A young artist from Essex described his experience attending the London premiere of the new Mission: Impossible film as “absolutely incredible” after receiving a personal invitation sparked by Hollywood star Tom Cruise’s appreciation of his work.
Wilf Elliott, 22, was among the guests at Thursday’s red-carpet screening in Leicester Square after delivering two charcoal portraits of Cruise to the actor last year. The gesture led to a collaboration with Paramount Pictures, who later commissioned Elliott to create artwork for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
“I feel so thrilled that I’ve been able to attend such a massive event. It is a complete privilege,” Elliott said. “The whole build-up was really exciting but a little nerve-wracking since it was a new experience — but still absolutely incredible.”
Although Elliott didn’t get a chance to meet Cruise again at the event, he managed to snap a selfie with Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan. He attended the premiere alongside his father, who traveled with him from their home in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
“For him to come along as well to see the opportunities I’ve been given over the past couple of years and share that with him was incredible,” Elliott said. “I loved every second of it.”
A professional tattoo artist, Elliott has shared his work with a number of celebrities, including singers Zara Larsson and Sam Ryder. However, it was his online post of a charcoal drawing depicting a scene from Top Gun: Maverick that caught the attention of Cruise’s team, ultimately leading to a meeting and further collaboration.
A time-lapse video of Elliott creating promotional artwork for the latest Mission: Impossible installment was later posted on the franchise’s official Instagram account, where it has garnered over 300,000 views.
Looking ahead, Elliott hinted at a potential project with another A-list celebrity later this year. But before then, he plans to take some time off and travel around New Zealand with his girlfriend.
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