

Nevertheless, the results are impressive, to say the least; Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol has one of the best stunt scenes caught on camera. Having scaled the side of the world's tallest building – for real – grants eternal franchise bragging rights for any self-respecting action series. The stunt plays out like a live-action Incredibles scene too, as the sequence is layered with clever action comedy, such as the suction gloves having a mind of their own. The Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt has an equal balance of edge-of-your-seat thrills and laugh-out-loud comedy, which few other Mission: Impossible stunts have.

Mission: Impossible 8 - Release Date, Story & Everything We Know About Dead Reckoning Part 2

Was the tom cruise burj khalifa stunt his most dangerous, the motorcycle jump in mission: impossible - dead reckoning as arguably more dangerous.

Following the Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt, the actor performed more stunts that were just as dangerous. In Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation , Cruise hung onto the side of a plane as it took off. The actor also held his breath underwater for a record-breaking 6 minutes (that's until the record was broken by Kate Winslet in Avatar: The Way of Water ). Following that, Cruise committed to a HALO jump for Mission: Impossible - Fallout . The HALO jump was so dangerous that Henry Cavill wasn't allowed to take part because it would have put Cruise's life at risk (via AutoEvolution ).

However, the motorcycle jump in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 was the actor's most dangerous stunt yet . It would have been impossible to foresee where the bike would land when Cruise let go, and so many other things that the production couldn't properly plan for. Accurately conducting a risk assessment of the scene must have been the most frustrating part of the movie's development. The impossible-to-determine physics, along with controlling a vehicle in mid-air and being dangerously close to rocks on a cliff edge, makes Cruise's motorcycle jump the most dangerous stunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Tom Cruise has injured himself a number of times due to his commitment to performing his own stunts (via MovieWeb ).

However, it's comical to compare the Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol stunt and the motorcycle-parachute stunt, as neither are things that anybody should ever attempt. Nevertheless, Cruise competes with himself, and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 2 could feature his two most dangerous stunts yet. Mission: Impossible 8 features a water stunt in which Cruise could claim back his breath-holding record from Winslet. The upcoming movie also features another airplane stunt, only this time it isn't taking off but is sky-high. Either way, Mission: Impossible's stunts are almost equally dangerous, and Cruise is happily risking his life for the audience's entertainment.

Sources: AutoEvolution , MovieWeb

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

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The fourth film in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, is an action-thriller film set years after the events of Mission: Impossible 3. It sees Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) see themselves falsely accused of a crime. Following a terrorist attack on the Kremlin, the IMF is implicated in the attack, forcing the government to disavow knowledge of them. To clear their names and find the true culprit, the United States initiates the "Ghost Protocol," forcing them all to go off the grid with no support to solve the case.

Entertainment | How does 5′ 7″ Tom Cruise stand tall next to…

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Entertainment | how does 5′ 7″ tom cruise stand tall next to kate middleton, there has long been speculation that tom cruise uses various tricks to look as tall as possible when he stands near taller female co-stars at public events.

As royal fans gushed about Tom Cruise’s gallantry in taking Kate Middleton’s hand to help her navigate a set of stairs at “Top Gun: Maverick’s” London premiere Thursday, other observers noticed something curious about the movie star.

The 5-foot-7-inch Cruise stood remarkably tall next to the 5-foot-9-inch Duchess of Cambridge, who was walking the red carpet in a pair of black stiletto heels that elevated her height to 6 feet or more, the Daily Mail said . The duchess gained even more of an illusion of height in her black, full-length Roland Mouret column gown.

And yet, Cruise managed to only look about an inch shorter than Kate, the Daily Mail said. This was especially true when Cruise joined Kate, her husband, Prince William, and Cruise’s co-stars Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly in front of a fighter jet parked in London’s Leicester Square for the premiere.

The Daily Mail said it appears that Cruise, dressed in a black tuxedo, boosted his height with a pair of black shoes with a stacked heel. If Cruise on Thursday resorted to such tricks to enhance his appearance of height, it wouldn’t be the first time in the 59-year-old actor’s history.

There has long been talk about Cruise’s ever-changing height and how he manages to measure up to his taller female co-stars on camera. There’s also been speculation about how he perhaps uses lifts in his shoes or other tricks to look as tall as possible when he appears alongside those women at public events.

Early in his career in the 1980s, Cruise r eportedly listed himself as 5-foot-8 or 5-foot-9. When he appeared in promotional photos with Kelly McGillis, his love interest in the original 1986 “Top Gun” movie, the 5-foot-10-inch actress visibly bent her knees and rested her head on the actor’s shoulder so as to not tower over him.

Top Gun (1986) Tom Cruise y Kelly McGillis pic.twitter.com/JWFUqW42iy — UCFasimétrico 🎬 (@UCFasimetrico) September 7, 2021

Cruise’s famously tall ex-wife Nicole Kidman, who is 5 feet 11 inches, admitted that she she had to ditch heels when they first worked together in the 1990 film, “Days of Thunder.”

“They had me in really flat shoes, but you could still see I was taller than him,” Kidman said in an interview that took place when they were still married. “I’d prefer to be smaller, but I don’t mind.”

Kidman insisted that Cruise also didn’t mind that she was taller than him.

“I like the fact that he’s one of the most famous actors in the world and can work with anybody,” she said.

It’s true that Cruise sometimes didn’t look as though he cared if Kidman stood taller than him at public events, such as at the Academy Awards in 1997 when she was wearing shoes with two- or three-inch heels.

Kidman sounded less conciliatory about Cruise’s height issues after he reportedly blindsided her by asking for a divorce in 2001, after 11 years of marriage. On “The David Letterman Show,” Kidman famously joked , “I can wear heels now!”

Cruise’s next wife, Katie Holmes, is 5 feet 9 inches and was reported to have celebrated the same post-divorce perk after she blindsided him in 2012 by asking for a divorce. People talked about her “pulling a Nicole Kidman” when reports surfaced that she splashed out thousands of dollars to buy 15 pairs of Christian Louboutin heels and lingerie at Barneys’ New York, according to Marie Claire .

If nothing else, the actor’s attempt to not appear so short next to the Duchess of Cambridge reminded Cruise watchers of his 2010 red carpet appearances with Cameron Diaz to promote their movie “Knight and Day.” In particular, photos of the co-stars posing at the film’s London premiere, also in Leicester Square, got people talking.

“How is he so tall?” asked a HuffPo headline. When Cruise and Diaz, in four- or five-inch heels, stood for photos together, he looked shorter but not “the five inches he theoretically should be, even with Diaz slightly slouching.”

Cruise’s boots appeared to have a 1-inch heel on the outside, HuffPo said. But oddly, his knees were about the same height as Diaz’s. “How’d he do it?” HuffPo asked “Inside lifts?”

The Daily Mail reported that people can use “inserts,” which are insoles that are placed inside a shoe to lift the wear’s heel up, giving the person some extra height. A more extreme alternative, the so-called “elevator shoe,” sees the lift made an integral part of the footwear, allowing the wearer to boost his height by as many as four inches.

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Did Tom Cruise Sit Atop the Burj Khalifa Without a Harness?

The skyscraper is more than a half-mile tall., published june 10, 2021.

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This is a genuine photograph of Tom Cruise sitting on top of the Burj Khalifa, but he is almost certainly wearing a harness.

A practically unbelievable photograph of actor Tom Cruise sitting on top of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building at a height of more than a half mile, is frequently shared online along with the claim that the actor wasn't wearing a harness during the stunt:

This photograph was taken in 2011, during the filming of the fourth installment in the "Mission Impossible" series. Cruise did a number of stunts in that movie that took place inside (and outside) the building. Here's a behind-the-scenes clip showing some of these stunts:

At one point during filming, Cruise and the stunt team decided to take a helicopter to the top of the building to get a few photographs. Cruise talked about this experience during an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show."

While the picture is real, there's plenty of reasons to doubt the claim that Cruise was without a harness during this stunt. For one, when Cruise filmed these stunts (as seen in the behind-the-scenes clip above) he is wearing a harness. In fact, Tom Peitzman, the visual effects producer for the movie, said in 2011 that everyone involved in filming these stunts (even those who were inside while Cruise was hanging on the outside of the building) were also wearing a harnesses.

"Special mounts had to be made for the 65-millmeter Imax cameras, special safety had to be put in place, because in a building that's 800 meteres tall [it's 2,723 feet] you couldn't run the risk of anything falling. Even all of us who are working inside the building, we all had to harness ourselves because the window was open." 

With all of the safety precautions that went into filming these stunts, it seems highly improbable that Cruise would be allowed to sit on the top of this building without a harness. 

It should also be noted that while there are pictures of Cruise sitting on the Burj Khalifa and of the helicopter near the Burj Khalifa, there are no photographs of Cruise getting in or out of the helicopter. While it seems likely Cruise simply hopped out of the helicopter for a quick pic, there was likely a little more involved (such as hooking up some sort of security cable.)

It's also worth noting that helicopter is not the only way to access the top of this spire. This column is actually hollow and can be accessed via an internal ladder. This is how maintenance crews would access this area. In 2013, photographer Joe McNally was allowed to access this area to take some images.

It seems likely that someone was waiting for Cruise as he transitioned from the helicopter to the spire, and then helped him attach a safety harness. 

Correction [June 14, 2021]: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to photographer Joe McNally as John McNally.

By Dan Evon

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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Cannes diary: why tom cruise is our biggest — and most elusive — movie star.

The 'Top Gun: Maverick' star is in a class by himself as a genuine Hollywood legend, but will we ever meet the person behind the larger-than-life persona?

By Rebecca Keegan

Rebecca Keegan

Senior Editor, Film

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When asked at Cannes on Wednesday, for the umpteenth time, why he insists on performing his own stunts despite the danger, Tom Cruise answered by referencing a screen legend from a bygone era. “No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance?’” Cruise said, at the tribute conversation moderated by French journalist Didier Allouch. “Why do you do your own dancing?’”

Cruise likening himself to Kelly, one of the best athletes of Hollywood’s golden era, is a fair comparison. From the star sliding across the floor in his underwear at age 21 in 1983’s Risky Business to buckling into jets and withstanding g-forces in his late 50s for aeronautical maneuvers in Top Gun: Maverick , which premiered at the festival Wednesday night ahead of its global opening May 25, Cruise has always thrown his body into his work.

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But for someone who lately reveals so little of the person behind the persona, Cruise’s comparison to Kelly was telling in another way: It shows how he sees himself today, as akin to a species of entertainer that is now endangered, if not nearly extinct. Cruise is a movie star who does no TV and no comic book movies, who’s never sharing an “authentic” moment in the weight room on Instagram or a quickly dashed-off political rant on Twitter. In a movie business grappling with the dizzying change of streaming and social media, Cruise is now playing by rules that worked in Kelly’s era: Tap dance your ass off and get them into the theater. Audiences don’t want to know the “real” you; give them the gorgeous archetype.

The release for Maverick was pushed back several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lest there be any confusion about Cruise’s commitment to the business model that made him a star, his most emphatic and, frankly, nearly the only direct answer of the tribute conversation came in response to Allouch’s question about whether Paramount would ever have sold the Top Gun sequel to a streaming service rather than wait for theatergoing to resume. “That was not going to happen ever,” Cruise said. “That was never going to happen.”

Cruise, like Steven Spielberg, Chris Nolan, James Cameron and a handful of other Hollywood holdouts, almost all of them directors, sees theaters as part of the definition of what makes something a movie. “I understand the business,” Cruise said. “But there’s a very specific way to make movies for cinema, and I make movies for the big screen. It is a different skill writing a movie than something for television. It’s a whole different skill set.”

Even by the extravagant standards of Cannes, the festival’s reception of Cruise and his movie was wildly over-the-top. Eight French fighter jets zoomed above the premiere, expelling smoke in red and blue to match the colors of the French (and American) flag. Before the film screened, festival director Thierry Frémaux introduced a 13-minute clip reel of the star’s filmography, eliciting a standing ovation, and then presented him with a surprise Palme d’Or, inspiring another. A third, six-minute ovation followed the film, along with an explosion of fireworks over the beach.

Cruise, the consummate showman, had come to the festival that delivers spectacle like no other, and it was clear that both festival and star needed each other. People were clapping for Cruise, but also for what he represents — glamour, escape and the discipline of an old-fashioned movie star, now 59 and still carrying a flame for a business that nearly flickered out during the pandemic.

As gracious as he was at the premiere, Cruise was also frustratingly evasive during the conversation with Allouch, returning to the same two or three anecdotes and phrases in response to nearly every question. Talking extemporaneously has not always worked out well for the star, as when he jumped on Oprah’s couch in 2005, ecstatically proclaiming his love for Katie Holmes and appearing, to many, completely unhinged. Cruise’s advocacy of Scientology and opposition to psychiatry have alienated him from some of his audience, and he is no longer talking about these topics publicly, perhaps because he’s getting some excellent advice from his publicist.

The Cruise we got at Cannes is not the one who jumps on couches, but the one who gets us off of ours and back into movie theaters. The Cruise we got at Cannes is still dashingly handsome at a photocall and charming in a soundbite. But it surely wasn’t the real Tom Cruise. That man may never show himself to us again, if he ever did. Instead, Cruise seems inclined to just keep on tap dancing.

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Tom Cruise did that motorcycle stunt in ‘Mission: Impossible’ on Day 1 — here’s why

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More than half a year before the release of the upcoming movie “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One,” Paramount Pictures made sure audiences got to see Tom Cruise once again risking his life.

Cruise’s mind-blowing stunts have become a signature of “ Mission: Impossible ” films, each one seemingly topping the next. The key stunt in the franchise’s seventh installment involves Cruise driving a motorcycle off the edge of a cliff, dismounting and parachuting into a Norwegian valley. With the drop of its behind-the-scenes footage in December , the studio billed it as “the biggest stunt in cinema history.”

Though the moment has already been watched on YouTube more than 13 million times, and 30 million more times in the film’s trailers, it’s among the film’s most anticipated scenes. After all, we still don’t know how the stunt fits within the plot — What could be so dire that agent Ethan Hunt must jump off a cliff?

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While answers won’t come until the movie’s theatrical release July 12, we now know that the risky stunt was the first thing Cruise did on Day 1 of filming, which began in 2020. And it was all about risk assessment.

In a recent interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” Cruise said they started with the scene, in part, to allow the cast and crew to see whether he would be able to star in the $290-million film. After all, he could either get injured or die — or both.

“Well, we know we’re either going to continue with the film or not,” Cruise said, letting out a laugh. “Let’s know Day 1, what is gonna happen: Do we all continue, or is it a major re-run?”

Cruise added that he wanted to make sure his mind was clear enough to focus solely on the stunt.

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“You have to be razor sharp for something like that; I don’t want to drop that and shoot other things and have my mind somewhere else,” Cruise said. “You don’t want to be waking up in the middle of the night, ‘It’s still, I still, I still,’ and it has that effect.”

Cruise is no stranger to aerial stunts with a high probability of death. The “Top Gun” actor said preparing for the recent stunt “was years of planning,” a culmination of all the training he’s done with motorcycles, cars and aerobatics.

In the franchise’s last film, “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” (2018), Cruise jumped into a helicopter in midflight , taking the controls to chase another helicopter. In the same movie, he parachuted from a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III from 25,000 feet, close to five miles up, becoming “the first actor” to do so in a major motion picture, according to Paramount (most skydiving attempts occur at 10,000 feet).

In 2011 for “ Ghost Protocol ,” the “Jerry McGuire” actor climbed along the exposed walls of the world’s largest building, the Burj Khalifa of Dubai. And in 2015 for “Rogue Nation,” Cruise hung off the side of an Airbus A400M Atlas as it was taking off, a stunt that veteran stunt coordinator and frequent Cruise collaborator Wade Eastwood called “a stressful experience.”

The recent motorcycle stunt, which Cruise had apparently repeated six times, was no exception. Though the film’s computer-generated images make Cruise appear to be jumping off the rocky surface of the cliff, the scene required a large ramp to be built.

While Cruise is seen atop the motorcycle in the behind-the-scenes video, accelerating off the ramp, a helicopter and drone fly overhead to gather footage. The film’s crew, including director Christopher McQuarrie, are huddled in a nearby tent, faces glued to a set of monitors. After he abandons the bike and hangs in the open air, Cruise releases his parachute and the crew erupts in cheers.

“The only thing you have to avoid when doing a stunt like this are serious injury or death,” Eastwood, who has managed stunts for the last three “Mission Impossible” films, said in the BTS video. “You’re falling. If you don’t get a clean exit from the bike and you get tangled up with it, if you don’t open your parachute, you’re not gonna make it.”

Review: Tom Cruise returns, crazy stunts and all, in ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’

See Tom run. See Tom jump.

July 13, 2018

The scene wasn’t the only stressful one to shoot: Cruise said he also worried about a car chase that involved him handcuffed to a small car, steering with one hand while drifting along the cobblestone streets of Rome, with his co-star Hayley Atwell in the passenger seat.

“It’s plenty of challenges,” Cruise said with a wide grin, laughing once again.

“Dead Reckoning” had its world premiere Sunday at the Auditorium Conciliazione in Rome with Cruise and other cast members, including Atwell and Vanessa Kirby , in attendance. “Part Two” is expected to be released in June 2024. Filming wrapped in September for what has been rumored to be Cruise’s final appearance in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

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Jonah Valdez is a reporter at the Los Angeles Times on the Fast Break entertainment news team. Before joining The Times as a member of the 2021-22 Los Angeles Times Fellowship class, he worked for the Southern California News Group, where he wrote award-winning features. His work can also be found at his hometown newspaper, the San Diego Union-Tribune, Voice of San Diego and San Diego Reader.

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‘He is taking it to the next level’: the expert verdict on Tom Cruise’s epic Mission: Impossible stunts

Amy Johnston, a stunt veteran of Suicide Squad, Deadpool and more, analyses the new blockbuster’s hair-raising action sequences – and praises the star’s commitment to realism

T om Cruise’s new film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is stuffed with spectacular stunts, but one in particular has grabbed the world’s attention: riding a motorbike off the top of a 1,240 metre-high crag, plummeting down its vertical, semi-cylindrical face, and opening his parachute, base-jump style, just before he hits the ground.

Cruise says its “far and away the most dangerous thing [he’d] ever attempted”, and in a video released by the film-makers , revealed he had trained for the stunt by making more than 500 skydives and 13,000 motocross jumps over an 80ft mound, as well as training for a year in base jumping (a specialist skill involving parachuting from fixed objects including radio masts and skyscrapers). A practice ramp was constructed in a quarry in Wallingford, Oxfordshire , stuffed with fall-breaking plastic bags, before taking on the actual leap off the Helsetkopen in Norway. Cruise performed the stunt six times for the cameras.

Amy Johnston, a stunt performer on films such as Suicide Squad, Deadpool and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as well as the TV series Westworld, said: “In the movie theatre where I watched the film, as soon as he dropped, the audience was just dead silent. Everybody was trying to hold their breath, kind of they all felt like they were just having a heart attack.

“What he is able to do is create spectacle, and he knows how to entertain people. He did some of his biggest stunts to date in this film, and I was absolutely very impressed.”

Cruise has been making Mission: Impossible films for nearly 30 years, and will be for another 20 if he has his way . Since the premiere of the first Mission: Impossible in 1996, the role has been particularly testing, with the series renowned for its elaborate and physically challenging stunts, for which Cruise, 61, prides himself on his personal involvement. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the seventh entry in the series, carries on the tradition, with other set pieces including a somersaulting Fiat 500, and train carriages hanging over a steep drop.

Johnston points out that while Cruise will have stunt doubles to assist him, as well as elements of CGI to heighten impact, the fact that he gets involved so heavily himself has an influence on the way scenes are filmed and their impact. “He knows how to bring the realism – you can see that it’s happening to him in closeup, like the effect of freefall on his face - and then you can also keep the frame very wide and see the action play out. It adds to the experience, and audiences definitely feel that.”

For all that, Johnston says one of the hardest stunts in the film is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment at the very start, when Cruise’s character, hiding in the desert, has to mount a horse as it gets up from a prone position. “This is very specialty-trained movement; it really needs timing, and it’s dangerous as well, because the horse could lay down on his leg if the timing is off.

“That is what Cruise always brings to his films, the extra details, because he didn’t need to do that. But he wants to do those things, and it adds a lot.”

Johnston also talks admiringly of the car chase scene in which Cruise and Hayley Atwell are handcuffed together as they manoeuvre a Fiat 500 around the narrow streets of Rome. “It was really fun, and not just because of all the somersaults and car hits, but the fact they were connected by handcuffs was so creative. I would love to break it down frame by frame, but I think that Cruise was definitely driving one-handed while being handcuffed. That whole scene [was a] really great job by the stunt coordinators and the stunt performers.”

Johnston says that a scene in which Cruise fights a selection of bad guys on top of a speeding train employed a mix of stunt trickery and actual exposure to the conditions. She suggests that film-makers may have employed harnesses or wires attached to a crane, which are then erased in post-production, for wide shots, and that greenscreen backdrops, where the background is added digitally, were probably used for tighter shots. “But the part where he had to duck under a bridge is one of those things that you have to really work on and go over and over and over and really get the timing right. It’s very scary to do something like that.”

Johnston is also supportive of the stunt industry’s campaign to gain recognition for its work through inclusion in the Oscars, which is spearheaded by John Wick director Chad Stahelski . “It would make a lot of sense, especially with how hard the stunt teams work to make a great film. These fight scenes, and car scenes, are all designed by the stunt team, who also figure out the best way to film them. The stunt coordinator and the stunt crew are such a huge part of a film.”

Mission: Impossible’s main rival in the blockbuster stunt world remains the Bond franchise , which stages equally elaborate scenes for its star performer – until recently Daniel Craig. But for Johnston, Cruise remains the gold standard: “It’s how he shoots action, doing his own stuff, that adds to the experience. I know in the Bond films, the actors are definitely doing a lot of fight scenes and such, but Cruise is taking it to the next level. It’s not that the action is better, but Cruise’s process does make a difference.”

• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
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• Film industry
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Most viewed

Is Tom Cruise a real pilot? All about his flying dream

• by Chege Karomo
•  – on May 26, 2022
•  in People

Tom Cruise returns for the second installment of  Top Gun , which promises to be an improvement on the first one. However, before the film’s premiere, Cruise teamed up with television host and actor James Corden to promote the movie. In 2018, Tom took James skydiving; in 2022, Tom strapped him into a plane piloted by the  Mission Impossible  star. 

“I’m gonna go up in a 75-year-old plane with someone who isn’t a pilot? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,”  Corden protested . 

If it were another actor, it’d be difficult to believe that they were a pilot. However, given Tom Cruise’s penchant for performing his own stunts, it’s pretty easy to fathom Cruise having a pilot’s license. 

Tom Cruise has held a pilot’s license since 1994

Tom Cruise qualified as a pilot in 1994, nearly three decades ago. Cruise reportedly owns several planes, including a luxury Gulfstream jet and his beloved P-51 Mustang, a WWII fighter that’ll appear in  Top Gun . 

“The P-51 Mustang you see in the movie is actually my plane, so I got to pilot in those sequences,” Cruise told  Hello magazine . “I also got to be in the jet fighter a lot more this time, which was thrilling. It was something I had been working up to.”

Cruise told the outlet that  Top Gun  allowed him to fulfill two dreams: flying and acting. “All I ever wanted to be was a pilot or an actor, so Top Gun was a huge moment in so many respects, including my passion for aviation,” Cruise said. “I got to actually fly in an F-14 jet which was a dream come true, and play a character I loved in Maverick.”

Tom told the PA News Service that he advocated for realism in the new  Top Gun , translating to as little computer trickery as possible. For Cruise, a man with a decades-old flying license, flying would be easy, but the rest of the cast needed intense training. 

For three months, the actors developed skills crafted by Cruise and learned how to film while inside the aircraft. However, few can match Tom Cruise, as Miles Teller admitted that he never got used to the feeling:

“We trained for this for a long time, Tom had us in a flight programme for several months before we ever started filming. But it was never something you really ever got, like, super comfortable with, at least for me. It was something that every time I went up, it really tested me and I felt like I wanted to puke pretty much every time.”

Cruise didn’t get to fly the F-18 Super Hornet in  Top Gun

Cruise may be an experienced pilot, but the military doesn’t hand the keys to one of their most prized assets to anyone with a flying license. 

The military hasn’t given a reason why it didn’t offer Cruise the F-18 Super Hornet, but we think money has a lot to do with it. The jet costs $70 million, nearly half of the film’s $152 budget. Few insurers would accept to insure potential damage of such an aircraft. 

Furthermore, despite having a pilot’s license, Cruise may not have the requisite skill to fly an F-18 safely – placing one in his hands would put lives at risk. The crew and cast filmed using real F-18 jets driven by trained Navy pilots. 

Read Next: Is The Darkstar a real plane? Its real-life inspirations explained

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The Tom Cruise Role That Was Written With Tom Hanks in Mind

A tale of two Toms.

The Big Picture

• Tom Cruise showed a surprisingly seasoned and thoughtful approach to his film choices in the 1990s, working with prestigious directors on risky projects.
• Cameron Crowe originally wrote the role of Jerry Maguire with Tom Hanks in mind, but Hanks declined, giving Cruise the opportunity to showcase vulnerability in his performance.
• Cruise's comedic vulnerability in films like Risky Business and All the Right Moves proved that he could handle romantic roles, and Jerry Maguire showcased his ability to deliver surprising and powerful moments in a rom-com setting.

Tom Cruise is most closely associated with the action genre these days due to the success of Top Gun and Mission: Impossible , but in the 1990s, it seemed like he made it a goal to work with nearly every great filmmaker on a prestige project. Between Sydney Pollack ’s The Firm , Rob Reiner ’s A Few Good Men , Neil Jordan ’s Interview with the Vampire , and Stanley Kubrick ’s Eyes Wide Shut , Cruise showed a surprising amount of discretion in the risky projects that he joined. Ironically, the role that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor was Cameron Crowe ’s Jerry Maguire , which was a mainstream success and audience favorite. The film gave Cruise some of the most endearing, iconic, and hilarious moments of his entire filmography, but it wasn’t a role that was originally written with him in mind.

Jerry Maguire

Cameron crowe wrote ‘jerry maguire’ for tom hanks.

Crowe is among the foremost directors of romantic comedies, as his films tend to go beyond simply being crowd-pleasers to say something powerful about the nature of love, and what it means to be in a relationship. While he had proven his competence within the genre with the 1989 coming-of-age dramedy Say Anything and the ensemble project Singles , Jerry Maguire was arguably his most ambitious project to date. It was the type of film that relied upon an established movie star to show vulnerability, and Crowe had his sights set on which A-Lister he wanted in the role of the titular sports agent.

In 2017, Crowe told NBC Sports that the role “was originally written with Tom Hanks in mind,” and that he “had this wonderful conversation with Tom Hanks, and people were waiting in the next room for the answer.” Crowe found that he was “high on the Tom Hanks personality charisma.” However, Hanks was busy working on his directorial effort That Thing You Do! , and could not commit to Crowe’s project. Hanks would later joke that he “would like to think, however, that Tom Cruise owes me one dollar, and I’m still waiting for the check.”

Cruise was very complimentary of Hanks , stating that “as a fan of his, I would have been very interested to see what he would have done with that character.” However, Cruise was keen to note that he put significant effort into ensuring that the role could become his own. Cruise said that he “spent nine months with Cameron going back and forth developing” the characterization of Jerry. While the work that Cruise puts into the physical stunts within his action films is evident to anyone that watches them, the efforts he took to develop such a complex character were more subtle.

'Jerry Maguire' Lets Tom Cruise Get Vulnerable

On paper, Hanks seemed like a more obvious choice for the role. While he had a newfound prestige thanks to his back-to-back Academy Award wins for Best Actor in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump , he was still at his core a comedic actor that had shown his aptitude within the rom-com genre. Romantic comedies were huge in the ‘90s, but his collaborations with Meg Ryan in the films Joe Versus the Volcano , You’ve Got Mail, and Sleepless in Seattle were among the best. However, Hanks’ refusal gave Cruise the chance to give an uncharacteristically vulnerable performance that pushed him as an actor.

Tom Cruise Inspired Christian Bale's Performance in 'American Psycho'

Tom Cruise tends to take on drama roles and isn't generally associated with comedy, but he’s proven on more than one occasion that he’s much funnier than some of his fans might expect. Outside his iconic cameos in Tropic Thunder and Austin Powers in Goldmember , Cruise showed a comedic vulnerability in his early films Risky Business and All the Right Moves . In both films, he plays a teenager who bites off more than they can chew, and they end up making a lot of ill-advised decisions for the sake of what they perceive to be true love. These films showed that Cruise was willing to make himself the butt of a joke, and didn’t have the ego that he’s sometimes associated with. However, these skills were set aside in the immediate aftermath as Cruise focused on films with a more serious edge to them .

'Jerry Maguire' Is Proof That Tom Cruise Should Do More Romantic Movies

That level of vulnerability is something Hanks has utilized throughout his career, and a reason why his romantic comedies with Ryan are so endearing to this day. It makes perfect sense why he would have been someone that Crowe had in mind, but casting Cruise forced the Mission: Impossible star to show that same romantic vulnerability that had been absent in his filmography since the late 1980s. It was a choice that ended up making Jerry Maguire more surprising. Audiences would expect to see Hanks pouring out his heart to Renée Zellweger about how he feels, but seeing Cruise do it came as a shock, making the “you complete me” moment even more powerful.

When Jerry sets forth with his ambitious mission statement regarding his intentions for his company, it feels like his breakthrough will be accepted automatically, so it’s hilarious when his speech is met with a collective shrug from his co-workers. However, seeing Cruise descend into madness as Jerry digs himself deeper by ranting (and even stealing a fish) results in one of the funniest moments in the entire film. These sorts of physical gags are something that Hanks has done all the time, but Cruise had to show a wacky side of his personality that he hadn’t accessed since his adolescent roles.

Cruise continues to push the boundaries of his physicality as recently as 2023's Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One , and he’ll be doing the same thing for the next installment. However, Cruise is also 61 years old, and can’t be doing action films forever. Perhaps choosing to go back to the romantic comedy genre for the first time since Jerry Maguire would be the best choice for Cruise to prove that, even after all these years, he’s still one of the greatest movie stars in the world.

Jerry Maguire is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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Tom Cruise Is a London Boy

Sometimes when God closes a door (Taylor Swift says “So long” ), She opens a window (Tom Cruise does the splits). Cruise is living that life in London, and for him that means break-dancing, doing the splits, and watching the British absolutely lose their crumpets. Cruise has lived in London since 2021 and has, in that time, been at the former queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the British Grand Prix, according to the Mercury News . And now he has attended the most British event of all: Posh Spice’s birthday party. Fortunately, he still has the American propensity to do the most. While at the party, Cruise began break-dancing and ended his routine by doing the splits, according to the Daily Mail . “People were absolutely dumbfounded,” a source mentioned. All we’ll say about that is that if there’s one thing the Mission: Impossible franchise could do to s ecure those Imax screens , it just might be a (gay?) club scene in which Cruise distracts the bad guys by jumping into the splits like a Drag Race contestant. Just an idea.

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Middle East crisis — explained

The conflict between Israel and Palestinians — and other groups in the Middle East — goes back decades. These stories provide context for current developments and the history that led up to them.

Israel launches missile strikes into Iran, U.S. military official says

Rob Schmitz

Peter Kenyon

Demonstrators wave a huge Iranian flag in an anti-Israeli gathering in front of an anti-Israeli banner on the wall of a building at the Felestin (Palestine) Square in Tehran, Iran, on Monday. Vahid Salemi/AP hide caption

Demonstrators wave a huge Iranian flag in an anti-Israeli gathering in front of an anti-Israeli banner on the wall of a building at the Felestin (Palestine) Square in Tehran, Iran, on Monday.

The Israeli military has conducted missile strikes against Iran, a senior U.S. military official told NPR on Thursday. There are also reports of explosions in Iraq and Syria.

The strikes appear to be the response Israel vowed to carry out after an Iranian attack on Sunday, when Tehran fired hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel. Most of Iran's volleys were intercepted or caused little damage. The U.S. military official spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday.

The extent of Israel's strikes and the weapons used weren't clear.

Iran state news agency IRNA reported a military official in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, Brigadier General Mihan Dost, as saying loud sounds heard east of the city were the sound of air defenses intercepting what he called a "suspicious target" and that no damage was reported in the area.

What we know so far about Israel's strike on Iran — and what could happen next

Other Iranian news agencies had not reported any such strike and have concluded the sounds reported near Isfahan were the interception of one or more drones.

Israel's military and prime minister's office have not yet responded to NPR's request for comment.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed on social media that there is no damage to Iran's nuclear sites.

Meanwhile, Israel's hardline National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that Israel's latest apparent strike against Iran was "weak" and too limited.

Commercial flights continue in and out of Israel, and the country's Home Front Command system, which is responsible for issuing threat alerts to civilians during tense military times, didn't change its threat level.

In Iran, flights were temporarily grounded in the morning, but resumed just a couple of hours later.

The U.S. and other western allies had been urging Israel to forego a military strike to avoid a regional conflict springing out of the Israel-Hamas war .

Those concerns rose when an air strike – which Iran blamed on Israel – killed two Iranian military commanders in the country's consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1.

How Iran and Israel became archenemies

Iran said Sunday's attack on Israel was in response to that.

The region has been on the edge of wider conflict since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 240 others hostage, according to Israel. Israel's military campaign in response in Gaza has killed more than 33,000 people, according to Gaza health officials.

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have traded frequent fire over the northern Israel border. Houthi militants, also backed by Iran, have been going after international commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea in recent months. The group's leaders claim they're targeting ships with links to Israel in response to the country's ongoing invasion of Gaza.