HIS latest action blockbuster has smashed box office records, raising Tom Cruise’s stock in Hollywood higher than ever.
But as he unveiled Top Gun: Maverick alongside Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge at a star-studded premiere last month, it wasn’t just the sequel to his Eighties hit that blew audiences away.
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Tom’s appearance on the red carpet in London’s Leicester Square, flanked by on-off British girlfriend Hayley Atwell, proved jaw-dropping as onlookers questioned just how the actor could possibly be weeks away from turning 60 — even with Hollywood’s finest surgeons at his disposal.
And after winning plaudits from admirers for his age-defying appearance, the movie Maverick — pun intended — will now celebrate the milestone properly, flanked by Hayley and his Hollywood circle.
As one source put it: “Tom is a bigger draw than he’s ever been — and he looks better, too.”
The Sun can reveal the leading man will throw TWO A-list bashes in true superstar fashion – one in the UK, where he will take over luxurious members club Soho Farmhouse in The Cotswolds alongside British pals including co-star Simon Pegg, and a second in America – jetting straight across the Atlantic on his own private jet to be at both bashes in a matter of days.
A source added: “Tom is classy and low-key, despite his fame, but this is a big milestone and his friends and team want to mark it properly, so it’s seriously A-list – and there are two parties.
“In Britain the invite list will be a Who’s Who of his circle – they’ll be asking the likes of David Beckham, James Corden, his co-star Simon Pegg, and obviously his partner Hayley Atwell will be there for both.
“It’s going to be at Soho Farmhouse, where Simon had his party, and Tom just loved it – so he wanted to do the same again and take the place over.
“It’ll be very A-list, but also a lot of the team who he has worked with on Mission Impossible and Top Gun because they’ve become his closest friends.
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“He also has such a good relationship with Prince William these days it’s possible he would come along too, he’ll be invited – but that’s a bit more dependent on the royals’ commitments.
“Then he’ll jump in his Honda jet from Biggin Hill in Kent back to the US and do it all again with his American friends. It’ll be a bit of a Hollywood who’s who.”
But despite his endless accolades, Tom’s recent success and critical acclaim comes hand-in-hand with a major shift in his own outlook, which has seen him adopt a more under-the-radar lifestyle, largely in the UK after meeting love-interest Hayley on the set of his other recent blockbuster, Mission Impossible.
His time in the UK saw him adopt a host of English sensibilities – renting a stunning but understated rural home in Kent on a picturesque private estate, where his love of all things British even saw him install a darts board.
He has also attended football and tennis matches, and is said to be “keen” on a quiet visit to a British pub while living between a high-end apartment in London’s Knightsbridge and his country pile.
The last few years has also seen a seismic shift in his friendship circle – spending more and more time with his filmmaking pals Simon Pegg, director Chris McQuarrie and whenever possible, production supremo Jerry Bruckheimer who he counts among his closest confidantes.
It marked a significant departure from his previous visits to the UK – where he had spent much of his time at the headquarters of controversial religion Scientology.
In dramatic contrast, those close to Tom say he has not visited the East Grinstead complex “for ages” – and instead appears “utterly obsessed” with filmmaking
A pal adds: “For a time, every trip to England was about being at Scientology HQ – it’s a big mansion in Sussex called Saint Hill Manor. But recently he just isn’t going, things have clearly changed for him.”
But at the heart of Tom’s new mindset appears to be stunning Hayley, 40, with whom who he recently rekindled his romance after sparking a relationship on set of yet-to-be-released
Mission Impossible 7 – where Hayley portrays his love interest.
The couple separated once filming on the big screen epic wrapped – but he invited her along as his guest to the premieres of Top Gun 2 in both California and London, and it quickly became apparent their romantic interest had reignited.
A film source explained: “Tom and Hayley had drifted apart after Mission, but they kept in touch and as soon as he knew he was back in the UK he really wanted to see her.
“He arranged everything, she came along to the premiers as his guest and joined him at a couple of get-togethers, and that was it, they’re back on.
“This time it looks really serious. She’s had a huge impact on him, and he seem so much more relaxed and chilled out when he’s around her.
“They’re great to couple.”
PUBLIC IMAGE
The last two years have also seen Tom completely re-invent his public image – from eccentric and at times embattled to the consummate Hollywood leading man – with ageless good looks, a glamorous girlfriend and box office receipts to match.
And those close to him think the Covid pandemic helped to refocus the hi-octane actor’s attentions from his complex personal life to what he does best – making big budget films.
Clearly, as Top Gun: Maverick continues to rake in millions around the world, it’s a transition which is already paying dividends.
Friends say Tom, once obsessed with his image, is now more focussed than ever on making top-level feature films, in a change of thinking which has helped drag him away from controversy and back to the top of the Hollywood tree.
A pal said: “There’s a reason Paramount are prepared to bet hundreds of millions on Tom – when he makes a big action film, he does it bigger and better than anyone else.
“But the most significant thing of the last few years is the way he has started to look at the world a bit differently – he realised he was a major force in movie-making and saw it as his duty to keep filming on schedule.
“He was employing thousands of people at huge expense but he knew it was the right thing to do.
“He’s come out of the pandemic a different man – and the dividends are obvious in the results and the reviews. He’s as good as he’s ever been.”
When Tom turns 60 on July 3, there’s no doubt his celebrations will make it clear this is a major milestone in an extraordinary life – one at the very top of the movie business.
But as far as Tom is concerned, there’s clearly plenty more to come.
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