Tom Cruise may be one of Hollywood’s biggest and brightest box office stars, but he’s also one of the most generous. Cruise’s acts of kindness have been Hollywood lore for years. It seems every year a new “Tom-Cruise-is-a-nice-guy” story emerges from colleagues and fans alike. Now, his Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning co-star Hayley Atwell has added another story to this last as she spilled about the Hollywood A-lister taking her grandmother for a helicopter ride.
The Agent Carter star couldn’t hold back as she revealed the latest story about the Hollywood A-lister’s kindness. She opened up about the sweet act to ET as the cast gathered for the Mission: Impossible 7 red-carpet premiere in Rome, Italy. Atwell recalled how the whole moment played out, saying:
The first thing [that] comes to mind for me is that he took my grandmother in a helicopter on Christmas Eve and gave her a tour of London. I didn't tell her it was coming, because I knew that she wouldn't -- there's no way she would get into a helicopter.
After working with Tom Cruise for a while, Hayley Atwell knew he loved pushing people beyond their limits, just ask his Top Gun: Maverick co-star Jennifer Connelly. So, it seemed like a coordinated effort between the M:I 7 stars to plan the perfect Christmas surprise from granddaughter to grandmother.
Atwell seemed overjoyed to share this moment, but there was more to the delightful Christmas Eve joyride. The former MCU star explained how her grandmother went from shunning a copter ride to joining Cruise for a sky-high tour of London, saying:
I took her to a helicopter base in central London that had, like, a cafe attached to it, and we're having a cup of tea and I said, 'Oh, some helicopters out there,' and she went, 'Oh, you wouldn't get me in one of those things.' We surprised her and Tom came walking around the car. It was so sweet, because my grandmother was like, 'Hiya, Tom, how are you darling?!' and talked to him like he was one of her own. She was so relaxed with him. And then he said, 'I would love to take you on the helicopter, on a ride of London.' And she was like, 'Oh, fantastic! Yes, I'll just put me walking stick down here!'... The effect that he had on her totally disarmed her fear. And she had the most wonderful time... It was cute.
Now, that’s the power of Cruise’s charisma as he managed to make fast friends with Hayley Atwell’s grandmother. His charismatic ways got her grandmother to drop her fears and take a nice aerial tour of London.
Taking Atwell’s grandmother on a helicopter ride left me in awe of the Hollywood superstar’s kindness. However, this move wasn’t surprising as many Tom Cruise fans and I have heard about his kind heart for years. Numerous co-stars and A-listers have told stories about Cruise’s generosity. Maverick co-star Jon Hamm spoke highly of the Oscar nominee by praising his attentive interactions with younger actors. One of those young stars was Hangman actor Glen Powell, who spoke about the amazing career advice the box office star gave him. Even the last awards season had many Hollywood stars – veterans to newcomers – starstruck by his mere presence as seen in his interaction with Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan.
Hopefully, Tom Cruise’s authentic kindness will translate to the box office as Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One prepares to arrive in theaters on July 12. Moviegoers will have to wait until 2024 to see Dead Reckoning Part Two in cinemas. In the meantime, check out our 2023 movie schedule to see what other summer blockbusters are arriving soon.
