A recent photo of Hollywood icon Tom Cruise and Australian entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins has ignited a buzz online — and it’s not just about the blockbuster they were promoting.
Captured during a London press event for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the snap shows 70-year-old Wilkins standing next to the 62-year-old superstar after an interview. What might have seemed like a routine celebrity meet-and-greet quickly caught fans’ attention for one unforgettable reason: the dramatic height difference between the two.
Suddenly, this simple snapshot turned into a viral sensation, sparking plenty of reactions and playful comparisons across social media.
“Always a pleasure catching up with the incredible @tomcruise,” Wilkins wrote on Instagram, praising the new film as “bigger, faster, higher, deeper.” He didn’t hold back in applauding Cruise’s boundless energy and relentless work ethic, declaring the Hollywood legend “keeps raising the bar… and then effortlessly jumping over it.”
But while Wilkins’ glowing tribute grabbed attention, online viewers found themselves fixated on something else entirely: the striking height difference in the photo.
Standing a statuesque 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters), Wilkins appeared to loom over Cruise, who is reported to be just 5 feet 6 inches (1.7 meters). Though the camera angle—placing Wilkins slightly closer to the lens—added to the illusion of an even bigger gap, fans didn’t hold back, flooding social media with brutally honest and often hilarious reactions.
“Tom looks like he just popped out of a Kinder Surprise egg,” one fan quipped, sparking a wave of playful jabs. Another chimed in, “I know he’s not the tallest, but this photo looks weird — like it’s been stretched or something.” A third couldn’t resist adding, “There’s no way Cruise is thrilled about this pic going viral.”
But beyond the height jokes, the conversation soon turned to what truly defines Mission: Impossible — Cruise’s jaw-dropping stunt work. When Wilkins asked about his very first stunt, Cruise bypassed his iconic sock-slide from Risky Business and took fans even further back.
“I think it started when I was about three,” Cruise recalled with a mischievous grin. “I used to climb out of windows and onto the roof at night just to look at the stars. It’s always been a part of me.”
When asked if fear ever creeps in while pulling off his death-defying stunts, Cruise responded with quiet confidence. “It’s not that I don’t feel fear,” he admitted. “I just don’t let it stop me. Being scared doesn’t bother me — it actually fuels me.”
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is already creating a huge buzz, thanks not only to its staggering $400 million budget but also its relentless, high-octane action sequences. Early reviews are glowing, with critics hinting that Cruise might have delivered the franchise’s best installment yet.
“An absolute adrenaline rush,” praised Anthony Gagliardi. “Cruise proves once again that he’s the undisputed king of cinematic spectacle.”
Fandango’s Erik Davis echoed the praise, calling it “the wildest and most consequential Mission movie to date,” while critic Dave Baldwin described the film as “pulse-pounding, gasp-inducing, and wildly entertaining.”
With explosive reviews pouring in and viral moments lighting up social media, Cruise is proving once again why he remains one of Hollywood’s most bankable — and undeniably watchable — stars.
