Although he’s set to appear in this summer’s biggest blockbuster, Tom Cruise has been hit with criticism for 'promoting himself' and his upcoming flick Top Gun: Maverick during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration. Take a look below:
The film star, 59, sparked frantic scenes in Windsor on Sunday afternoon ahead of his appearance at the festivities - but hours later left ITV viewers unimpressed as he plugged his latest project.
Tom, who reprises his role as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, sat down with Phillip Schofield and Julie Etchingham during the celebratory evening but soon became a talking point on Twitter for speaking about his highly-awaited cinematic release at length.
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He told Phil and Julie: “Every film I make is important, but this one, people have been asking for decades. For decades I’ve been thinking ‘what could I do?’”
Tom added that the production of the sequel was 'emotional' but taking the step to create another film was 'for the fans'.
Although the Jerry Maguire star did speak highly of the monarch, viewers were left unimpressed that more emphasis was placed on his film rather than the Queen.
Taking to Twitter, a viewer penned: “Thought it was the Queen's Jubilee not an opportunity for Tom Cruise to promote himself”.
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“Why has Tom Cruise just promoted his new film?” another shared.
A third added: “So you think if #TomCruise didn't have a big film release, would he have appeared here for #platinumjubilee??”
Aside from the commentary, Tom spoke highly of the Queen and said it was an 'honour' to be invited to celebrate the milestone occasion.
He said: “It's a wonderful event; it's an honour to be here. It's a privilege.
“She is just a woman that I greatly admire. She has tremendous devotion and I admire her dignity. I love the history. I have great respect for her. It's wonderful, I really love the tradition. What a moment!”
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Continuing his praise, Tom added: “Presidents, world leaders, people of all walks of life, not just in America but the world, knows dignity and devotion and kindness - something I’ve always felt about her.”
Top Gun: Maverick is the anticipated sequel to the 1986 original Top Gun.
The film was initially slated for release in July 2019, however, the Covid pandemic, scheduling conflicts and complex flight sequences pushed the film’s release back to 27 May 2022.
Despite the setbacks, it's already getting rave reviews, receiving an impressive 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Topics: Celebrity, TV and Film
Lisa McLoughlin