Casey Wasserman has weighed in on Tom Cruise’s show-stealing performance during the Paris Olympics closing ceremony,
During the conversation with CNBC x Boardroom: Game Plan panel, on Tuesday afternoon, the LA28 president and chairperson revealed some secrets about the Mission: Impossible actor's special performance in the Paris Olympics event.
“The backstory is that we realized we were producing a 15-minute live TV show, and so I hired who I think is the best person in the world to do that,” explained Wasserman
According to Wasserman, Winston came up with two ideas after being hired: one was to have Cruise, and the other was to have the Olympic rings emerge from the water "like a David Blane kind of thing."
However, as soon as they got Cruise on Zoom to discuss the concept and after it ended, Winston then called Wasserman. “He says, ‘Don’t get too excited. He loves doing this stuff but when his team realizes how many shooting days it’s going to be and rehearsals, this is never happening. I’m telling you I got it, but it’s never happening.’ Sure enough, every step of the way, he got more involved and more engaged.”
Known for his daring jump from the Stade du France, Tom Cruise made his way through the throng of spectators as he took the official Olympic flag from Simone Biles and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
After that, he rode his motorbike across Paris, got right on an aircraft close to the Eiffel Tower, and then skydived into the hills behind the Hollywood sign to make an appearance in a pre-recorded scene.