When Tom Cruise appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last May, the chat show host tasked the sci-fi/action movie legend with a surprising musical challenge that pushed him miles out of his comfort zone. Tom’s lip-sync extravaganza went instantly viral over on YouTube, amassing over 1.8 million views in just over three weeks!
Jimmy Fallon introduced the concept to the studio audience, revealing, “We’re gonna take turns lip-syncing sections of well-known songs, each one of us trying to lip sync better than the other.”
As the honoured guest, Tom takes the mic first, a nervous wreck of smiles and laughter. But when Tom reveals the title of his tune to the studio audience, it’s Jimmy who can’t contain his excited anticipation, clearly envisioning Tom making a fool of himself before the backing track has even begun. The pop hit in question: The Weeknd’s 2015 US #1 single, “Can’t Feel My Face.”
This viral vid is flocked full with comedy; Tom’s atmospheric song intro matched with dramatic starburst lighting that radiates beams behind him, turning Tom into a 1950s movie queen about to dazzle audiences with a final, big-band number. But when Abel Tesfaye (singer-songwriter of The Weeknd)’s instantly recognisable voice starts spilling from Tom Cruise’s lips, the hilarity becomes supernovic.
Tom’s entire performance is absurd, but we at The Music Man have got to give it to the 62-year-old actor for nailing this lip sync to absolute perfection, albeit almost like a dad at a wedding bash. Dramatic, convincing, and fueled by bright, positive vibes, Tom makes the entire audience howl with screams and laughter as he adopts Abel’s voice as his own.
As the camera zooms in, the mental trickery becomes ever more vivid; Tom’s seamless lip-sync is so spot on that you might quickly forget that it’s not his own voice you’re hearing.
Even more shocking, compared to some other Hollywood A-listers at least, is that Tom Cruise doesn’t seem to have a musical bone in his body (no Broadway or live theatre history to speak of), yet puts his Golden Globe Award-winning acting skills center stage as he performs at the mic like a true, stadium-selling recording artist.
Tom Cruise’s most recent acting antic comes in the form of the latest Mission: Impossible movie, “The Final Reckoning,” which hit cinemas in May 2025. This flick recently earned Tom Cruise his first Guinness World Record, awarded for performing “the most burning parachute jumps by an individual,” with Tom achieving a grand total of 16 jumps from a helicopter “with a burning, fuel-soaked parachute” whilst filming the franchise’s latest installment.
Tom Cruise’s unexpected foray into the world of lip-sync battled hilariously against Jimmy Fallon, delighting audiences and proving his versatility once again. The viral success of his performance on The Tonight Show is a testament to his enduring charisma and charm. To dive deeper into this unforgettable moment and witness the performance that captivated millions, explore the links below.