Inside Tom Cruise's death-defying Paris Olympics stunt as star insisted on executing 'whole thing' himself

PARIS, FRANCE: The Paris 2024 Olympics have officially ended with Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise pulling off a signature death-defying act at the Stade de France in Paris as part of the closing ceremony.

The famed stuntman and actor, known for his daring stunts, lived up to the excitement with the "epic stunt" that made people take notice.

It appeared appropriate that the star of the city participated in the customary flag-passing ritual as Los Angeles is scheduled to host the Olympics in 2028.

However, months of planning and stress on the part of the makers were behind the smooth shifts of the lens that followed the 'Mission Impossible' star from one amazing location to the next.

Tom Cruise's Paris Olympics 2024 grand closing ceremony stunt took 18 months to prepare

The 62-year-old Hollywood icon appeared unflappable as he leaped from the Stade de France's roof, accepted LA mayor Karen Bass's Olympic flag, and mounted his motorcycle.

Later, he boarded an airplane, parachuted from the aircraft, and changed the Hollywood sign's double Os into the famous Olympic rings.

Creative director Ben Winston revealed to Vogue the day before the big amusement that it took over a year to put together and that there were moments when he thought they would not be able to pull it off.

When Winston and the executive producer of 73 Productions asked the Hollywood action legend to star in the closing ceremony, Cruise reportedly insisted on doing "the whole thing" himself.

"We've been planning this for a year and a half, and we had this idea that it would be so beautiful if we could take the flag from the Paris stadium and make it travel all the way to Los Angeles and then go live and do something spectacular here," Winston said.

The event 'Records' took place at the Stade de France on a massive stage spanning 2,800 square meters. A live, covert concert on a Venice beach with famous artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Billie Eilish successfully followed Cruise's act.

Winston described how Cruise was filming 'Mission Impossible' in London when he took an 11-hour journey to Los Angeles, shot the Olympic video, and then immediately boarded another plane to return to the film set, showing the actor's commitment to the role.

For the grand finale night, Cruise threw himself off a cliff while fastened into a harness in front of thousands of Olympians and fans.

As Tony Estanguet, the organizer of Paris 2024, entered office, he thanked everyone for "playing their part" in the Games and US R&B singer H.E.R. performed the 'Stars and Stripes', the national song of the United States, on her guitar, per Daily Mail.

What happened at 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony?

After an exciting 16 days of competition, which included a voyage through the Olympic past, an amazing closing ceremony brought the Olympic torch from Paris to Los Angeles, the site of the 2028 Summer Games.

The July 26 opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympics was a historic and magnificent occasion. It was significant because it was the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held outside of a conventional stadium, turning Paris into an outdoor theater.

Athletes from 206 nations sailed on boats near famous Paris sites including Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower during the six-kilometer Parade of Nations that took place along the Seine River during the ceremony.

The 12 acts that comprised the ceremony's artistic program each highlighted a distinct facet of French history and culture.

Highlights included a stirring rendition of 'La Marseillaise' from the Grand Palais rooftop, a strong operatic sequence influenced by Les Misérables, and a scenario in which Louvre portrait paintings appeared to come out of the water.

Furthermore, the event celebrated contemporary French culture with performances by Celine Dion and Lady Gaga.