IN AN industry where visual effects and stunt doubles have become the norm, one Hollywood star stands apart, pursuing his quest to deliver an unparalleled cinematic experience. Tom Cruise refuses to compromise when it comes to authenticity, even turning down projects that won't allow him to film live action set pieces.
From training the entire cast of Top Gun: Maverick to fly fighter jets, to performing death-defying stunts for the Mission: Impossible series, Cruise consistently pushes the boundaries of what can and cannot be filmed practically.
With the release of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (Part 1) this week, Tom Cruise promises yet another action-packed installment in this seemingly never-ending franchise.
Here's our list of his top 10 best previous stunts that it's competing against.
10. Knife to the eye, Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
Although it may appear insignificant, the knife fight stunt in the second Mission: Impossible film holds hidden complexities. Director John Woo and Tom Cruise aimed for authenticity and danger, resulting in Cruise daringly allowing co-star Dougray Scott to exert maximum force while attempting to bring a real knife close to his eye.
With meticulous precautions, such as a measured cable maintaining a safe distance of a quarter inch, the risk of instant blindness with any sudden movement or mistake was huge.
9. Cargo plane crash, The Mummy (2017)
In order to capture the intensity of a cargo plane crash, Cruise undertook the challenge inside a NASA plane used for astronaut training. Ascending 25,000 feet and experiencing a 22-second free fall, he completed 64 takes to deliver a realistic and gripping sequence.
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8. Ankle-breaking jump between buildings, Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
The Mission: Impossible franchise is renowned for its foot chase scenes. In one such sequence, Cruise was attempting a building jump in which he injured his ankle, forcing production to be put on hold.
Despite doctors' concerns and a months-long hiatus, Cruise defied expectations and returned to the set, resuming intense running scenes just six weeks later. Finally, the shot that was included in the finished movie was the one in which he broke his ankle.
7. Dangling from 2,000 ft cliff, Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
Cruise's impressive opening scene involved free climbing a treacherous 609.6m cliff. He displayed his physical prowess and fearlessness by performing a 4.6m jump between cliffs, connected by just one safety rope.
The director of the movie, John Woo, asked Tom not to do the stunt and said "I couldn't look at the monitor" when the scene was being filmed.
6. Underwater scene, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
Cruise held his breath for an impressive six and a half minutes to execute a dive into an underwater safe while evading a swinging crane. This remarkable feat was accomplished in a single take, showcasing his extraordinary breath control.
5. Hanging on to a plane during take off, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
One of the film's standout scenes involved Cruise clinging to the side of an Airbus A400M as it took off and climbed to a height of 1,000 feet. With speeds reaching 1,000 knots, he wore a special harness and protective contact lenses for safety.
4. Flying real fighter jets, Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Returning to his iconic role as Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, Cruise performed the majority of the film's aerial stunts himself, enduring intense eight G-forces in F/A-18 jets provided by the US Department of Defense. He even trained his co-stars on the movie.
3. Helicopter chase, Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Cruise underwent extensive training for three months to master flying a helicopter. In one memorable scene, he executed a 360-degree corkscrew dive in a H125 helicopter, a maneuver that typically requires months of training for qualified pilots.
2. Climbing the tallest building in the world, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Scaling the iconic Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Cruise wore a harness and used suction gloves to ascend 130 floors. Filming at a height of 518m, the scene in the movie provided audiences with a thrilling and breathtaking sense of visual wonder.
1. HALO jump, Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Undoubtedly, one of the most impressive stunts in cinema history is Tom Cruise doing a high-altitude, low-open (HALO) skydive 106 times to get the perfect take - while still nursing a broken ankle.
The jumps were executed over two weeks, often during the 'golden hour' to achieve perfect lighting, showcasing Cruise's determination to push his body's limits.
Co-star Henry Cavill, who was also in the scene, was not allowed to do the jumps himself due to safety concerns.
