Hollywood actor Tom
Cruise confessed he wants to take after Prince Philip in a
remarkable statement made on Sunday night as the star took part in the
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Talking backstage to
presenters Phillip Schofield and Julie Etchingham, the 59-year-old told the
hosts he wants to land a helicopter on a London landmark and shared a fabulous
anecdote about the late Duke of Edinburgh after meeting him at a charity event.
The Mission
Impossible actor said: “He was telling me the wonderful story of
how he got the first helicopter into Buckingham Palace during (the Queen’s)
coronation.
“Fantastic story. I was
this close to going, ‘I’d like to land a helicopter, if you ever need a
helicopter, I think I could put it right there.’
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Tom didn’t mind stopping for selfies at the exciting occasion
“Since I was four years
old I wanted to make movies and fly airplanes.” Later in the celebrations,
Phillip told Tom: “I hope that we planted a little seed and at some stage,
you get to land a helicopter in Buckingham Palace.” “Let me do it in
Trafalgar Square,” the actor replied.
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The Queen was all smiles throughout the evening
Whilst talking to the
presenters, the Top Gun star also revealed his staunch
admiration for Her Majesty.
He said: “[The Queen] is
a woman I greatly admire.
“I think she’s someone
who has tremendous dignity and I admire her devotion. What she’s accomplished
has been historic.
“The world knows her
dignity and devotion and kindness, that’s what I’ve always felt about her.
“(She is) someone that
understands her position and has held it through a history that’s just been
extraordinary the past 70 years.”
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Sophie Wessex was one of the royals in attendance
At the celebrations, the
father-of-three introduced The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, which he
described as: “One of the most enthralling, thrilling, heart-in-mouth
displays.
“It takes huge courage
and discipline to do what they do,” he added.
Tom joined an epic line-up of
stars who all came out to celebrate the Queen’s spectacular 70-year-reign,
including Dame Helen Mirren, Damian Lewis, Omid Djalili, Adjoa Andoh, Gregory
Porter, Martin Clunes, Keala Settle, Alan Titchmarsh and Katherine Jenkins.
