HE may have been born in upstate New York, but Tom Cruise is an anglophile through and through.
The Hollywood megastar embedded himself in British culture by partying at Glastonbury, becoming mates with Prince William and eating in some of our great country’s best curry houses.
But after five years of delighting his UK fans, Tom is bidding a fond farewell to our shores.
He wrapped filming on Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning II yesterday and left Longcross studios in Surrey by helicopter after saying goodbye to his loyal crew.
And insiders said Tom, 62, is now preparing to head back to his home in the States to spend time with his family after half a decade of living in the UK.
A source said: “Tom has made the UK his home for five years and he absolutely loves it here.
“It was his base for Dead Reckoning one and two, and now that he’s done the sequel he is heading home.
“It’s been a wild ride for Tom and the longer he has stayed in the UK, the more he has fallen in love with the country.
“There is no doubt he’ll be back at some point when he greases the wheels for the next Mission: Impossible outing, but Tom is looking forward to returning to the US to be closer to his son Connor and his friends.
“The transformation has been pretty incredible — England has done him and his wider reputation the world of good, and he’s so much happier for it.”
Tom’s love of Britain goes back to the late Nineties when he moved to London for more than a year with his then-wife Nicole Kidman to film Eyes Wide Shut.
‘No apologies’
He returned in 2019 to create his two new Mission: Impossible films back to back and made his home in a duplex apartment in Knightsbridge overlooking Hyde Park.
But as filming began in February 2020 the pandemic struck, and Tom — producer of the films as well as the star — was forced to shut down the production.
As Hollywood plunged into disarray, Tom and his team devised a way to carry on shooting without breaking Covid rules — and in doing so, insiders said, helped keep the British industry alive.
A source said: “His films employed hundreds of British workers, from those in catering, to cleaners, to the tech guys and costume designers.
“Both his Dead Reckoning films put millions into the economy — and the British film industry — when it needed it the most.
“Everyone knows Tom is a Hollywood great, but he also played a major part in keeping our industry going when times were hard.”
He also ranted to crew about keeping them safe in December 2020 when they had returned to work.
In leaked audio shared with The Sun, Tom shouted at members of the production not to break rules because he was so desperate to keep going.
He said: “They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf***ers.
“That’s it. No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f***ng homes because our industry is shut down.
“We are not shutting this f***ing movie down. Is it understood? If I see it again, you’re f***ing gone.”
Those close to Tom back then, and now, said it was his passion to keep people in jobs that led to him shouting. Luckily for him, and them, they listened — and both the films were completed.
As he settled down to his new life in London, Tom became a regular on the capital’s elite circuit and would dine in posh restaurants such as Sexy Fish and Annabel’s.
He also became close to Prince William, and in March 2022 put on a private screening of his Top Gun: Maverick film for him and his family.
Wills and his wife Kate were joined by Sophie Wessex, and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, at an IMAX cinema off London’s Leicester Square.
It was the start of a firm friendship for Tom, who then added the royals to his Christmas list.
Later that December, as he often does for friends, he flew in a £38 white chocolate coconut Bundt cake from Doan’s Bakery in LA for Wills and Kate.
Last year he also appeared as his character Maverick from Top Gun in a pre-recorded film at the King’s coronation concert, saying as he flew through the skies: “Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time.”
In February this year he attended a fundraising gala for the London Air Ambulance charity with William, where the royal joked about his friendship with Tom.
William said on stage: “If you wouldn’t mind not borrowing either of the new helicopters for the next Mission: Impossible, it would be appreciated.
“We have all seen on our screens that, how can I put it, you seem to have a different take on ‘normal wear and tear’ to the rest of us.
“It’s not the kind that buffs out, that’s for sure.”
I spend a lot of time in Britain and that’s not just for work reasons. I just love being here.Tom Cruise
Tom also made best pals with British celebrities including David Beckham and James Corden — who marked Tom’s 60th birthday with him in July 2022 with a huge party at Soho Farmhouse.
James joked about Tom’s topless Top Gun scene — “He pioneered the way we play volleyball in pants and no shirt” — before teasing the star about his ageless features, adding: “The producers told me the plot of the new Mission: Impossible. The whole team tries to find a wrinkle on Tom’s face.”
Tom also became a regular at sporting events at Wembley Stadium, and this summer was invited into the Royal Box to watch the tennis at Wimbledon.
Fans clamoured to get pictures of Tom as he sat on Centre Court alongside stars including fellow Hollywood A-lister Hugh Jackman and TV presenter Maya Jama.
Most recently he was seen at Glastonbury Festival and BST Hyde Park festival.
‘Greatest compliment’
Away from his active social life in London, Tom thrilled fans across the UK as he worked on the Mission: Impossible films.
He made Birmingham Indian restaurant Asha’s famous after visiting, with the owner saying: “Tom ordered our famous chicken tikka masala and enjoyed it so much that as soon as he finished, he ordered it all over again — the greatest compliment.”
He also made friends in the Lake District after stopping at the Lovage restaurant and had takeaways from Toll Bar Fish and Chips in the Peak District.
Locals nationwide were also lucky enough to witness some of his film stunts first hand.
As well as crashing a massive train into Darlton Quarry in Stoney Middleton, Derbys, Tom rehearsed a spectacular motorbike jump in a sleepy Oxfordshire village in summer 2021 using a 135-metre ramp which cost £2million to build — the most expensive ever for the UK.
The stunt was later filmed in one take in Norway.
Love also blossomed for Tom in the UK, and he grew close to his Mission: Impossible co-star Hayley Atwell and went on to date Russian socialite Elsina Khayrova.
They spent last year enjoying dates in London, including a trip to tourist hotspot Winter Wonderland, before they split in February.
Those close to Tom say the UK will always have a place in his heart, and with Dead Reckoning II out next May, he will return to the UK to start work on the next instalment of the action franchise.
Tom has made no secret of his love for our country and said before: “I am an anglophile.
“I spend a lot of time in Britain and that’s not just for work reasons. I just love being here.”
“Everyone is pleasant and will give you a nod or say hello without crowding you.”
You’re always welcome back on our shores, Tom.
As the saying goes, this is not goodbye, it’s see you later.
