Did He Grow Overnight? Tom Cruise Appears Taller At Premier Of 'Top Gun: Maverick'
May 20 2022, Published 10:56 a.m. ET
Is Tom Cruise growing? Or is it an optical illusion?
The actor, who is 5-foot-7, renewed rumors that he wears lifts in his shoes as he stood nearly face to face with Dutchess Kate Middleton, who is 2 inches taller and was standing over 6 feet tall in a pair of stilettos at the "Top Gun: Maverick" premiere on May 19, according to the Daily Mail.
Cruise, 59, appeared only an inch shorter than the Duchess of Cambridge during the premiere. Cruise, who many believe wears lifts in his shoes, showed up looking taller in a pair of black suit shoes with stacked heels, the Daily Mail reports.
Cruise gave Middleton, who attended with her husband, Prince William, a helping hand as they climbed red carpet stairs. He stood nearly as tall as Middleton as they went up.
It's been rumored that Cruise wears lifts in the past. Though he's never commented on the suspicions, he often was pictured with former wife Katie Holmes, who is 5-foot-9 and also often wore heels, standing near her height, according to the Daily Mail.
Inserts lift up a person's heels, making them appear taller. There's also "elevator shoes" that can boost a man's height by up to 4 inches.
Cruise plays Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in the sequel to the 1986 blockbuster "Top Gun." He trained in a full Aviation Training Curriculum before getting into the US Navy F-18, the Daily Mail reports.
According to the Daily Mail report, Cruise has insisted on real flying scenes. "For years, people had said, 'Can't you shoot [the movie] with CGI?' And I always said, 'No. That's not the experience.' I said, 'I need to find the right story. And we're going to need the right team. This movie is like trying to hit a bullet with a bullet. I'm not playing.'"
"Top Gun: Maverick: is set for release in theaters across the U.S. on May 24. So far, the sequel to the 1980s classic has a 97 percent fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.