Tom Cruise Expected to Perform Death-Defying Stunt to Close Out Paris Olympics

Not one to let the late Queen Elizabeth be the only public figure who’s gone skydiving as part of an Olympic stunt, Tom Cruise is reportedly getting in on the Games with a high-flying feat of his own. The Mission: Impossible star will play a key role in the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday, Aug. 11, in which Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will hand off the Olympic flag to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, whose city will host the 2028 Games. Cruise’s role was first reported Thursday by TMZ, which said that the actor is expected to rappel down the Stade de France and land on the stadium field holding the flag. The broadcast will then cut to a pre-filmed segment showing Cruise flying from Paris to Los Angeles and skydiving down to the Hollywood sign. The segment was shot in March, according to TMZ, which published photos of Cruise scrambling down from the sign. The tabloid reported that it was the 62-year-old movie star, who has been a fixture in the stands in recent days, who approached the International Olympic Committee about participating in the ceremony. “It’s awesome,” he told Reuters of the Games this week. “Great stories, great athletes. It’s incredible what they have to do, the sense of accomplishment.”