Tom Cruise looked delighted to catch up with Lady Gaga backstageCredit: InstagramThe actor greeted her with a peckCredit: Instagram

The singer shared a couple of photographs of them hanging out and wrote: “Thank you for coming to the show last night. I love you my friend.”

They gave each other a peck on the cheek, with a beaming Tom wearing a buttoned down shirt and smart jacket.

While Gaga, who contributed the track Hold My Hand to the soundtrack of Tom’s Top Gun: Maverick flick, was in a sparkling tux fresh from the stage.

Fan reaction to the snap was mixed with many loving the surprise friendship, while others voiced concern that devout Scientologist Tom might persuade Gaga to join the religion.

Age-defying Tom’s grown his hair out since wrapping two blockbusters: Top Gun and Mission Impossible 7.

Last month we revealed how the left film bosses with a £290million bill following the end of filming the latest in his spy franchise — £50million more than expected.

And it’s looking like film number eight, which is now in production, could give its eye-popping finances a run for its money.

A source said: “Tom doesn’t do anything by halves and just like Mission: Impossible seven, the eighth film is going to be absolutely huge. No expense has been spared for this production.

“Tom and the team have flown to Limpopo, in South Africa, for filming and have set up a huge base there. He is staying in Hoedspruit, and has been flying the 400-mile round-trip for filming by helicopter most days.

“The action on the production is only just getting started and Tom is going to be working on some of the franchise’s biggest and most expensive stunts to date.

“He has hired three bi-planes for stunts he was rehearsing in the UK last year. Tom learned to fly the planes and now he’ll put all that into practice.

“The scenes are going to be absolutely massive and some of the most impressive ever seen in the Mission: Impossible films.”

Tom has much shorter hair in his latest blockbuster, the Top Gun sequelCredit: SplashHe’s barely aged in 30 yearsCredit: Getty