Tom Cruise surprised co-star Hayley Atwell's grandmother with unforgettable helicopter tour of London
UNITED KINGDOM, LONDON: When you work with Tom Cruise on a movie, you can expect some pretty crazy situations. Before the film's release, Cruise and his 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' co-star recalled Cruise's sweet gesture for her grandmother. Franchise newbie Hayley Atwell described how the multi-talented star helped her create a lasting memory for her grandmother.
Atwell shared about Cruise's generous surprise, "The first thing comes to mind for me is that he took my grandmother in a helicopter on Christmas Eve and gave her a tour of London." She added, "I didn't tell her it was coming, because I knew that she wouldn't -- there's no way she would get into a helicopter," reports ET Online.
'We surprised her and Tom came walking around the car'
Atwell recounts, "I took her to a helicopter base in central London that had, like, a cafe attached to it, and we're having a cup of tea and I said, 'Oh, some helicopters out there,' and she went, 'Oh, you wouldn't get me in one of those things,'" the actress recalled. "We surprised her and Tom came walking around the car. It was so sweet, because my grandmother was like, 'Hiya, Tom, how are you darling?!' and talked to him like he was one of her own."
Atwell added, "She was so relaxed with him. And then he said, 'I would love to take you on the helicopter, on a ride of London." She further added, "And she was like, 'Oh, fantastic! Yes, I'll just put me walking stick down here!'... The effect that he had on her totally disarmed her fear. And she had the most wonderful time... It was cute."
'He gives everyone his time'
The 'Mission: Impossible' cast and crew were impressed by Cruise's presence on the set of the critically acclaimed series, and the 'Marvel's Agent Carter' actress praised his interactions with them. Atwell said, "The charisma that he has comes from sort of a childlike enthusiasm for the work that he does." She added, And the fact that he remains a student of film, he's always looking to push, to explore, he's very curious. That keeps him taking creative risks."
She added what makes Cruise one of the world's biggest stars is his kindness, "He walks into the room, he knows everyone's name, he gives everyone his time. Very gracious, really charming. And that, of course, magnetizes people to him because they want to be in the company of people who make them feel good."
Cruise says, 'I'm going to take you at sunset'
Unsurprisingly, Cruise stated that it was his delight to accompany Atwell's granny on the journey of a lifetime. He recalled, "I knew her grandmother's never been in a helicopter, so [I said] I'm going to take you at sunset," he recalled. "It was beautiful.... I said, 'Don't worry, Hayley. We're gonna just take our time. It's gonna be a lovely family outing."
Additionally, Cruise was quite complimentary of Atwell's decision to join the 'Mission: Impossible' series, stating that both the actress and their brand-new locales in Rome contributed something unique to 'Dead Reckoning Part One.'
He shared, "Hayley's performance and who she is, it just allowed us a different kind of tone," "Rome is incredibly romantic. ... It's a cinematic city. In the history of cinema, La Dolce Vita, you know, Roman Holiday. And we're looking at this, seeing what Hayley as an actress allows us to bring, and allows those sequences in the same way." 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' is set to premiere on July 12.
