Tom Cruise, without actress wife Nicole Kidman in tow, appeared to have left his dress sense at home last night when he arrived at the British premiere of Mission: Impossible 2.
Sporting a stubbly beard and wearing a V-necked red sweater with brown cords, the actor, 38, was greeted by 3,000 screaming fans in Leicester Square.
The fans were treated to half an hour of him signing autographs and posing for pictures. Cruise even answered one fan's mobile phone, stunning the caller.
M:i-2 raked in £62 million in its first six days of release in the US and the film, in which Cruise again plays special agent Ethan Hunt, is likely to be a hit over here. He again declared London his favourite city.
Cruise was joined by Gladiator star Russell Crowe. Also at the premiere was Dougray Scott, who plays the villain opposite Cruise. At the party afterwards near Tower Bridge, Cruise was introduced to a string of celebrities. He said: "I don't often get out like this that much these days."
"The crowd in Leicester Square was just really touching.
I felt really touched by the warmth of everyone there."
"The people in London are unique and they made me feel wonderful. You have a great city - and I think it is a safe city." After an hour he left the party which, featured 20ft fountain with a trailer from the film projected onto it - a far cry from the movie's slick special effects and stunts, mostly carried off by Cruise himself.
One onlooker said: "It doesn't rain in Hollywood like it does in the depths of London. But thumbs up to Cruise for coming out here."
