Tom Cruise performs a stunt at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games
Tom Cruise will bring his signature daredevil style to the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris on August 11.
without brand – Entertainment
The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will end on Sunday with an extravagant exclamation mark.
After 17 days of intense and exciting competition between the world’s best athletes in their respective sports, the Closing Ceremony marks the conclusion of the Games and begins the long, sometimes agonizing four-year wait for the return of the Olympic Games.
Unlike the opening ceremony, which took place along the Seine, the closing ceremony will be more similar to its predecessors. Many of the nearly 11,000 athletes representing 206 national delegations will be eagerly marching into the Stade de France, which has largely hosted athletics competitions for the past two weeks.
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The famous faces in the 80,000-seat arena include stars such as Simone Biles, LeBron James and Katie Ledecky.
Among the famous faces will be Tom Cruise, who will be more than just a spectator at the end of the Olympic Games.
Why exactly is he there?
Here’s everything you need to know about Cruise’s performance at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, as well as information on how to watch the event:
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Why is Tom Cruise at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris?
Cruise, of course, was not among those taking part in the Olympics. Despite his age – 62 years old, well past his peak in most Olympic sports – the American actor is only 5’7″ tall and has a notoriously unorthodox running form.
He has been spotted in the crowd at various Olympic events, including gymnastics and swimming during the first week of the games and most recently at the U.S. women’s soccer team’s 1-0 victory over Brazil in the gold medal game on Saturday.
His most notable contribution to the Olympic Games will come right at the end.
At Sunday’s closing ceremony, Cruise or a stunt double will reportedly rappel from the roof of the Stade de France and land on the stadium floor with the Olympic flag. According to TMZ, NBC’s closing ceremony broadcast will then cut to a pre-recorded video showing the actor flying from Paris to Los Angeles, where he will parachute from a plane onto the Hollywood sign.
The skydiving video was filmed in March, according to TMZ. The company released photos of Cruise climbing the Hollywood sign. Although he was featured on the iconic sign, there was no photo or video evidence that Cruise did a skydive.
The TMZ report noted that Cruise had actually approached the International Olympic Committee (IOC) himself and proposed performing a series of stunts during the closing ceremony.
While Cruise’s inclusion in the festivities may seem coincidental, it serves a purpose that goes beyond an unnecessary cameo by a movie star.
Cruise will be at the center of the ceremonial handover of the Games from Paris to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. At previous closing ceremonies, the Olympic flag has been handed over to delegation members from the host city of the next Summer Olympics host. Among those attending the Los Angeles closing ceremony will be the city’s mayor, Karen Bass, who will receive the flag from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. It will be the first time a black mayor has received the flag, Bass’s office told Reuters.
Although there is a possibility of a stunt double taking Cruise’s place, the actor has been known to perform his own stunts throughout his career, even in the later stages. While filming the movie Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), Cruise rode a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuted to safety. Years ago, he also learned to fly a helicopter so he could pilot the aircraft in certain scenes in the Mission: Impossible franchise.
This isn’t the first time Cruise has been involved in some form of Olympic tradition. In 2004, he helped carry the Olympic torch through Los Angeles as the torch began its journey around the world, heading to its final destination in Athens, host of that year’s Games.
When will the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris take place?
- Date: Sunday, 11 August
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
The closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics will air live on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, with a replay shown at 7 p.m. ET.
Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics with Fubo (free trial)
Which channel will broadcast the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games?
The closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be broadcast on NBC, which will air both the live broadcast and the replay later the same day. Streaming options for the closing ceremony include NBCOlympics.com, the NBC Olympics app, Peacock and Fubo, with the latter offering a free trial to prospective subscribers.
Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peacock
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