Tom Cruise shares video thanking 'Top Gun' fans while falling thousands of feet in the air
The coolest thank-you ever.
"It's the honor of a lifetime."
Only Tom Cruise can take a death-defying stunt and somehow make it incredibly wholesome.
On Dec 18, Cruise released a video while on the set of “Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One.” By “on set,” I mean he was thousands of feet above Earth looking down at a beach in South Africa.
The action star used the moment to share some love with fans of another high-octane franchise. And he did it in the most epic, yet charming, way imaginable that, let’s be honest, only Tom Cruise could pull off.
“I didn’t want the year to end without thanking you all for coming out to the theaters, and thank you for supporting Top Gun: Maverick,” he yells at the top of his lungs. He then proceeded to skydive while continuing his “thank-you.”
“Where was I? Oh yeah, thank you!” he quipped. “Thank you for allowing us to entertain you. It truly is the honor of a lifetime.”
He signed off by saying, “Happy holidays … we’ll see you at the movies,” before spinning away through the sky.
“Top Gun: Maverick” grossed a whopping $1.488 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2022, the second film released since the COVID-19 pandemic to gross $1 billion and the highest-grossing film of Cruise's career.The fact that he chose to acknowledge the audience who helped make that achievement possible endeared him to people even more.
“This was such a heartwarming message! Thank you for caring for and respecting your audience, Tom! That's why the people love you. Love Top Gun Maverick!” wrote one person.Another added, “Not going to lie, Tom Cruise paying his respect to the audience who supports him got me tearing up a little. Appreciate those who acknowledge their audience and supporters.”
Others were just amazed at Cruise’s amount of chill during the whole thing.
“l love how he is jumping from a plane and talking to us like its part of his daily routine. Truly a legend,” commented one person.
Seriously, for a dude thousands of feet up in the air, he remains undeniably down to earth throughout the video.
Over the same weekend, Cruise released another video showcasing nearly 10 minutes of wild behind-the-scenes footage of a stunt in the upcoming “Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One.”
In what he calls “the biggest stunt in cinematic history,” Cruise rides a motorcycle off a cliff and then turns it into a BASE jump.
It took years of preparation and training, but as he would tell you—it was all well worth it.
“It all comes down to one thing—the audience,” he says in the clip.
Cruise’s dedication to his craft—and to his fans—makes his movies stand out in a sea of CGI-filled blockbusters. He brings a certain level of magic, intensity, fearlessness and (most of all) love to everything he does. That kind of commitment is impactful whether you’re jumping out of airplanes or simply existing as a mere mortal.
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Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids… 
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie? 
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."