Tom Cruise thanks 'Top Gun: Maverick' fans during skydive: 'It truly is the honor of a lifetime'

Every star loves the adoring public, but Tom Cruise’s gratitude for his fans is truly sky-high.

In a video shared by Paramount Pictures on Sunday, the “Top Gun: Maverick” star took a break from filming the latest installments in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise to thank moviegoers for their support of “Maverick,” which was released in May.

But instead of stepping away from a glitzy studio set to record his message, the 60-year-old actor was sitting inside of a helicopter while preparing for an airborne shot with director Christopher McQuarrie.

“Hey everyone. Here we are over stunning South Africa, and we’re filming ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ parts one and two,” Cruise said. “I didn’t want the year to end without thanking you all for coming out to the theaters and thank you for supporting ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ ”

After being interrupted by McQuarrie, who told Cruise that “we’ve got to get this shot,” Cruise gracefully jumped out of the helicopter.

“Where was I?” Cruise said, his arms outstretched in the air. “Thank you for supporting ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and (as) always, thank you for allowing us to entertain you. It truly is the honor of a lifetime.”

He continued: “I’m running out of altitude, so I’ve got to get back to work. We’ve got to get this shot. You have a very safe and happy holiday. We’ll see you at the movies.”

“Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part One” and “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part Two” are slated for release on July 14, 2023, and June 28, 2024, respectively, according to IMDB. Aside from Cruise, the films are set to feature performances by Vanessa Kirby, Cary Elwes and Hayley Atwell.

'Top Gun: Maverick' named best film of 2022by National Board of Review

Cruise’s aerial love letter caps off a year of dizzying success for “Top Gun: Maverick,” which generated $1.5 billion at the global box office. Earlier this month, the film was named the best film of the year by the National Board of Review.

Though the National Board of Review, a long-running organization comprised of film enthusiasts and academics, has no overlap or correlation to other awards bodies, the win adds to the awards-season tailwinds for “Maverick” as not just a billion-dollar worldwide smash but a legitimate Academy Awards contender. The Producers Guild Awards also recently announced that Cruise will receive its David O. Selznick Achievement Award.

USA TODAY’s film critic Brian Truitt also sang “Maverick”s praises as one of the best films of 2022, lauding Cruise for pulling off the “astounding magic trick (of) honchoing a long-awaited revisit” to the 1986 action classic “Top Gun,” which Cruise also starred in.

“‘Maverick’ succeeds by proudly owning everything ‘Top Gun’ is and ever was, a macho romp that gloriously soars into the Danger Zone and tugs at that rebellious streak in all of us,” Truitt wrote.

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Contributing: Jake Coyle, The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Cruise thanks 'Top Gun: Maverick' fans during helicopter jump