February 9, 2025: Tom Cruise has once again pushed his physical limits for his latest role in Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. In a recent interview, the actor opened up about an intense stunt that almost caused him to pass out while filming.
Cruise, known for performing his own stunts, shared that a key sequence in the film involved him hanging from the wing of a Boeing Stearman biplane, soaring through the skies of South Africa at an altitude of 10,000 feet. With winds exceeding 120 miles per hour, Cruise’s face was exposed to the intense pressure of the high-speed stunt.
“You’re not getting oxygen when you’re sticking your face out at those speeds,” Cruise explained. “I had to train myself how to breathe properly. There were times I would pass out physically, unable to get back into the cockpit.”
Director Christopher McQuarrie, a long-time collaborator of Cruise, teased that this stunt would be one of many jaw-dropping moments in the film, revealing that Cruise went even further than before with each new sequence. “Tom would do something that topped anything he had done before,” McQuarrie said, adding that some stunts were so intense, they even made him feel physically ill to witness.
Cruise’s commitment to pushing the envelope in action sequences has earned him a legendary status in Hollywood. From scaling the Burj Khalifa to holding his breath underwater for over six minutes, Cruise continues to take on high-risk stunts that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. His work in Mission: Impossible and Top Gun: Maverick has cemented him as a true icon of thrilling action.