Tom Cruise’s absence at the Oscars this year was said to be because he was too busy shooting the latest Mission: Impossible film.

But perhaps the 60-year-old actor had a more pressing engagement, as he was spotted at Sir Michael Caine’s 90th birthday party in London on Tuesday.

Sir Michael celebrated at Hammersmith’s River Cafe with a group including David Walliams, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Denise Welch.

Sir Michael has known Cruise for decades and the pair starred in Austin Powers in Goldmember together in 2002.

Children’s author David Walliams later took to Instagram to share pictures of himself, Cruise and Caine posing at the event.

Loose Women’s Denise Welch also released photos on the social media site, writing “Happy 90th birthday Michael Caine! We love you”.

Cruise seemed in good spirits as he left the event on Tuesday.

He was absent at the Oscars ceremony at the weekend, which Entertainment Weekly had reported was a result of filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part II.

Host Jimmy Kimmel alerted the audience to Cruise’s absence, before making a Scientology-related joke.

“Everyone loved Top Gun – everybody. I mean, Tom Cruise with his shirt off in that beach football scene. L Ron hubba-hubba – you know what I’m saying,” he said.

The Church of Scientology, of which Cruise is a member, was founded by L Ron Hubbard in 1953.

Top Gun: Maverick won just one Oscar, for Best Sound, while Everything Everywhere All at Once took home seven awards.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I is due in cinemas in July, with Part II to follow in June 2024.