Tom Cruise and his infamous stunt work have gained a particular reputation across Hollywood.
The Mission: Impossible actor is famous for doing his own stunts, and particularly terrifying ones, including scaling the Burj Khalifa, hanging off a flying plane, holding his breath underwater for over six minutes, and a motorcycle cliff jump, among others.
It has certainly raised the bar across the industry — the Oscars have even introduced a Best Stunt Design category, set to debut during the milestone 100th Academy Awards in 2028 — but fellow actor Ethan Hawke notes actors shouldn’t feel like they are “less” than should they opt into using stunt doubles.
Speaking with Variety during the Sundance Film Festival about his forthcoming film The Weight, a historical action drama for which he performed his own stunts, Ethan, 55, said: “Tom Cruise has totally changed what’s expected for actors,” noting: “Some part of me is getting angry over the years because everyone somehow feels like they’re less if they use a stunt team.”
“What I liked about our movie is there were no ridiculous stunts,” he went on, adding: “It’s human. It’s not about things blowing up, so most of the stunts were things we could do. They weren’t superhero things.”
In The Weight, a Depression era movie, Ethan stars as a widower who is torn from his daughter and gets sent to a brutal work camp. When the warden, who is played by Russel Crowe, tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through a deadly wilderness, he goes to great lengths (and plenty of stunts) to complete the mission in order to see his child again.
© Getty ImagesThe toll of extreme stunts
Though when it comes to stunts, Tom, 63, is certainly a master of his craft, that’s not to say certain stunts haven’t pushed him too far.
Wade Eastwood, Tom’s longtime stunt coordinator and second unit director told The Times of London last year that a particular stunt while filming the latest (reportedly last) Mission: Impossible movie, one which involved Tom walking on the wing of a small biplane mid-air, left him so drained he had to be carried off of the aircraft.
“The audience will never really appreciate how dangerous that plane chase is,” he first noted, adding: “I have to do what I can to eliminate as much risk as possible, but there is still a lot of risk.”
© Getty Images“It beat the hell out of him. The wind hitting him, and the blast of the propeller, particles hitting him,” he then shared. “It was the hardest workout you could ever do, it was very dangerous and very exhausting for him … Many times we were carrying him off the wing because he was so tired. And he was flying all day.”
© Getty ImagesIn addition to several stunts in the air, Tom and the Mission: Impossible franchise have also become known for their underwater stunts. Recalling another one in the latest film, in which Tom wore a diving suit that weighed more than 125 pounds, Wade said: “It was absolutely hectic and chaotic underwater,” recalling: “We rehearsed as much as we could, but it’s like having an animal on set: they always react slightly differently, no matter how much you rehearse, and filming underwater was the same.”
Still, Wade added: “Tom doesn’t show fear, Tom shows competence,” and maintained: “He had fun during all his stunts, even when it was exhausting. He’s always positive, he’ll always put on a smile, and he genuinely enjoys it.”
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