Tom Cruise has taken multi-tasking to a whole new level, appearing to film his coronation concert skit and his MTV Movie & TV award acceptance speech in the same sky-high shoot.
Both of the star’s cameo appearances appeared in shows which aired on Sunday evening, with the King’s concert taking place live from Windsor Castle, and the MTV Movie & TV Awards switching from a live show in Santa Monica, California, to a pre-recorded show on the same night.
Cruise delivered his pre-recorded airborne messages while at the controls of his Top Gun Warbird plane, wearing the same pale blue top, aviator sunglasses, green headphones and headset.
Messages aside, the only difference in the clips was the prop added to the backseat for his MTV award acceptance speech – his golden popcorn trophy for best performance in a movie for last year’s blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Telling film fans “there’s just no better feeling” than entertaining them, he went on to plug his next Mission: Impossible movie, which is due out in the summer.
In Cruise’s brief royal message from the same cockpit, he highlighted the fact the King qualified as a pilot, saying: “Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time.”
Cruise then saluted and steered the plane away from the camera at speed in the coronation concert clip.
The actor is an experienced aviator and was referring to the King’s own experience in the Royal Navy and RAF, where he learned to fly both planes and helicopters.
Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan also highlighted the monarch’s “action man” side during the concert.
Speaking in a pre-filmed video, Brosnan said the King had developed a “host of action man skills” over the years, as old footage was played of him skiing, windsurfing and flying.
Adventurer Bear Grylls also reminded viewers the King “even took on the Royal Marines commando training – one of the hardest programmes in the world”.
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The monarch served in the forces between 1971 and 1976 and is now the commander-in-chief of the UK military – with personnel giving him a rousing three cheers in the palace gardens on Saturday.
It’s not the first time Hollywood star Cruise has turned out for the Royal Family.
Last May he presented a segment at the Queen’s platinum jubilee show in Windsor and has met the royals many times during his career.
Sunday’s coronation concert in Windsor saw the King and Queen join a crowd of 20,000 to watch stars such as Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Take That.