Richard Wilkins and Tom Cruise stood side by side for a cheerful photo during a film promotion in London. But what should have been a routine publicity shot quickly took an unexpected turn on social media.

A photo shared by veteran TV presenter Richard Wilkins after an interview with Tom Cruise has sparked a wave of online chatter. The image, taken in London during a promotional tour for “Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” quickly drew attention, not for what was said, but for how it looked.

Wilkins, 70, known for decades of celebrity interviews on Australia’s Channel Nine, posted the picture on Instagram. He stood smiling beside Cruise, 62, after wrapping up a chat about the actor’s latest action-packed sequel.

“Always a pleasure to catch up with the great @tomcruise,” Wilkins wrote in the caption. “#missionimpossiblethefinalreckoning is a beast of a movie! Bigger, faster, higher, deeper… this guy keeps raising the bar… and then jumping over it again… and again!”

But it wasn’t the movie hype that fans latched onto. Instead, the noticeable height difference between the two men became the focal point. Comments poured in, many expressing surprise at Cruise’s stature next to the Australian reporter. One person wrote, “How huge is that man next to Tom Cruise? Wow. Looks like a giant. 😂”

Others focused on Cruise himself, with remarks like “OMG, how small is he?” and “He’s tiny!” Another added, “Omg how short is he lol 😝” while someone else questioned, “Did he shrink?”

Beyond comments on physical size, some observers questioned the nature of the image itself. “Weird photo? The size, not height diff is insane,” wrote one person. Another suggested possible distortion, “That photo doesn’t look right – I know Tom Cruise is short but the photo looks distorted somehow?”

While the viral photo ignited debates about Cruise’s height, much of the illusion comes down to positioning. In the image, Wilkins stands slightly forward, closer to the camera, a detail that can exaggerate visual proportions. Even so, Wilkins, at 1.88 meters (6’2″), naturally cuts a taller figure than Cruise.

The Hollywood actor, long listed at 5’7″, is more precisely reported to stand at 172.1 cm—or roughly 5ft 7¾. The difference is real, but the photo’s angle amplifies it. Still, it was enough to distract fans from the main purpose of the meeting: talking about “Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning.”

The conversation between Cruise and Wilkins offered a rare look at the actor’s mindset. Known for his jaw-dropping stunts, Cruise leaned into his reputation for pushing physical boundaries. In their interview, he described the film’s action sequences as unparalleled.

“It is the most extreme practical action, the most complicated practical action ever filmed in the history of movies,” Cruise said, describing the scale of the production. But his pursuit of adrenaline isn’t a recent habit. According to Cruise, the thirst for high-risk experiences started early.

When asked what drives him, Cruise replied, “My interest in the world, my interest in life… passion for storytelling.” It’s a mindset that’s shaped his career and perhaps explains why he often opts to perform his own stunts.

Wilkins tapped into Cruise’s origins with a playful question: was his first stunt sliding across the floor in socks during “Risky Business?” Cruise smiled and reached back further.

“It was probably about when I was three years old, climbing on the roof of my house in the middle of the night,” he shared. “I figured out if a window was open I could climb out and look at the stars. It was always just part of who I am.”

This lifelong sense of wonder and daring seems to have guided much of his work on screen. Asked if fear ever enters the picture, Cruise gave a candid, measured response. “It’s not that I don’t get scared, Richard. It’s just that I don’t mind being scared,” he said with a laugh. “It’s not something that I worry about.”

As social media buzzes over his viral photo, Cruise is focused elsewhere — on one of cinema’s most prestigious stages. The Hollywood veteran is currently in France, attending the 78th Festival de Cannes.

This marks his third appearance on the iconic Croisette. His Cannes debut came in 1992 for the premiere of “Far and Away.” Then, after a long absence, Cruise returned in 2022 for a momentous occasion, the premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Now, in 2025, he returns once again. This time, he brings “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” the latest and reportedly final installment in the high-octane franchise that has defined a major part of his career.