Tom Cruise, 59, Applauds Fans Singing Top Gun Theme & He Looks Exactly The Same As In Film – Pics

Jannie Nikola Photography/Mega

The hunky action star flashed his megawatt smile to a group of locals singing the ‘Top Gun’ theme while he filmed the next chapter of ‘Mission Impossible’ in South Africa.

Tom Cruise must have found the fountain of youth because the man hasn’t aged a bit! While filming the latest Mission Impossible in South Africa on Friday (March 4), the 59-year-old actor looked almost exactly like he did in the first installment of the action series back in 1996! The hunky action star was all smiles as he applauded a group of locals who were singing the theme song to one of Tom’s other blockbusters: 1986’s Top Gun.

Meanwhile, Tom has been handling his own stunt work on the set, as he has done so on past productions, including Mission: Impossible 7, which is scheduled to be released in 2022 and stars his rumored now ex-girlfriend Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby. However, the eighth chapter in the series, scheduled for a July 22, 2023 release, had Tom recently taking it one step further by investing in flying lessons to deftly handle a Boeing Stearman plane for some action scenes.

At the time, Tom gave a sneak peek into how all the action unfolds, as he was spotted on the ground in a jumpsuit and helmet. Surrounded by the production crew, the actor was placed in a harness, which was secured to the wing of the Boeing Stearman biplane with a series of metal rods. Movie-making magic at its finest!

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Perhaps Tom felt the “need for speed” after he finished wrapping Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to 1986’s smash hit Top Gun. The movie, set to premiere in May 2022, has Tom reprising his iconic role of Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, with Val Kilmer returning as Commander Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. The movie also stars Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, and Jennifer Connelly.

Meanwhile, Tom recently made a rare public appearance with his son Connor, 26, at a baseball game in San Francisco. He shares Connor with ex-wife Nicole Kidman, whom he was married to from 1990 and 2001. The former couple also share daughter Isabella, 28. Tom also shares daughter Suri, 15, with ex Katie Holmes. The two split in 2016 after six years of marriage.