Tom Cruise Most Dangerous Stunt: Cliff Jump in Mission Impossible

Tom Cruise is not just an actor; he is a force who has spent decades redefining what is possible on screen. With a career spanning over 34 years, Cruise recently announced his intention to continue making films for at least another decade. His commitment to his craft and determination to perform his own stunts have solidified his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most daring action stars.

Cruise’s thrill-seeking tendencies began in childhood. In several interviews, he shared that, as a young boy, he would steal lumber from junkyards to build ramps. He would then race down hills on his bike, launching himself over makeshift obstacles, often ending up in the hospital. These experiences fueled his passion for stunts and cultivated his fearless approach to action filmmaking.

The Biggest Stunt in Cinema History: Cliff Jump in Mission Impossible

One of the most audacious stunts Cruise performed was a cliff jump in Mission Impossible. This stunt required a year of base training, advanced skydiving, canopy control, and motocross skills. He trained relentlessly, completing 500 skydives and over 13,000 motocross jumps in preparation. The stunt was so intricate that the team replicated the ramp in a quarry in England to simulate the jump, installing chips on Cruise to calculate each trajectory, along with his ground speed.

After the jump, Cruise had to deploy his parachute mid-air and fly out of a rock bowl surrounded by cliffs—a maneuver that involved tremendous precision.

The Risks

The dangers were real: serious injury or even death. Riding a motorcycle off an elevated ramp was hazardous, and if Cruise did not achieve a clean exit from the bike, he could become entangled or fail to deploy his parachute on time, which could prove fatal. He executed the jump a total of eight times for the film.

FAQ’s: Tom Cruise Most Dangerous Stunt