Tom Cruise and Will Smith’s photos atop the Burj Khalifa have sparked widespread interest online, with a noticeable difference between the two capturing everyone’s focus.
At 2,717 feet above Dubai, the Burj Khalifa provides a unique and daring location for a photo opportunity, a challenge both of these Hollywood icons have embraced to showcase their boldness.
Individually, Cruise and Smith have ascended the world’s tallest building, capturing unforgettable images from its peak—something most would only dream of attempting. While many prefer staying on solid ground, these stars have taken the leap, literally.
When their photos hit the internet, fans quickly noted a significant contrast between the daring Cruise and the cautious Smith, igniting a lively conversation.
Cruise made the daring climb in 2011 during the filming of a stunt for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
In his photo, the actor relaxes as if seated on a kitchen stool, with a refreshing drink by his side—rather than on the verge of a perilous drop. His attire includes jeans and a t-shirt, without shoes or socks, and he wears a nonchalant grin, casually leaning back with an elbow on his knee. Though he appears unharnessed, fact-checkers have clarified that he was indeed secured.
A decade later, Smith climbed the tower in 2021 as part of a fitness and weight-loss video, displaying a more anxious demeanor in his photo.
The King Richard actor is seen securely harnessed, using the tower’s structure for added safety.
The difference between the photos did not go unnoticed by social media users. One commented: “One is sitting in bare feet and a t-shirt looking as relaxed as possible and the other is draped in harnesses, clinging on for dear life, looking like he’s making peace with God.”
Another added: “I love how Will is all strapped up and hanging on for dear life, but Tom is not only just sitting there, nary a rope in sight, but he’s LEANING.”
Clearly, Cruise is in a league of his own!