Prince William's Top Gun Bromance with Tom Cruise

Prince William has publicly expressed his admiration for actor Tom Cruise, even admitting a bias towards his films. During the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, the Prince of Wales cited "Top Gun 2" as an "incredible film" and questioned why it received no awards despite its massive success. He shared that his children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, also love the stunts featured in the action movie. The connection between William and Cruise deepened after the royals attended an advance IMAX screening of "Top Gun: Maverick" in London in 2022, arranged by Cruise himself. This event was reportedly initiated after Cruise learned of the Prince's admiration for the original film and his background as a trained RAF helicopter pilot.

Their shared enthusiasm for aviation is a significant aspect of their friendship. Tom Cruise stated in 2022 that he and Prince William "have a lot in common," including a love for England and flying. Prince William, who previously worked as an air ambulance pilot, has been a patron of the London's Air Ambulance Charity, where he publicly referred to Cruise as a "fellow pilot" in 2024, jokingly asking him not to borrow the charity's new helicopters for future "Mission: Impossible" films due to his "different take on normal wear and tear." Cruise has also supported William's Earthshot Prize, calling the Prince his "dear friend" in a surprise video message for the 2025 awards ceremony. Even King Charles received a video message from Cruise for his Coronation Concert in 2023, where the actor offered to be his "wingman." As of 2022, the pair had not yet flown together, but Cruise expressed certainty that it would happen, noting, "Pilots are pilots. We all want to go flying."