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Tom Cruise etches graffiti on tip of Burj Khalifa

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ArabianBusiness.com
By Shane McGinley
12/14/11

"Mission Impossible" actor Tom Cruise reportedly left an inscription to his wife Katie Holmes etched in the top spire of the Dubai’s Burj Khalifa while filming stunts for his latest movie.
 
Cruise, who spent four days filming action scenes for "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" on the world’s tallest building, etched the message to his wife and family in the tower’s spire.
 
“The only person who will ever see [his signature] is the guy who paints the building some day,” the film’s stunt coordinator Gregg Smrz told the New York Post newspaper.

The marking is believed to consist of Cruise’s signature, a heart symbol and an inscription to his wife and children, who had travelled to Dubai to watch the shoot.

Cruise reportedly created the etching in a break from filming, after making his way up a series of elevators and 200ft of ladders to the top of the tower. He was then lowered down the outside of the tower’s spire to make his mark.

Dubai provided a dramatic backdrop for the action flick, which saw Cruise performing a series of heart-stopping stunts clinging to the exterior of the 828m Burj Khalifa.
 
The film made its world debut at the Dubai International Film Festival on Dec 7, with a dramatic red carpet appearance by Cruise in front of hundreds of fans and media.
 
The Hollywood actor, who was joined by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, spent more than an hour on the red carpet, greeting fans and signing autographs.
 
Speaking about his scenes on the world’s tallest tower, which see Cruise climb the glass-fronted exterior of the building, he said: “I trained for months so I could practice the scenes at the Burj Khalifa. The only thing I was afraid of was falling!”
 
"It's one thing seeing it and another thing trying to accomplish that... The first moment, you know I have one little pick here and one little rope. I remember just being there saying 'this is a moment of truth'," he said.
 
"I had to figure out how to fly. I had to figure out how to use my feet as a rudder because you have crosswinds up there. It took a while to work out how not to come slamming into the building head first," he said.
 
"I was very excited because I thought it would be very entertaining for an audience and very challenging, and so that's why I did it.".
 
The "Top Gun" actor, who also produced the action flick, said he had a fantastic experience filming in Dubai and said many of his Hollywood contacts had shown interest in the city.
 
“Absolutely [it will attract more movies],” he said at a press conference held on the 124 floor of the Burj Khalifa. “I know already people have said they want to come here and shoot or make a film.

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