Riding motorbikes off cliffs, hanging onto the outside of an airborne airplane, or scaling the world’s tallest building; these are just a few of the death-defying acts performed by Tom Cruise over the course of his four decades in the film industry.
Over the years, Cruise's insistence to do his stunts himself have terrified producers, and insurance companies have even refused to cover him for his daredevil acts. It’s done nothing to deter the Mission Impossible star, whose latest releases are more spectacular than ever.
It’s evident that Cruise would rather jump off a building himself than have someone else do it for him, even though there have been times when he's been hurt doing his stunts. Although there are some other actors, like Henry Cavill, who prefer to do their own stunts, it doesn't happen that often.
Given the danger connected to the risks in stunt work, it’s something most of Cruise's contemporaries would never consider.
Tom Cruise Has Always Loved Danger
On The Graham Norton Show in 2014, Cruise spoke about how he indulged in dangerous feats from a young age. At the age of just four and a half, he jumped off the roof of his house. And it didn't stop there. As his childhood progressed, he came up with an ever-increasing variety of death defying activities.
From climbing the highest trees he could find, to ramping his bicycle over deep ditches, Tom was always seeking out excitement.
The actor, who has a love of fast cars and climbing, has also held his pilot’s license for 30 years. He’s used those passions to create some of the most memorable stunts performed by some of the most charismatic characters of the big screen. And he doesn’t show any signs of stopping soon.
For a scene In Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015), Cruise worked on being able to hold his breath underwater for an astounding six minutes.
In 2011, for Ghost Protocol, the insurance team refused the actor permission to climb up the outside of the Burj Kalifa. That didn’t stop Cruise, who simply fired them and sourced another insurance company which was prepared to give him the green light to scale the world’s highest building.
Considering his status as an actor, many ask why he risks himself. Cruise, who in 2020 was the highest paid actor per word, says doing his own stunts is part of who he is. And he believes the fact that he has the ability to do so makes his films more engaging and believable.
Cruise's Stunts Are Carefully Crafted
Cruise has always been a physical actor. For Tropic Thunder, he took rigorous dancing lessons. For Rock of Ages, he trained as a singer.
His stunts are as carefully constructed. When he’s setting up an action sequence, part of the process includes getting cast and crew to watch scenes from musicals, in order to demonstrate what he wants to achieve. He particularly loves using excerpts from Buster Keaton’s silent movies to illustrate his vision.
In his latest offerings, Cruise performs the most dangerous and intricate stunts yet. Top Gun: Maverick sees him piloting a jet at high speeds. As reported in Screen Rant, the actor experienced 8 Gs on the flights, enough force to distort his face and make him lightheaded. The film also features extreme low-altitude flying and a variety of other high-risk aerial stunts.
The actor, who turns 60 in July, shows no signs of cutting back on the stunts. In fact, he’s far ahead of many of his much younger co-stars. Before filming began on Maverick, the rest of the cast had to undergo a three-month Navy approved boot camp to ready themselves to do the type of stunts Cruise handles with consummate ease.
CGI Makes Anything Possible On Screen, So Why Do The Actual Stunts?
The advent of computer-generated effects has meant that absolutely anything can be done in movies today. So, when the real actor actually performs the stunts, does that authenticity make any difference to audiences?
Evidently, it does. People keep flocking to see Cruise’s movies. Top Gun generated $350 Million at the box office globally, and made Cruise a superstar. That pales in comparison to Maverick. In the US alone, the actor’s latest offering has already raked in more than $300 Million in its first few weeks.
Critics are predicting that there’s a good chance Maverick will join the billion-dollar club at the box office. The film was also screened in 4,732 theaters in North America, making it the widest release of all time.
And his next offering, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning hasn’t hit screens yet.
Cruise Is One Of Hollywood's Greats
Through his death-defying stunts, Cruise has galloped onto the pages of Hollywood history. It’s telling that this year’s Cannes Film Festival was the backdrop for the release of Maverick. It’s been 30 years since Cruise last attended the festival for the screening of one of his films. On that occasion, it was for Far And Away.
It was a triumphant return. This time, his film was preceded by a special tribute, featuring highlights from the actor’s career. He also received a six-minute standing ovation after receiving the coveted Palm d’Or.
In an interview at Cannes, Cruise was asked yet again why he does his own stunts. His answer to The Hollywood Reporter made reference to another of Hollywood's greatest stars: "No one asked Gene Kelly, 'Why do you dance? " Cruise said. "No one ever asked, 'Why do you do your own dancing?' "
And as long as Tom Cruise continues, whether he's dancing or dangling from Dead Man’s Cliff, audiences will keep watching.
