A Tom Cruise lookalike had fans completely caught off-guard when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at San Francisco Giants’ “Top Gun” night on August 7, and people on social media couldn’t tell if the mound really had the real movie star or an impersonator.
The internet-famous Tom Cruise lookalike best known as “California Maverick” is Jerome LeBlanc, who brought his Top Gun impersonation to Oracle Park for an exclusive night celebrating the film’s 40th anniversary.
In the video of the ceremonial pitch shared by Oracle Park, “Maverick” takes the mound dressed in his iconic flight jacket and aviator shades, displaying Cruise’s signature flashy smile and charisma as he throws the ball to a “Top Gun” fan behind the plate.
The reaction online was immediate.
Fans weren’t sure what to make of the Maverick lookalike, with several social media users even asking whether the video was generated by AI.
One person wrote on Instagram, “He nails the look, laugh and smile of Tom Cruise.”
Another commented, “What? That was the spitting image of Tom Cruise!”
A third quipped, “Dude looks more like Tom Cruise than Tom Cruise does… I literally thought this was AI lol.”
Some fans were genuinely confused. “Is that an impersonator or is this AI? I can’t tell any more,” one person admitted on social media.
LeBlanc has been working as the impersonator for about 17 years and makes hundreds of appearances a year.
He told NBC’s local Phoenix affiliate 12 News that he started out performing as Maverick when he was 20 years old while pursuing an architecture degree at UCLA.
The career pivot happened almost accidentally.
When he moved from Montreal to Los Angeles, many people started telling him he looked like Tom Cruise, so he put on the flight suit uniform from Top Gun and tried street performing.
To his surprise, he did so unbelievably well—he made more than he did while bartending.
Despite the uncanny resemblance, LeBlanc is realistic about the resemblance.
With an age difference of about 30 years, he’s not necessarily mistaken for Tom Cruise, but he does notice a lot of double takes and strangers approaching him to share that they think he looks so much like the actor.
LeBlanc has generated quite a bit of popularity as an impersonator, with more than 772,000 followers on TikTok, and he’s also an artist who paints.
In an interview, LeBlanc discussed how the role became his life’s work. “When I moved from Montreal to Los Angeles, many people started telling me I looked like Tom Cruise,” he explained.
“So, I put on the flight suit uniform from ‘Top Gun,’ and tried street performing.”
The impersonator has been candid about his relationship with celebrity culture. “I don’t really have an interest in meeting a specific celebrity,” he once said in an interview.
“Sometimes, with public figures it’s better to leave them to the imagination. Because, like myself, I’m more than what I post. And either that can be appreciated or disappointing.”
The Giants game on Friday, August 7, against the Detroit Tigers featured Top Gun Night at Oracle Park, with LeBlanc offering photo ops as “California Maverick” and an interactive F-11 cockpit displayed in O’Doul Plaza.
The moment marked a significant milestone for LeBlanc, who has made a lucrative career out of his resemblance.
LeBlanc and his manager wife—whom he met one day on Hollywood Boulevard while impersonating the famed “Top Gun” hunk—have built a successful business around the impersonation.
LeBlanc’s pitch must have been a lucky one, as the Giants ended up winning the game 5-2 against the Detroit Tigers.