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How old was Tom Cruise in every ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie?

Tom Cruise is no longer a young man yet a fearless actor who insists on doing his own stunts. The 61-year-old Hollywood star recently pulled off what many call “the biggest stunt in cinema history” in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 , the latest installment of his iconic series. The stunt was way too risky for a young man, never mind a 61-year-old who has already faced injuries from doing his own stunt work.

So, what did Cruise do to earn the status of accomplishing the “biggest stunt in cinema history?

This feat of strength and courage had Cruise drive a motorbike right off a cliff! Most people half that age barely make it to the gym on a regular basis.

Now, how did a sexagenarian manage to pull this difficult stunt off? Well, had years of training, made 500 skydives, and did 13,000 motocross jumps. Now, that’s some Risky Business!

The Mission: Impossible movies are beloved by critics and fans alike. This action-packed franchise holds a significant place in the industry, ranking as the  18th-highest-grossing film series of all time and making over $3.5 billion U.S. worldwide. Moreover, critics say it’s one of the greatest action series ever produced.

The sixth film in the franchise,  Fallout , came out on July 27, 2018, and is currently the series’ highest-grossing entry. So, it’s very likely that the upcoming two-parter Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning will be a massive success.

Cruise has made these high-octane Mission: Impossible films for many years. So, how old was he when he played Ethan Hunt in these action spy movies?

Mission: Impossible

We know that Tom Cruise is now 61 years old, but when he first began starring in this series, it was 23 years ago. In the first movie, released in 1996, we see Ethan Hunt being framed for the murder of his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) team during a failed mission in Prague. He’s also accused of selling government secrets to an arms dealer, so Hunt must flee. While at large, Ethan is on a new mission to uncover the real traitor and prove his innocence. Cruise was a sprightly 34 years old when he acted in this film.

Mission: Impossible 2

The second movie was released in the year 2000. It shows Ethan cooperating with a professional thief as the two go undercover to prevent a rogue IMF agent from starting a pandemic after stealing a deadly virus and trying to sell the antidote. Cruise was still a youthful 38 years old in this movie.

Mission: Impossible III

Released in 2006, moviegoers now find Ethan Hunt engaged to a woman who knows nothing of his work. Hunt puts together a team to capture an arms and information broker trying to find a buyer for a dangerous, unknown object called “The Rabbit’s Foot.” Tom Cruise was a handsome 44 years old when he made this film.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Because Tom Cruise was 49 years old when he worked on  Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol , the stunt coordinator confessed that it was planned that this would be Cruise’s last film as Ethan Hunt. But Cruise insisted that age is just a number and wanted to keep going. As a result, he performed his own stunts in the movie, where Ethan and the entire IMF team are framed for bombing the Kremlin.

Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation

In 2015, Tom Cruise shot this movie about the IMF’s potential dissolution. Ethan Hunt leads his team on an impossible mission to prove that a nefarious organization called the Syndicate exists and must be destroyed. At 56 years old, Cruise hurt his leg and snapped his ankle while trying to jump from one building to another. Filming stopped for nine weeks while Cruise healed, which cost $80 million in production costs.

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part 1

This 61-year-old A-list actor is no slouch. At an age when many start thinking about retirement, or at least spending more time on the couch and less time doing stunts on moving trains, Tom Cruise is still doing his own stunts. So, now that the two-part Dead Reckoning movies are being called a bookend, we can assume that Cruise will finally hang up his black turtleneck and stop the stunts, right?

Well, guess again.

Cruise recently stated that he admires fellow actor Harrison Ford for his longevity and wants to emulate his hard work well into his elderly years. He asserted that “Harrison Ford is a legend; I hope to be still going (in my 80s). I’ve got 20 years to catch up with him. I hope to keep making  Mission: Impossible  films until I’m his age.”

So, put down that double brownie ice cream tub, and hit the gym. Tom Cruise is setting the bar so high for himself that it’s an inspiration!

Screen Rant

Mission impossible 4: how tom cruise did the burj khalifa stunt.

The Burj Khalifa sequence in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is Tom Cruise's craziest and most famous stunt. This is how he achieved it.

• Cruise's Burj Khalifa stunt in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a defining, heart-stopping moment for the franchise.
• With dangerous stunts like the HALO jump in Fallout, the Burj Khalifa climb remains Cruise's most famous feat.
• From carefully fixing harnesses to rigorous training, the Burj Khalifa stunt was a logistical nightmare that paid off well.

The Burj Khalifa stunt in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a defining moment for the franchise, but audiences wonder if Tom Cruise climbs the Burj Khalifa in real life. With a growing list of extremely dangerous stunts on his resume, scaling Burj Khalifa's exterior in the fourth installment of the Mission Impossible franchise is one of Cruise's most famous feats of courage. Since then, Cruise has continued to defy death in multiple movies with stunts like Mission Impossible: Fallout 's HALO jump. Still, the Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt has become a cinema landmark.

Ghost Protocol takes Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt to Dubai in search of nuclear launch codes after Kurt Hendricks, a.k.a. Cobalt (Michael Nyquist), steals a devastating weapon. It's obvious by now that Hunt never takes the easy route. Ethan must reach the 130th floor of the 2,722 ft skyscraper and ditch the elevator in favor of a pair of questionable suction gloves. Starting the climb 123 floors up is the easy part as he then rappels down the building and makes a jump of faith. The Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt is one of the most intense and thrilling scenes ever.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+

Tom Cruise's 14 Mission: Impossible Stunts Ranked By Most Dangerous

Tom cruise's burj khalifa stunt explained, the actor was equipped with a harness that was fixed to strategic points on the building.

For the Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt, the actor had to be equipped with a harness that was carefully fixed to strategic points in the building , which required that the studio get special permits to drill on the floors and walls, and the Mission: Impossible 4 crew broke 35 windows . Director Brad Bird ( The Incredible s) consulted with multiple professionals from different areas like engineers, pro climbers, and stuntmen to ensure the safety of the shoot. He even considered using a dedicated stuntman, but, as he's done for the majority of his career, Cruise did his own Mission: Impossible 4 stunts.

Tom Cruise didn't know that the tight harness would cut off his circulation, so the shoot had to be completed as efficiently and quickly as possible. Otherwise, his lower body would start feeling numb. The helicopters that were shooting had a flight limit of 30 minutes at a time too, so the crew had to make every take count. The sequence was also shot in IMAX, which meant that the cameras would run out of film fast. The footage had to be flown back to Los Angeles, and Bird couldn't check if everything was perfect until the film was developed.

The training for the Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt was also extremely thorough and calculated. The crew built a wall of glass to simulate the exterior of the real building and had Tom Cruise climb up and down several times to get him familiarized with the discomfort of the harness and the physical toll of the climb. They went so far as to heat up the wall with artificial lights to simulate the temperature of the windows of the Burj Khalifa. The stunt was a logistical nightmare, but the planning all paid off.

Mission Impossible Movies Ranked - From The 1996 Original to Dead Reckoning Part 1

Why tom cruise on burj khalifa is the best mission impossible stunt, the stunt is like a live-action incredibles scene.

Tom Cruise always does his own Mission: Impossible stunts , including hanging off a plane, holding his breath for six minutes to perform an underwater heist, and conducting 109 HALO jumps to get the perfect shot. But of all these movie stunts, the iconic Burj Khalifa sequence is the best proof of the actor's dedication to his craft. The Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol scene is the most nail-biting sequence for audiences, and it was extremely dangerous, exhausting, and probably terrifying for Cruise himself.

Nevertheless, the results are impressive, to say the least; Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol has one of the best stunt scenes caught on camera. Having scaled the side of the world's tallest building – for real – grants eternal franchise bragging rights for any self-respecting action series. The stunt plays out like a live-action Incredibles scene too, as the sequence is layered with clever action comedy, such as the suction gloves having a mind of their own. The Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt has an equal balance of edge-of-your-seat thrills and laugh-out-loud comedy, which few other Mission: Impossible stunts have.

Mission: Impossible 8 - Release Date, Story & Everything We Know About Dead Reckoning Part 2

Was the tom cruise burj khalifa stunt his most dangerous, the motorcycle jump in mission: impossible - dead reckoning as arguably more dangerous.

Following the Tom Cruise Burj Khalifa stunt, the actor performed more stunts that were just as dangerous. In Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation , Cruise hung onto the side of a plane as it took off. The actor also held his breath underwater for a record-breaking 6 minutes (that's until the record was broken by Kate Winslet in Avatar: The Way of Water ). Following that, Cruise committed to a HALO jump for Mission: Impossible - Fallout . The HALO jump was so dangerous that Henry Cavill wasn't allowed to take part because it would have put Cruise's life at risk (via AutoEvolution ).

However, the motorcycle jump in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 was the actor's most dangerous stunt yet . It would have been impossible to foresee where the bike would land when Cruise let go, and so many other things that the production couldn't properly plan for. Accurately conducting a risk assessment of the scene must have been the most frustrating part of the movie's development. The impossible-to-determine physics, along with controlling a vehicle in mid-air and being dangerously close to rocks on a cliff edge, makes Cruise's motorcycle jump the most dangerous stunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Tom Cruise has injured himself a number of times due to his commitment to performing his own stunts (via MovieWeb ).

However, it's comical to compare the Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol stunt and the motorcycle-parachute stunt, as neither are things that anybody should ever attempt. Nevertheless, Cruise competes with himself, and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 2 could feature his two most dangerous stunts yet. Mission: Impossible 8 features a water stunt in which Cruise could claim back his breath-holding record from Winslet. The upcoming movie also features another airplane stunt, only this time it isn't taking off but is sky-high. Either way, Mission: Impossible's stunts are almost equally dangerous, and Cruise is happily risking his life for the audience's entertainment.

Sources: AutoEvolution , MovieWeb

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

*Availability in US

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The fourth film in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, is an action-thriller film set years after the events of Mission: Impossible 3. It sees Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) see themselves falsely accused of a crime. Following a terrorist attack on the Kremlin, the IMF is implicated in the attack, forcing the government to disavow knowledge of them. To clear their names and find the true culprit, the United States initiates the "Ghost Protocol," forcing them all to go off the grid with no support to solve the case.

How to Watch the 'Mission: Impossible' Movies in Order (Chronologically and by Release Date)

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch one of the best action franchises of all time.

The Big Picture

• Tom Cruise has been the face of the Mission: Impossible franchise for 25 years, playing the daring and intelligent Ethan Hunt.
• The franchise has released seven films so far, with Mission: Impossible 8 coming in summer of 2025.
• The movies can be watched in either release date order or chronological order, with each installment building upon the previous ones.

Tom Cruise helped revive a franchise in 1996 when he starred in the first Mission: Impossible film as Ethan Hunt, a member of a fictional spy agency called Impossible Missions Force, or IMF. The first film kicked off a successful movie franchise that's run for 25 years, with the number of Mission: Impossible nearing the double digits. The entire series focuses on the daring and intelligent Hunt, and while playing the same character for more than two decades is no small feat, Cruise makes the impossible look easy. While Cruise has been onboard for all of the Mission: Impossible films — seven so far, with the eighth having stopped filming due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike — the other actor who’s been by his side since day one is Ving Rhames , who plays Luther Stickell, an expert hacker at IMF and Hunt’s most trusted friend. Over the years, many great actors like Jon Voight , Philip Seymour Hoffman , and Angela Bassett have had roles in the franchise, whether as allies or antagonists to Hunt.

Thankfully, for anyone wondering how to watch the Mission: Impossible movies in chronological order or by release date, the action spy franchise isn’t as complicated as Hunt’s “impossible” missions. Here’s a straightforward guide.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on November 5, 2023.

Mission: Impossible

An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.

Mission Impossible Movies In Order of Release Date

Here’s every film in the Mission: Impossible movie franchise, in the order they were released in:

Mission: Impossible (1996)

Mission: impossible 2 (2000), mission: impossible iii (2006).

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Mission Impossible Movies in Chronological Order of Events

The timeline of the Mission: Impossible franchise is pretty straightforward, but if you're wondering when Cruise climbed the Burj Khalifa, how many movies Ilsa Faust has been in, or who's been on Ethan Hunt's IMF team the longest, we've got you covered. Here's a breakdown of how to watch the Mission: Impossible films in chronological order and the important details to remember:

Based on the TV series of the same name that ran from 1966 to 1973, Mission: Impossible , the first film in what is now a multi-billion-dollar-earning franchise, takes the original story and turns it on its head. When a whole team of IMF agents is killed during a mission, Cruise’s Hunt is left as the only survivor. Unfortunately, surviving doesn’t do him much good, as IMF, in turn, suspects Hunt of being a mole in the organization and the one responsible for the killings. In order to prove his innocence, Hunt goes on the run in search of the real mole, intent on stopping them before they do any more damage. Along with Cruise and Rhames, Mission: Impossible also stars Voigt as Jim Phelps, one of the original series’s characters, Vanessa Redgrave as an arms dealer named Max, as well as Kristin Scott Thomas and Emilio Estevez as other major characters. Directed by Brian De Palma , the 1996 film is more of a contained, paranoid spy thriller, and ultimately, the franchise goes above and beyond the first film’s story and action sequences, but Mission: Impossible will always be the one that started it all.

Released four years after the first film, Mission: Impossible 2 , directed by John Woo, features the return of Hunt and the IMF, as Hunt is tasked with finding and disposing of a biochemical weapon called “Chimera.” The villain of this mission is a former IMF agent named Sean Ambrose, played by Dougray Scott . Other new additions to the cast are Thandiwe Newton as Nyah Nordoff-Hall, Ambrose’s ex-girlfriend who helps Hunt accomplish his task, as well as Brendan Gleeson as John C. McCloy, the CEO of Biocyte, the company that creates both the Chimera weapon and its antidote, “Bellerophon.” Ambrose aims to start a pandemic so that he can earn billions of dollars by selling the antidote, and Hunt and Nyah must secure the virus before it’s too late. The second film in the Mission: Impossible franchise ups the ante, with Hunt traveling all the way to Sydney, Australia to chase down Ambrose, and the action sequences are jam-packed in typical Woo fashion .

The third film in the Mission: Impossible franchise took a really long time to be released, with six years between 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2 and 2006’s Mission: Impossible III . The third outing for IMF agent Hunt introduces two more key characters to the story — Michelle Monaghan as Hunt's fiancée, Julia Meade, and Simon Pegg ’s Benji Dunn, an IMF technician and trusted teammate of Hunt’s. In Mission: Impossible III , Hunt attempts to retire from fieldwork and settle down with Julia, but the organization can’t seem to let him go. He is called in to rescue a kidnapped agent and stop an arms dealer named Owen Davian ( Seymour Hoffman ) from receiving a dangerous MacGuffin called the “Rabbit’s Foot.” All the while, Hunt tries to keep the secret of his real job from Julie, but despite his efforts, she gets dragged into danger anyway. Directed by J.J. Abrams , the third Mission: Impossible film also features many other fantastic actors, including Laurence Fishburne , Keri Russell , and Billy Crudup .

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

In the new decade, this is where the action franchise really hits its stride. The first Mission: Impossible film to have a subtitle, 2011’s Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol does not disappoint. After a mission goes terribly wrong, ending with the Kremlin blowing up, the U.S. government disavows IMF in what is known as the “Ghost Protocol,” leaving Hunt and his team alone and without backup. Along with Cruise, Rhames, Pegg, and Monaghan, the fourth Mission: Impossible film also stars Jeremy Renner , Paula Patton , Michael Nyqvist , and Léa Seydoux . While Hunt’s previous missions have involved traitor agents and virus weapons, this particular adventure features Hunt working to prevent a nuclear war. The stakes are higher than ever, and Hunt must overcome both physical and emotional hardships in order to do his job and save the world. The Iron Giant and Incredibles director Brad Bird made his live-action debut with Ghost Protocol , and the film is a major step up from the previous three, escalating the action set-pieces (most notably, Cruise's instantly iconic climb up the Burj Khalifa ) and introducing a more ensemble-driven approach the franchise is still embracing today.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Enter Rebecca Ferguson . Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is the fifth film in the Mission: Impossible series that never seems to stop. Alongside Alec Baldwin , Sean Harris , and Tom Hollander , this movie marks the first appearance of Ferguson's Ilsa Faust , an MI6 agent who encounters Hunt while undercover in the Syndicate crime organization; an international group of spies who went rogue. Ferguson’s character is definitely one of the most complicated of the series so far, and she adds new life and intrigue to the franchise. After Hunt is captured by the Syndicate, led by Harris’s character Solomon Lane, he is tortured for information and later escapes with Faust’s help. The Syndicate’s main goal is to reconstruct the world order through a series of violent terrorist attacks, and of course, Hunt gets blamed for the crimes, leaving him constantly on the run. It’s an age-old story. Hunt gets involved with a huge conspiracy then gets framed and must go on the run, relying on his amazing skills as an agent to take the Syndicate down before they can complete their plan. Considering that this formula has gotten the franchise this far, there’s really no reason to change it up, but director Christopher McQuarrie makes it feel fresh and new with extraordinary stunts and a deeper interest in Hunt as a character. It's no wonder that he's the only filmmaker to date to stick with the franchise for multiple sequels.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Mission: Impossible - Fallout follows Hunt, Faust, and the rest of Hunt's now-familiar team as they work to stop what’s left of the Syndicate. The organization has reformed as the Apostles, led by an unknown figure known as John Lark. After a mission to secure stolen plutonium cores doesn’t go well, Angela Bassett, finally joining the franchise as CIA Director Erika Sloane, assigns Henry Cavill ’s August Walker to oversee Hunt’s future missions. Meanwhile, an arms dealer named Alanna Mitsopolis, or the White Widow (a new character played by Vanessa Kirby ) causes trouble for Hunt and the IMF by stealing the plutonium to make a deal. According to Mitsopolis’s offer, Hunt must secure Lane (the villain from the previous movie) and deliver him to MI6, and she will give him the plutonium cores for the CIA and IMF. Of course, very little goes according to plan, as Hunt discovers that the person known as Lark is closer than he thought. Set two years after Rogue Nation , the two films’ plots are heavily intertwined, so it’s best to watch them together if you can.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

The latest chapter of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One features even bigger stunts than ever before and adds a host of exciting new cast members, including Hayley Atwell , Pom Klementieff , Shea Whigham, Esai Morales , Indira Varma , Cary Elwes , and Mark Gatiss , among others. Christopher McQuarrie once again wrote and directed the movie and will be doing the same for MIssion: Impossible 8 . The film introduces a new threat involving a familiar face, an organization known as the Community. It is by far the biggest film in the series, both in terms of cast and scope.

What's Next?

With every new installment, the Mission: Impossible franchise gets better and better. And while Dead Reckoning Part One may just be the best it's ever been, Cruise and McQuarrie will be looking to top that with Mission: Impossible 8 . However, the film has been delayed multiple times and has undergone a quiet name change. As of now, the eighth part of Ethan Hunt's story is set to premiere on Memorial Day, May 23, 2025.

Watch the Mission: Impossible franchise on Paramount+ in the U.S.

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Mission: impossible, common sense media reviewers.

First M:I movie starts off with a bang; violence, peril.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

In the fight between good and evil, honesty, integ

Ethan is willing to risk his career, reputation, a

Ethan's initial team of six agents is gender-balan

Frequent action and suspense. A series of attacks

Characters embrace against a wall as a ruse, kissi

Infrequent language includes "hell," "son of a bit

Diet Coke, British Airways brands seen. Dunhill ci

Characters smoke cigarettes. Close-up on a needle

Parents need to know that Mission: Impossible is the first film in the popular action spy series starring Tom Cruise. Expect lots of fighting, danger, and characters killed in unusual ways, with blood appearing on clothes, hands, and knives and a couple of characters getting shot to death. There are also…

Positive Messages

In the fight between good and evil, honesty, integrity, and bravery prevail. Trust is precious, but it's fragile, and even the most steadfast of allies are corruptible.

Positive Role Models

Ethan is willing to risk his career, reputation, and life to uncover treachery and get justice for his fallen friends -- even if that means breaking the rules and ignoring direct orders. Luther is one of the rare associates that Ethan can trust. Otherwise, most characters have ulterior motives and are easily tricked.

Diverse Representations

Ethan's initial team of six agents is gender-balanced, but the film quickly focuses on its White male hero as the lone renegade among untrustworthy players -- almost all of them also White men. The only associate Ethan can trust is Luther, a Black man who has a shallow but positive role as an elite hacker. The main female character (who's White) is portrayed as manipulative.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Frequent action and suspense. A series of attacks kills a team of agents early in the film: A rigged elevator impales an agent in the face, and there's a bloody gunshot and fall from a bridge, a double knifing, and an exploding car. A restaurant is blown up and flooded; a man crashes through a window and escapes. Several fights include punches, slaps to the head, knife fights, and gunfire (one woman is shot to death). A long sequence takes place atop a speeding train, with a helicopter chasing it and men jumping, falling, sliding, and hanging over the side of the train. Brief bloody images (hands, shirt, clothes), but deaths usually happen just after the camera cuts away or in wide shots and aren't graphic or gruesome. In one scene, Ethan forcibly pats down a woman without her consent, briefly grabbing her breasts before pressing her into a bed as he holds her wrists down.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Characters embrace against a wall as a ruse, kissing on the cheek. Ethan is accused of coveting another man's wife. An agent forcibly pats down a woman -- it's portrayed as sexual tension but isn't consensual. (See Violence & Scariness section for more details.)

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent language includes "hell," "son of a bitch," "ass," "goddamn," "for Christ's sake," and "crap."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Diet Coke, British Airways brands seen. Dunhill cigarettes and Chicago's Drake Hotel are mentioned in conversation and serve as plot elements. Some merchandising and heavy marketing for this franchise.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters smoke cigarettes. Close-up on a needle with an unknown drug being injected into an arm. A bottle of liquor sits on a table. A minor character is drugged -- vomiting is heard -- so that agents can infiltrate a room.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Mission: Impossible is the first film in the popular action spy series starring Tom Cruise . Expect lots of fighting, danger, and characters killed in unusual ways, with blood appearing on clothes, hands, and knives and a couple of characters getting shot to death. There are also explosions, flooding, crashes through glass, a helicopter in pursuit of a high-speed train, and other moments of peril. In one scene, the main character forcibly pats down a woman without her consent, briefly grabbing her breasts before pressing her into a bed as he holds her wrists down. Infrequent language includes "hell," "son of a bitch," "ass," "goddamn," etc. Characters smoke, alcohol is visible on a table, and drugs are used to subdue others. Agents embrace and pretend to kiss as a ruse. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (11)
• Kids say (74)

Based on 11 parent reviews

Excellent...Enough Said!

A great action film...please read note at bottom, what's the story.

The big-screen MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE may not have the campy sensibility of its TV predecessor (which ran from 1966-1973), but it generates plenty of nail-biting suspense while capturing the overall spirit of the spy genre, complete with really cool high-tech gadgets. The setting is Prague, behind the old Iron Curtain, when the lives of Eastern European operatives are at risk. When a mission goes horribly wrong, secret agent Ethan Hunt ( Tom Cruise ) is labeled as a mole and hunted by the CIA. Now a fugitive, Hunt must track down the true double agent and a computer disk in order to clear his name.

Is It Any Good?

The Cold War may be over, but the spy genre is alive and well in Cruise and director Brian De Palma 's thriller. It's sometimes confusing and implausible, but Mission: Impossible still has great production values, tense high-tech espionage, and three thrilling set pieces that will keep action lovers on the edge of their seats. The movie unfortunately forgoes plot coherence in favor of flashy scenes and escapes. (The CIA headquarters break-in, while exhilarating, is particularly dubious.)

Mission: Impossible certainly has a great opening, breaking the rules of the Hollywood thriller by (seemingly) killing off most of its stars ( Jon Voight , Emilio Estevez , Kristin Scott Thomas ) right off the bat. De Palma also does a fine job of creating an atmosphere of suspicion; nobody with whom Ethan comes into contact is completely trustworthy. And the action sequences -- especially the helicopter in the Chunnel -- are some of the best Hollywood has to offer.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Mission: Impossible 's theme of self-sacrifice. What would you give up to do what you think is right? Is it ever OK to break the rules to get the result you want?

What makes watching action and violence compelling ? When does it go too far?

If you've watched the other Mission: Impossible movies or TV show, how does this one compare? What are some of the franchise's recurring themes?

In one scene, Ethan roughly pats down a woman he doesn't trust, grabbing her breasts and holding her down against a bed. What are other ways he could have tested her trustworthiness?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 12, 1996
• On DVD or streaming : November 12, 1996
• Cast : Jon Voight , Kristin Scott Thomas , Tom Cruise
• Director : Brian De Palma
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Middle Eastern/North African writers
• Studio : Paramount Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Run time : 110 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : thematic intensity
• Last updated : April 12, 2024

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Actor Tom Cruise is the star of several box-office hits, including Risky Business , A Few Good Men , The Firm , Jerry Maguire , and the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Who Is Tom Cruise?

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, better known as Tom Cruise, was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, to Mary and Thomas Mapother. Cruise's mother was an amateur actress and schoolteacher, and his father was an electrical engineer. His family moved around a great deal when Cruise was a child to accommodate his father's career.

Cruise's parents divorced when he was 11, and the children moved with their mother to Louisville, Kentucky, and then to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, after she remarried. Like his mother and three sisters, Cruise suffered from dyslexia, which made academic success difficult for him. He excelled in athletics, however, and considered pursuing a career in professional wrestling until a knee injury sidelined him during high school.

At age 14, Cruise enrolled in a Franciscan seminary with thoughts of becoming a priest, but he left after a year. When he was 16, a teacher encouraged him to participate in the school's production of the musical Guys and Dolls . After Cruise won the lead of Nathan Detroit, he found himself surprisingly at home on the stage, and a career was born.

'Taps,' 'The Outsiders'

Cruise set a 10-year deadline for himself in which to build an acting career. He left school and moved to New York City, struggling through audition after audition before landing an appearance in 1981's Endless Love , starring Brooke Shields. Around this same time, he snagged a small role in the military school drama Taps (1981), co-starring Sean Penn .

His role in Taps was upgraded after director Harold Becker saw Cruise's potential, and his performance caught the attention of a number of critics and filmmakers. In 1983, Cruise appeared in Francis Ford Coppola 's The Outsiders , which also starred Emilio Estevez , Matt Dillon and Rob Lowe —all prominent members of a group of young actors the entertainment press dubbed the "Brat Pack." The film was not well received, but it allowed Cruise to work with an acclaimed director on a high-profile project.

'Risky Business'

His next film, Risky Business (1983), grossed $65 million. It also made Cruise a highly recognizable actor — thanks in no small part to a memorable scene of the young star dancing in his underwear.

In 1986, after a two-year hiatus, the budding actor released the big-budget fantasy film Legend , which did poorly at the box office. That same year, however, Cruise's A-list status was confirmed with the release of Top Gun , which co-starred Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan . The testosterone-fueled action-romance, set against the backdrop of an elite naval flight school, became the highest-grossing film of 1986.

'The Color of Money,' 'Rain Man' and 'Born on the Fourth of July'

Cruise followed the tremendous success of Top Gun with a string of both critically acclaimed and commercially successful films. He first starred in The Color of Money (1986) with co-star Paul Newman , and then went on to work with Dustin Hoffman on Rain Man (1988). Cruise's next role, as Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in the biopic Born on the Fourth of July (1989), earned him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Actor.

'A Few Good Men,' 'The Firm' and 'Interview with a Vampire'

In 1992, Cruise proved once more that he could hold his own opposite a screen legend when he co-starred with Jack Nicholson in the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men . The film grossed more than $15 million its first weekend and earned Cruise a Golden Globe nomination. He continued to demonstrate his success as a leading man with The Firm (1993) and Interview with a Vampire (1994), which co-starred Brad Pitt.

'Mission: Impossible,' 'Jerry McGuire'

Next, Cruise hit the big screen with two huge hits—the $64 million blockbuster Mission: Impossible (1996), which the star also produced, and the highly acclaimed Jerry McGuire (1996), directed by Cameron Crowe. For the latter, Cruise earned a second Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe for Best Actor.

'Eyes Wide Shut,' 'Magnolia'

Cruise and then-wife Kidman spent much of 1997 and 1998 in England shooting Eyes Wide Shut , an erotic thriller that would be director Stanley Kubrick 's final film. The movie came out in the summer of 1999 to mixed reviews, but that year Cruise enjoyed greater success with the release of Magnolia . His performance as a self-confident sex guru in the ensemble film earned him another Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

'Vanilla Sky,' 'The Last Samurai'

Cruise then starred in the long-awaited smash hit Mission: Impossible 2 in 2000, alongside Anthony Hopkins , Thandie Newton and Ving Rhames. In 2002, he starred in Vanilla Sky , his second collaboration with Crowe, as well as Steven Spielberg 's Minority Report . The following year, Cruise traveled to Australia to shoot the $100 million war epic The Last Samurai, which earned him another Golden Globe nomination.

'War of the Worlds'

Cruise proved he remained a top draw by starring in the Spielberg-directed remake of the science-fiction classic War of the Worlds (2005), which grossed more than $230 million at the box office.

His next effort, Mission: Impossible 3 (2006), also scored well with audiences. However, Cruise was faced with a professional setback in August when Paramount Pictures ended its 14-year relationship with the actor. The company's chairman cited Cruise's erratic behavior and controversial views as the reason for the split, though industry experts noted that Paramount more likely ended the partnership over Cruise's high earnings from the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Cruise quickly rebounded and on November 2, 2006, he announced his new partnership with film executive Paula Wagner and the United Artists film studio. Their first production as a team, the political drama Lions for Lambs (2007), proved a commercial disappointment despite a strong cast that included Meryl Streep and Robert Redford .

'Tropic Thunder'

Taking a break from weighty material, Cruise delighted audiences with his performance in the comedy Tropic Thunder (2008). Despite his relatively small role in a movie that featured Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller , Cruise stood out by obscuring his trademark good looks to play a balding, obese movie studio executive.

'Valkyrie,' 'Rock of Ages'

In December 2008, Cruise released his second project through United Artists. The film, Valkyrie , was a World War II drama about a plot to assassinate German leader Adolf Hitler . Cruise starred as a German army officer who became involved in the conspiracy.

Cruise returned to one of his most popular franchises in 2011 with Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol . Breaking into new territory, he then starred in the 2012 musical Rock of Ages . Although Cruise received some positive reviews for his performance as a rock star, the movie failed to attract much of an audience.

'Jack Reacher,' 'Edge of Tomorrow'

Returning to his mainstream action roots, Cruise starred in the 2012 crime drama Jack Reacher , based on a book by Lee Child. He then headlined a pair of science-fiction adventures, Oblivion (2013) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Showing no signs of slowing down, the veteran actor in 2015 delivered his usual high-energy performance for the fifth installment of his blockbuster franchise, Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation .

Latest Movies and Familiar Franchises

In 2016, Cruise reprised the role of Jack Reacher for Never Go Back . He then headlined a reboot of The Mummy (2017), which performed respectably at the box office but was savaged by critics, before earning better reviews later that year for the crime thriller American Made .

2018 brought a return to familiar territory for Cruise, who starred in Mission Impossible —Fallout that summer. Prior to its release, he tweeted a photo to mark day 1 of production on the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick , scheduled for a June 2020 release.

Scientology and Personal Life

Cruise married actress Mimi Rogers in 1987. It was through Rogers that the actor became a student of Scientology, the religion founded by writer L. Ron Hubbard. Cruise credited the church with curing his dyslexia, and he soon became one of its leading proponents. However, while his spiritual life flourished, his marriage to Rogers ended in 1990. That same year, Cruise made the racecar drama Days of Thunder alongside Kidman. Though the movie was unpopular among critics and fans alike, the two lead actors had real chemistry. On Christmas Eve 1990, after a brief courtship, Cruise and Kidman married in Telluride, Colorado.

Divorce from Kidman

For much of the 1990s, Cruise and Kidman found themselves fiercely defending the happiness and legitimacy of their marriage. They filed two different lawsuits against tabloid publications for stories they considered libelous. In each case, the couple received a published retraction and apology, along with a large monetary settlement which they donated to charity. The couple has two children, Isabella and Connor.

On February 5, 2001, Cruise and Kidman announced their separation after 11 years of marriage. The couple cited the difficulties involved with two acting careers and the amount of time spent apart while working. Following the divorce, Cruise briefly dated his Vanilla Sky co-star Penelope Cruz , followed by a much-publicized relationship with actress Katie Holmes. A month after his ties to Holmes became public, Cruise professed his love for the actress in a now-famous appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, during which he jumped on Winfrey's sofa, shouting "Yes!"

Marriage to Katie Holmes

In June 2005, after a two-month courtship, Cruise proposed to Holmes in a restaurant at the top of the Eiffel tower. In October, they announced that they were expecting their first child together. The hasty proposal and surprise pregnancy quickly became tabloid gossip. But Cruise made even bigger headlines that year as an outspoken advocate for Scientology. He openly criticized former co-star Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants during her recovery from postpartum depression. He also denounced psychiatry and modern medicine, claiming Scientology held the key to true healing. Cruise's statements led to a heated argument with news anchor Matt Lauer on The Today Show in June 2005, for which Cruise later apologized.

In 2006, Cruise and Holmes welcomed daughter Suri into the world. That year, they were married in an Italian castle, with celebrities Will Smith , Jada Pinkett Smith , Jennifer Lopez and Victoria and David Beckham among those in attendance. However, the storybook romance wouldn't last, and in June 2012, the couple announced their separation.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1962
• Birth date: July 3, 1962
• Birth State: New York
• Birth City: Syracuse
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Actor Tom Cruise is the star of several box-office hits, including 'Risky Business,' 'A Few Good Men,' 'The Firm,' 'Jerry Maguire' and the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise.
• Astrological Sign: Cancer

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Tom Cruise Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/tom-cruise
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 26, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014

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How Old Was Tom Cruise in His 10 Most Critically Acclaimed Movies?

Whether you love him or hate him, Tom Cruise is arguably one of the biggest movie stars Hollywood has seen over the last 30 years.

Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York. His full name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, and he spent much of his childhood traveling around the world before settling with his mom and stepdad in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

Tom Cruise’s father, Thomas Mapother III, was born on October 15, 1934, and died in January 1984. His mother, Mary Lee Pfeiffer, was born on September 22, 1936, and died in February 2017. The surname Mapother is pronounced similarly to “MAY bother,” but with a P sound instead.

While a student at Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey, the “War of the Worlds” star dreamed of becoming a priest but soon developed an interest in acting which would change the trajectory of his life.

Throughout the 1980s, Tom starred in box office hits like Top Gun (1986) and Rain Man (1988). In the ‘90s, he solidified his box office success with films like Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jerry Maguire (1996).

His personal life has been the topic of tabloids for years. He was married to Nicole Kidman for ten years before they divorced in 2001. They also starred in several films together , including the 1990 American romantic sports action drama Days of Thunder .

In 2005 he publicly proclaimed his love for Katie Holmes on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show. That same year, they announced they were engaged, then they announced they were expecting.

They got married in 2006, seven months after welcoming daughter Suri into the world. But in 2012, Holmes filed for divorce, which came as a shock to Cruise. It was reported that Holmes was leaving Scientology and wanted to protect Suri from the religion.

Even with personal turmoil, Tom Cruise still manages to churn out box office hits year after year. Let’s take a look at which ones have the highest ratings, according to Rotten Tomatoes .

10. Space Station (2002) – 87% score

Cruise narrated this documentary that follows astronauts as they prepare for a mission to complete work on the International Space Station.

The film shows the astronauts as they go through intensive training starting at the Kennedy Space Center until they say their goodbyes to their families before launching into space to complete their mission.

Cruise was 40 years old when the film was released, and it brought in more than $93 million at the box office.

9. The Color of Money (1986) – 89% score

A 24-year-old Cruise played opposite movie legend Paul Newman in this flick.

Newman plays former pool hustler “Fast Eddie” Felson when he decides he wants to return to playing pool by taking on a student. That’s when he meets Cruise’s character Vincent Lauria.

Eddie teaches Vincent scamming tricks as they tour different pool halls. Eventually, Eddie grows tired of Vincent being a showoff which leads to an argument and a falling out.

The two cross paths again as opponents after Eddie decides to start playing again. The U.S. box office gross was $52.3 million.

8. Rain Man (1988) – 89% score

Two years after The Color of Money, a 26-year-old Cruise plays car dealer Charlie Babbitt in Rain Man. Babbitt returns home to Cincinnati when he learns his estranged father has died.

He discovers he has an autistic older brother named Raymond, played by Dustin Hoffman, and that his father’s $3 million dollar fortune is being left to the mental institution that takes care of him.

Motivated by the money, Charlie checks Raymond out of the institution, and they go on a life-changing cross-country road trip back to Los Angeles, where Charlie lives.

The movie brought in $171.2 million at the box office, which is no surprise considering the star-studded leading men carrying the film.

7. Minority Report (2002) – 90% score

It seems that by the early 2000s, a 40-year-old Cruise had figured out that action movies are his forte. Minority Report is described as an action-detective thriller set in Washington, D.C., in 2054.

Cruise plays Chief Paul Anderson in the flick. The character is the head of a police unit that uses psychic technology to arrest and convict murderers before they commit a crime. The plot twist is his character ends up being one of the accused future murderers.

While it’s not his most popular film, a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and $132 million earnings at the box office prove that people want to see him in these types of movies.

6. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) – 91% score

This film is another sci-fi action thriller that Cruise added under his belt. With a 91% score, it solidifies the notion that people love the intense, dramatic energy he can bring to the big screen.

At 52 years old, Cruise plays Major William Cage, an officer who has never seen combat. Cage goes on a suicide mission but ends up in a Groundhog Day scenario, only there’s no humor in this situation. He gets killed almost immediately but ends up having to relive the same fight and death over and over again.

He gets better with each fight, but is it enough to help him defeat the aliens that threaten earth?

5. Risky Business (1983) – 92% score

I’m personally surprised Risky Business isn’t ranked higher. You might know the film from the famous scene of Cruise in a button-down shirt and underwear, and white socks as he slides into the frame while dancing to Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger.

The scene is probably the most famous scene people know Cruise for.

He was 21 at the time the movie was released, but he plays a high school senior, Joel Goodsen.

With his parents out of town, he tries to hire a prostitute for a night of fun, but things go haywire quickly. He has to use creative measures to try and fix the mess he’s gotten himself into.

4. Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011) – 93% score

Mission: Impossible is probably the movie series Cruise most gets associated with now, with multiple installments and three of the sequels making this list, including Ghost Protocol with a 93% score.

Cruise was 49 when he revived his famous character, Ethan Hunt. This time around, he’s being blamed for a terrorist attack, Hunt and the entire IMF agency are disowned by the U.S. government, and the president initiates a Ghost Protocol (hence the name of the movie).

Hunt has to work to clear the agency’s name and take on a group of IMF fugitives in the process.

Cruise had to actually do some death-defying stunts for this film, including scaling the outside of the world’s tallest building in Dubai. A stunt that Cruise continues to try and beat to this day.

3. Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) – 94% score

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is the second movie from the series to make an appearance on this list. Clearly, Cruise loves playing Ethan Hunt, and who could blame him?

Not only do they bring in the money at the box office, but with a 94% score, it’s clear they’re also fun to watch.

Cruise was 53 when the movie was released, and according to IMDB, Cruise did all of his own driving in the film. Also, he did all of his own stunts during the sequence where Ethan Hunt climbs outside of a flying airplane.

At times he was suspended on the aircraft at 5,000 feet in the air. This is one of the ways Cruise tried to outdo his stunts from Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.

2. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – 97% score

At the age of 59, Cruise reprises his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the sequel to the ’80s movie that fans have waited more than 30 years for.

Sequels are a tough thing to conquer, especially when the original is so highly regarded by fans and critics. Several critics say the sequel is better than the original.

We get to see how Maverick turned out. It’s no surprise he’s one of the Navy’s top aviators, pushing the envelope as a test pilot and dodging rank advancements that would ground him.

Cruise insisted that there be minimal CGI, so as an accomplished pilot himself, he personally designed a three-month aviation course for the new actors to learn how to fly the planes used in the movie. That’s pretty incredible if you ask me!

1. Mission: Impossible Fallout (2018) – 97% score

The third and final appearance of a Mission: Impossible movie on this list is tied with Cruise’s most recent release of the Top Gun sequel.

Just watching the trailer and knowing Cruise’s history of doing his own stunts, you must wonder what death defying-stunts he did in this installment.

According to IMDb, he did some impressive stunt driving during filming and a High Altitude Low Opening jump out of a plane which took a year for him to train for.

Of course, he reprises his role as Ethan Hunt once again; this time, the character and the IMF team join forces with a CIA assassin to prevent an epic disaster from happening.

The movies never fail to disappoint, which makes sense why many of them are ranked so high, and this one is no different, with a 97% score.

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The First Mission: Impossible Is Still the Best

If you told those of us who saw Mission: Impossible in theaters in 1996 that, 25 years later, the series would still be going strong, with Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt having outlasted two James Bonds, two Supermen, and three Batmen, we probably would have called you an idiot. It’s not that the movie (which, to celebrate its anniversary, has just been rereleased in a remastered new Blu-ray edition) wasn’t a sizable hit — it was — but it was also initially held at something of a remove by critics and audiences alike. It was the kind of smash-and-grab blockbuster that made a huge chunk of its box office in its opening few days and didn’t seem to care about word of mouth. That type of hit is, of course, pretty much all we have nowadays, but back in 1996, it wasn’t exactly a mark of quality.

Critics, who’d always been divided on the work of director Brian De Palma, saw Mission: Impossible as a movie that showcased his expertise with suspense, but one that didn’t have much personality to it. The action setpieces (mostly) received their share of praise, while the screenplay (credited to Robert Towne and David Koepp, and reportedly revised constantly throughout production) got knocked for being confusing or nonsensical. Many fans of the original series were disappointed that this new version was less about teamwork and spycraft and more about Tom Cruise jumping off exploding trains. (Some were also upset that this film decided to make Jim Phelps, the ostensible hero of the original show, a villain.) The then-small-but-growing ranks of the Extremely Online chuckled over the picture’s representation of how the internet works. Its CinemaScore grade was a mere B+ … which, in the world of hyperinflated CinemaScore grades, is generally cause for concern.

No, there was definitely something uncool about Mission: Impossible . It was somehow both too smart for its own good and also, weirdly, not smart enough. Besides, Tom Cruise: action star? What ? It’s hard to remember now, but Mission: Impossible was an odd choice at the time for the actor, who had built his stardom through a savvy combination of mainstream prestige pictures and pop hits but had never really been an ass-kicking action hero. In Top Gun , he flew jet fighters, while in Days of Thunder , he raced cars; in those movies, the action came from the machines, not the people. And despite his incredible box-office run, Cruise avoided sequels. Mission: Impossible , which he produced, seemed very much like the type of flick designed to establish a franchise, an odd choice for a performer whose white whale at the time was not so much box-office success as Oscar glory. (At the time, he’d only been nominated for 1989’s Born on the Fourth of July , though he’d starred in numerous Oscar-anointed films, such as A Few Good Men and Rainman . However, he’d soon be nominated for that year’s Jerry Maguire and, not long after, Magnolia . He still hasn’t won that Oscar.)

That odd choice would soon prove prophetic. It didn’t seem likely at the time that the industry would one day mostly abandon the star-driven, medium-budget hits that had been so important to Brand Cruise — that everything would eventually become subsumed into franchises and so-called IP, and that a star’s earning potential would become wedded to their ability to play the same, extremely familiar character over and over again in multiple installments of the same film series. Did Cruise himself recognize that this would become the way of the world? Probably not. He still had a good decade of star turns ahead of him . Jerry Maguire was still in the future, as were Minority Report and Collateral and War of the Worlds (and, of course, Magnolia , arguably his greatest performance). But one day, after his public image exploded , he’d wind up needing Mission: Impossible to help him claw back to relevance — and to some modicum of public affection.

In the period following the original’s release, however, you could sense the series struggling to find its footing. Mission: Impossible II , which came out four years later, was tonally very different from the first one. Director John Woo went for straight-up action ballet, with Cruise doing acrobatic gunplay while performing elaborate motorcycle stunts, the rest of his team essentially reduced to bit parts. Six years after that, the third entry, directed by J.J. Abrams, went dark and shaky-cam, entertainingly upping the explosions and the personal backstories. I would argue that the series didn’t fully hit its stride until 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , which in many ways restored the central idea that had made the original so effective.

So, what was that idea? And how has it endured so long? Is it just, you know, stunts ?

Not quite. Mission: Impossible delivered a new spin on properly utilizing what was then Cruise’s thermonuclear star power. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the actor represented a fresh-faced, can-do macho ethos; this was a far cry from the musclebound strongmen and grizzled wiseasses who dominated action cinema. But by the mid-’90s, the Age of Irony was fully upon us, and Cruise’s all-American appeal needed some complication. A little of this guy went a long way: Let Cruise be too confident, too capable, too smirking and cool, and you ran the risk of silliness and annoyance. (This is why Mission: Impossible II , by the way, for all its financial success, kind of stinks.) The man could no longer grin his way through his challenges.

The trick, it turned out, was to add a bit of slapstick. Tom Cruise was a handsome, physically gifted supernova with a thousand-watt smile, but the key to making him a relatable action star was, well, to humiliate him a little. The first Mission: Impossible gave us a hero whose confidence gets him into ridiculous situations that make him look foolish: What makes the infamous Langley break-in sequence so immortal isn’t the intricate derring-do of the heist itself; it’s the fact that Ethan Hunt winds up anxiously hovering two inches off the floor, desperately flapping his arms about — because there are few things more satisfying in modern mainstream cinema than the sight of Tom Cruise looking like a total dork. And weirdly, he seems to know it. For all the theatricality of his performances, Cruise is great at deadpan.

This might also be why De Palma made such an ideal director for this material, and for this star. No auteur was better at undercutting his protagonists, at turning his heroes into marks, cuckolds, dupes, and dopes. Mission: Impossible is much more of a Brian De Palma film than it gets credit for being. Certainly, the director loves the demonic artifice of cinema — his work simultaneously mines it for aesthetic power while purposefully highlighting its inherent phoniness — and with their vast array of costumes and masks and breakaway walls and falsified surveillance images, what are Ethan Hunt and his colleagues but a bunch of amateur filmmakers who also happen to be professional spies? Tied into this embrace of artifice is also a dedication to the old-school suspense setpiece — silent, carefully choreographed, focused on details — of the kind that these movies have deftly woven in with the more typical big bang-boom of modern action spectacle.

Ethan even becomes, for a while, one of De Palma’s classic sexual marks. The film isn’t just about Ethan and his team’s betrayal by their leader, Phelps (Jon Voight); it’s also about Ethan’s betrayal by Jim’s wife, Claire (Emmanuelle Béart), with whom he clearly has a romantic connection. By the end, when Ethan discovers that Claire has been working with Phelps all this time, the deception genuinely stings. A sex scene was reportedly shot and then cut from the finished film, but the point still comes across: It’s in Ethan and Claire’s longing glances, in their gentle kisses and caresses. Mission: Impossible played a little demure in 1996. Today, it feels downright heated.

Perhaps it’s this hybrid quality — as an action flick with a flair for the perverse and the intimate, a star vehicle with a deeply weird sensibility — that makes the first Mission: Impossibl e hold up so well. Perched at that moment, when everything in the industry began to change, it’s a surprisingly slippery movie, not quite one thing and not quite the other.

Still, who could have foreseen it? None of us predicted at the time that Mission: Impossible would one day be all that the once-indestructible Tom Cruise had. And none of us predicted that the franchise it spawned would wind up so perfectly balancing classic suspense with modern blockbuster bluster — that it would wind up being one of the more distinctive and refreshing series in a depressingly uniform landscape. None of us predicted that, one day, Mission: Impossible would be cool.

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Tom Cruise Wants to Keep Making ‘Mission: Impossible’ Movies Until He’s 80, Just Like Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones: ‘I Hope to Still Be Going’

By Zack Sharf

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Harrison Ford just wrapped up his tenure as Indiana Jones in the franchise’s fifth installment, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which opened in theaters just a few weeks before the actor’s 81st birthday. Tom Cruise hopes to have the same longevity when it comes to playing Ethan Hunt in Paramount’s long-running “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald at the Australian premiere of “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” Cruise said he wants to keep making “Mission: Impossible” movies until he is Ford’s age. Cruise just turned 61 years old on July 3, 2023.

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Although Ford has ended his run as Indiana Jones at 80, he has no plans to give up acting at this time. “I don’t do well when I don’t have work,” he said in June when announcing he will not retire from acting. “I love to work. I love to feel useful. It’s my jones. I want to be helpful… and it’s the people you get to work with. The intensity and the intimacy of collaboration.”

Cruise also weighed in on the viral photos of him holding up movie tickets to summer tentpoles “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” The actor admitted that hasn’t actually seen either tentpole just yet, but he is planning to do so on opening weekend.

“I grew up seeing movies on the big screen,” Cruise said. “That’s how I make them, and I like that experience; it’s immersive, and to have that as a community and an industry, it’s important. I still go the movies.”

“I want to see both ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer,” he added. “I’ll see them opening weekend. Friday I’ll see ‘Oppenheimer’ first and then ‘Barbie’ on Saturday.”

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” opens July 12 from Paramount.

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Mission: Impossible

An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization. An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization. An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.

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• (as Kristin Scott-Thomas)

• Drunken Female IMF Agent

• Drunken Male IMF Agent
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• Trivia While filming the famous scene where Tom Cruise drops from the ceiling and hovers inches above the ground, Cruise's head kept hitting the floor until he got the idea to put coins in his shoes for balance.
• Goofs Although some would consider a computer room equipped with the three high-tech security systems, meant to prevent any intrusion, as missing the "most basic security measure" of video surveillance, video surveillance is often not permitted in highly classified areas where there is a risk that unauthorized personnel - such as the security personnel - may see the material. The security personnel may theoretically be cleared for that classification but they would not have a "need to know" the information contained within AND video surveillance visible in another area would defy the measures taken to keep the information in a secure room. However, a simple device to lock out the keyboard, of any other I/O devices or ports, when there was no authorised operator officially present, would be simple to implement, very efficient, and pose zero potential for information leakage.

Ethan Hunt : [sitting in an outdoor café] So, how does it feel to be a solid citizen again?

Luther Stickell : Man, I don't know. I'm gonna miss bein' disreputable.

Ethan Hunt : Well, Luther, if it makes you feel any better, I'll always think of you that way.

• Crazy credits The opening credits contain several plot points from the movie.
• Alternate versions The in-joke where Tom Cruise goes online with his laptop by typing in, not Usenet, but Crusenet, has been changed in the US DVD versions to where he types "internet access."
• Connections Edited into Las Vegas: Father of the Bride (2006)
• Soundtracks The Mission: Impossible Theme Written by Lalo Schifrin

User reviews 584

• Dr. Nick Riviera
• Jun 25, 2000
• How long is Mission: Impossible? Powered by Alexa
• The guard at the elevator didn't introduce himself so how did Ethan know he was a sergeant?
• Why did Jim take the Gideon bible from the Drake hotel in Chicago and place it in the safe house in Prague?
• How does Ethan have so much information on the room where the other half of the NOC list is kept?
• May 22, 1996 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Nhiệm Vụ Bất Khả Thi
• Charles Bridge, Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic (Jim's fall into the Vltava)
• Paramount Pictures
• Cruise/Wagner Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $80,000,000 (estimated)
• $180,981,856
• $45,436,830
• May 26, 1996
• $457,696,391

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• Runtime 1 hour 50 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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‘Mission: Impossible’ Director Shares New Tom Cruise Aerial Stunt Pic To Honor Star’s 60th Birthday

By Nancy Tartaglione

Nancy Tartaglione

International Box Office Editor/Senior Contributor

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Tom Cruise ’s frequent collaborator and Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie wished the star a happy 60th birthday on Sunday by sharing a new behind-the-scenes photo that appears to be taken from the eighth M:I movie, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part Two (check it out below).

While McQuarrie did not add any context about the image, it sees Cruise hanging off the wing of a mid-roll vintage red biplane — similar to the one we saw in a pre-recorded message Cruise sent from the South Africa set of the film during CinemaCon in April.

Happy 60th Birthday, Tom. pic.twitter.com/IfWUguhM7c — Christopher McQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) July 3, 2022

Cruise, who is known for constantly pushing the limits in his self-performed stunts, is currently flying high with Top Gun: Maverick which has grossed over $1.1B globally. This past weekend, its sixth, the movie saw another incredible hold , down just 14% domestically and 16% at the international box office.

Maverick co-star Glen Powell also tweeted McQ’s photo, adding “TC, there is just no one like you. Keep hangin’ in there. Happy Birthday!”

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This is 60. TC, there is just no one like you. Keep hangin’ in there. Happy Birthday! ⁦ @TomCruise ⁩ pic.twitter.com/D3w9PCuNQy — Glen Powell (@glenpowell) July 3, 2022

Among other well-wishers was Iceman himself, Val Kilmer:

Happy Birthday Mav @TomCruise from Ice ! — Val Kilmer (@valkilmer) July 4, 2022

Cruise spent his birthday on Sunday at the British Formula 1 Grand Prix, where he was supporting pal and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. “He’s a great friend of mine. I hope he has a great day,” Cruise told Sky Sports on the starting grid. (Hamilton ended up placing third while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed the first win of his career.)

From Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part One releases July 14 next year with Part Two due on June 28, 2024.

Here’s a closer look at the photo McQuarrie tweeted:

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Sublime stunts and Tom Cruise's coins: 10 EPIC facts about Mission: Impossible

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Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible' Stunts Are a Bone-Breaking Ode to Old School Hollywood

The actor has always tried to act out his own action scenes whenever possible, however dangerous they might be. In doing so, he pays tribute to a lost age of filmmaking

In a time of maximal CGI and green screen backdrops, completely practical stunt work has become a relative rarity in film production. Tech wizardry is generally considered preferable to the dangerous and time-consuming task of hiring an entire team of coordinators, and while stuntmen and women clearly do still play a role, the most audacious action we see in major blockbusters tends to be computer-generated. (That often also means: lacking genuine jeopardy.) But nobody has ever made the mistake of accusing Tom Cruise of such malarkey.

Requiring a unique combination of athleticism, careful preparation to avoid injury, and cinematic nous – where to look, how to fall, and where the camera will best be placed to catch the action – practical stunt work is beginning to receive more appreciation by the wider public. News stories circulate about Cruise or Daniel Craig injuring themselves and holding up production, adding to the sense of jeopardy and good old-fashioned filmmaking. The Daily Beast recently published a piece with the headline: ‘Tom Cruise Keeps Risking Death For Our Entertainment. Thank God’. By its nature designed to fool the audience with an illusion of danger – that their favourite film stars are at risk – it makes sense that even the most garlanded and respected of stunt coordinators are often in the shadows. But as Marvel fatigue sets in and cinemas pin more hope on the kind of bruised and battered actioners that Tom Cruise specialises in, these professional daredevils are getting their due once again.

Filmmaker and former stuntman Chad Stahelski, with his specialism in martial arts choreography, has been one of the figures at the forefront of that visibility, with the hugely popular John Wick series and its bone-crunching practical effects. Whether spinning through Paris streets or endlessly, comically fighting up and then falling down the Sacre Coeur steps, Keanu Reeves’ willingness to put his body on the line – with the support of his experienced stunt team – resembles Tom Cruise’s, to some extent. Interestingly, in interviews, both Chad Stahelski and Wade Eastwood pay their dues to the older generation of stunt performers, understanding the difficulties of safely achieving the extraordinary. Both have mentioned the great Buster Keaton as a huge influence on their work.

Of course, for a large chunk of the early history of moving pictures, stunt work was by its nature practical: there was no other choice. The early slapstick comedians had the injuries to prove it, too – Harold Lloyd blew off a few fingers with dynamite onset. The death-defying stunts pulled off in the days before ‘health and safety’ was even a phrase, never mind an entire department, were positively toe-curling: stuntmen died or were maimed being attacked by ‘trained’ animals, drowning in river rapids, impaled by their own swords in battle sequences or falling from great heights.

The visual results were nonetheless often remarkable: live auto crashes, thousands of charging soldiers, people tip-toeing along the wings of biplanes. Suffice it to say, some things can only ever be seen in cinema of this vintage, given the insane level of risk involved. But even as late as the 70s, stunt people were at great risk. As Greg Powell, veteran British stuntman late of Bond and Bourne, recalls, ‘I used to use copies of The Daily Mirror as elbow padding in the early days’.

Finding the sweet spot between the excitement of capturing physical jeopardy and avoiding actual danger is thus the responsibility of modern filmmakers and stunt coordinators. Safety measures have increased greatly over the intervening years: soft-build sets to bounce off in fight scenes, airbags rather than nets to break falls, ex-military trainers brought in for stars, and extensive rehearsal and physical conditioning.

CGI may still be considered preferable by some – the argument can be made that the risks of practical stunt work are still there, regardless of safety measures. But you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs (or bones, maybe), and the gasp-inducing marvel of the sequences in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning are proof positive of that. Whether it's fighting on a replica 60-ton antique train at high speed or a motorbike jump that rates among the most elaborate and risky in Cruise’s career, practical stunts continue to push the envelope for what can be done onscreen.

The work that qualified and specialist professionals like Wade Eastwood are capable of belongs to the same tactile joy as that of an old-school film projectionist. Out with the old and in with the new is fine, but as Tom Cruise himself would be likely to tell you, there’s nothing like the real thing.

'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' is in cinemas now.

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‘Mission: Impossible’ star Tom Cruise defies age with dangerous stunts: experts

Cruise, 61, stars in 'mission: impossible - dead reckoning,' the 7th movie of franchise.

Tom Cruise takes on speed flying for 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One'

Go behind the scenes with Tom Cruise as he performs one of the "most dangerous sports in the world" for "Mission: Impossible." (Paramount Pictures / Skydance)

Tom Cruise has proven to be one of the most daring actors in Hollywood.

Throughout his career, Cruise has starred in many action movies, most notably the "Mission: Impossible" and "Top Gun" franchises. While most stars opt to have stunt doubles perform the more dangerous scenes in their films, Cruise likes to perform them himself.

"Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning," the seventh installment of the franchise, promises to feature one of his most dangerous stunts to date, and at 61 years old, Cruise shows no sign of stopping.

TOM CRUISE PERFORMS 'MOST DANGEROUS STUNT' HE'S EVER ATTEMPTED IN BEHIND-THE-SCENES CLIP FROM 'M:I 7'

Tom Cruise at premiere for "Mission: Impossible" (Don Arnold/WireImage)

So how is he able to pull off such demanding stunts?

According to Christine Haas , entertainment PR expert and CEO of Haas Media, it's thanks to the consistent work he's put into the body over the years.

"Tom Cruise is notorious for his physical fitness and overall rigorous discipline," Haas explained to Fox News Digital. "After speaking with a director who worked very closely with Tom Cruise over the past decade, it was very apparent that he has a high level of energy and is consistently auditing his behavior and actions daily with the help of his Scientology team."

"This level of demand and drive allows him to defy age and perform physically demanding stunts, leading to the consistent development of a masterful personal brand."

But these stunts pose a serious risk. Doug Eldridge of Achilles PR explained to Fox News Digital that Keanu Reeves also did most of his stunts throughout the "John Wick" franchise, but Reeves and Cruise are really the only ones playing that dual role — of actor and stuntman — in Hollywood these days.  

Keanu Reeves is known to do his own dangerous stunts. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

"Insurance is a big factor in all of this," he explained. "Studios have to take out aggressive policies to cover actors, stunt sequences, set locations, etc. From their point of view, the idea of Cruise holding onto the wing of an airplane or jumping a cliff on a motorcycle has really become a one-off in Hollywood."

"Few (if any) actors have the desire or dedication to do it, and even fewer studios have the willingness to underwrite that type of effort. In a sense, this is almost a ‘grandfathered’ aspect of Old Hollywood — Cruise is the last and only one doing this type of stunt work; when he’s done, that niche and chapter will close with him."

Haas suggested, "I believe he is one of very few celebrities who can continue with these types of risks because of the intense physical and mental protocol he lives by ... without that consistent training, it would be far more dangerous. Like someone training for a marathon, he stays prepared instead of allowing his fitness level to regress and expose him to injuries."

Here is a look back at some of the actor's most death-defying stunts over the years.

Tom Cruise performed what's known as the HALO Jump, which consists of jumping out of a plane flying at 25,000 feet. (Paramount)

The sixth installment in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, "Mission: Impossible - Fallout," featured a number of crazy stunts, including what is known as the HALO jump.

Usually conducted by military special forces, HALO stands for "high altitude, low opening." During the parachute jump, an individual jumps out of a plane at an extremely high altitude, usually 25,000 to 40,000 feet, and doesn't open their parachute until they're about 800 feet from the ground. According to the National Air and Space Museum, an average skydiver will only go up to 15,000 feet and deploy their parachute at 3,000 feet.

‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE’ STAR TOM CRUISE RULES HOLLYWOOD, WON'T BOW TO ‘WOKE IDEOLOGY': EXPERTS

Tom Cruise had to wear a special helmet, which also acted as an oxygen mask while doing the stunt. (The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images)

One of the biggest concerns about the stunt was the possibility of losing oxygen when jumping from such a height. According to the Hollywood Reporter, a special helmet was made to allow Cruise to execute the stunt, which also acted as an oxygen mask and a windshield to protect his face.

"The aircraft is going between these C-17s between 160 and 200 miles an hour, so at that level of turbulence, we had to find a way to exit the aircraft," Cruise said in a behind-the-scenes feature. "Then it was, we only got one take a day. I spent the whole day training and at night we would get that one take, and if there was one mistake, that was it, the take was gone."

Cruise practiced the jump throughout the day at lower altitudes and only had one chance each day to get the stunt right. (Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty Images)

They ended up doing more than 100 takes to get the shot just right.

TOM CRUISE WANTS ‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE’ MOVIES TO KEEP GOING UNTIL HE'S 80, FOLLOW IN HARRISON FORD'S FOOTSTEPS

Business Insider reported that the stunt, which was being filmed in England, almost didn't happen because the Royal Air Force didn't think it was safe and insisted they do the jump from a lower altitude.

"Tom didn't want to fake it — he wanted to do it for real at 25,000 feet," stunt coordinator Allan Hewitt told the outlet. "But the producers said they weren't going to another country. It really looked like we were going to fake it with the RAF."

TOM CRUISE'S ‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE’ CO-STARS REVEAL WHAT HE'S REALLY LIKE BEHIND THE SCENES

They were eventually able to film the stunt how they wanted after production was halted due to Cruise injuring himself, causing them to miss the window of opportunity the RAF had set aside to film with them. They ended up filming the stunt in Abu Dhabi to get the scene how they wanted it.

Cruise consistently pushes the limits as he performs dangerous stunts. (Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"If Tom didn't break his ankle, we would have ended up faking it, which nobody wanted," Hewitt said.

Broken Bones

Tom Cruise broke his ankle when he jumped from one building to another while filming "Mission: Impossible - Fallout." (Paramount)

Although it doesn't seem like his most dangerous stunt on this list, jumping from one building to another for "Mission Impossible - Fallout" left Cruise with a broken ankle.

The star's injury caused production on the movie to be delayed for a few months while he healed. In an interview on "The Graham Norton Show," Cruise revealed he went back to filming the movie before his leg had completely healed in order to finish the film in time to meet the release date.

According to the film's writer and director, Christopher McQuarrie, the stunt never involved Cruise successfully making the jump and landing on the roof of the second building.

"He was always supposed to slam into the side of the building. That’s what gives the stunt its energy," McQuarrie told Empire in August 2017. "On the fourth try, he hit the building at a slightly different angle, and he broke his ankle."

Cruise and the rest of the "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" cast watched footage of him breaking his ankle while they were on "The Graham Norton Show." (Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

While on "The Graham Norton Show," Cruise and the rest of the "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" cast watched footage of the actor's accident , with Norton pointing out that Cruise continued acting and finished the scene even after the break.

"I didn't want to do it again," Cruise said. "I knew instantly it was broken, and I just run past camera. We got the shot, it's in the movie. That profile shot, both the shots are in the movie. … I just went, I said, ‘Sorry guys, it’s broken. Take me to the hospital, it's broken. That's a wrap.' The crew got on the phone and made their vacation arrangements."

Hanging off the Burj Khalifa

Tom Cruise scaled the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, as part of a stunt for "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol." (Paramount)

One of the most dangerous stunts Cruise has ever pulled off in a "Mission: Impossible" movie came in the franchise's fourth installment, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."

Cruise first climbs 200 feet up the side of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and eventually ends up hanging out of one of the building's windows, all while 1,700 feet in the air.

At first, production was unsure if the owners of the Burj Khalifa would allow them to film on the building, so they built three floors of the exterior in a soundstage. According to the film's stunt coordinator, Gregg Smrz, the owner initially only allowed them to film on-site for one day. However, after a great first day of filming, he allowed them to come back, and the soundstage was only used once.

TOM CRUISE'S ‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE’ CO-STAR SAYS HE HAS ‘NO FEAR’

"That was probably the most nail-biting day of the show," Smrz told Yahoo News in 2021 about filming Cruise's fall from the building. "Somebody said, 'What if the cable breaks?' And I said, 'That's not an option.' We actually did the math, and there was enough time of free fall for him to text me on the way down and for me to receive it!"

Stunt coordinator, Gregg Smrz, was very nervous when filming the scene in which Cruise falls out of a window of the Burj Khalifa. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for DIFF)

TOM CRUISE FEELS ‘PRESSURE’ OF PANDEMIC AMID FILMING 'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7,’ REPORT SAYS: ‘A LOT AT STAKE’

Not only did Cruise complete the stunt without getting hurt, he also decided to take things a step further and pose for a picture sitting at the very top of the building. He was taken to the top with a helicopter and posed without being attached to any wires.

He discussed the picture during an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2014, revealing, "I didn't feel like I would fall. I wasn't thinking of falling that day. … I don't feel invulnerable, but I didn't feel necessarily vulnerable."

Hanging on for dear life

Tom Cruise attempted one of his most dangerous stunts when he agreed to hang off the side of a plane while it took off in "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation." (Paramount)

The opening scene of "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" featured one of Cruise's most death-defying stunts.

In the scene, Cruise hangs on to the door of an Airbus 400 as it takes off and flies around for at least six to seven minutes at a minimum of 1,000 feet, and he continued to hang on as the plane landed and taxied on the runway.

Many measures were taken to ensure Cruise would be safe while performing the stunt, including providing the actor with specially made contact lenses to protect his eyes.

TOM CRUISE FILMING 'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8' SCENES ON US AIRCRAFT CARRIER

"Tom was in a full body harness, and he’s cabled and wired to the plane through [its] door," cinematographer Robert Elswit told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. "Inside the aircraft was an aluminum truss that was carefully bolted to the plane, which held the wires that went through the door, which held Tom."

Cruise clung to the side of an Airbus A400 for the opening scene of "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. (Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

To successfully capture the stunt, a camera was mounted onto the plane and a helicopter flew next to the plane to capture shots of Cruise hanging onto the door. In an interview with "Entertainment Tonight," Cruise explained they did the stunt eight times in freezing temperatures.

Elswit called Cruise "the most obsessive artist" and said the actor probably wouldn't want the sequence to be in the movie if a stunt double was used. "I’m always stunned. What inside of him makes it possible for anybody to do that kind of s--- and not be scared s---less? He loves it," Elswit said.

"I couldn't sleep the night before, and I was just going through my mind, ‘Did we check everything?’ and then came the day. I was like, 'OK, this is really going to happen," Cruise said in a behind-the-scenes featurette of the film.

Cruise told "Entertainment Tonight" that the only thing he was thinking when he was getting ready for the stunt was "Holy s---."

Cruise admits to feeling fear when performing stunts for his movies but says he doesn't let that fear stop him. (Ilgan Sports/Multi-Bits via Getty Images)

"Going down that runway, I was thinking, ‘Holy s---!’" Cruise said. "It's not that you don't feel that fear, it's just it doesn't stop me from doing it. I kind of enjoy that feeling. … We went from the studio to the airport, and it was a foggy, rainy night, and we landed and this thing just looked like a beast. It was in the fog and it was lit. It was just sitting there, like, 'Yeah!'"

Free climbing

Tom Cruise refused to allow a stunt double to perform the stunt in his place, insisting he perform the stunt himself. (Paramount)

Cruise climbed the side of a rock for the dangerous opening scene of "Mission: Impossible 2."

Not only did he have to climb the boulder, he had to jump across a gap between two rocks, simulate a fall and then hang from a rock ledge before pulling himself up onto the rock.

Producers tried to convince the actor to perform the stunt on a sound stage, but Cruise was adamant about doing the scene in the deserts of Moab, Utah. The film's director, John Woo, told "Entertainment Weekly," "I tried to stop him and I couldn’t," admitting he "couldn’t even watch the monitor" while filming.

In a behind-the-scenes featurette for the film, Cruise explained he didn't blame Woo for being so nervous on the set, saying, "John was so nervous that I might plummet to my death."

Tom Cruise attends the premiere for the second installment of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. (Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images)

"We had five cameras on the cliff, including a helicopter camera, a camera on a crane and cameramen hanging from safety cables, but we had focus problems, so we had to do it again and again," Woo told "Entertainment Weekly." "But Tom would say, ‘I’m OK, John, don’t worry, I want to do it one more time.'"

"The opening sequence just wouldn’t have been the same if he hadn’t done it himself," co-star John Polson told "Entertainment Weekly." "No amount of special effects can make you feel like that because you can tell that it’s really just him."

While everyone on the set was nervous, Cruise explained in a behind-the-scenes featurette that he was just excited to climb.

In a behind-the-scenes feature for the movie, Cruise said he's never been afraid of heights and had always wanted to climb. (Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

"I've always wanted to climb, and I love climbing, and I'm always working … with the kids and with Nic (then-wife Nicole Kidman), so this gives me a good excuse. I get to climb with the world's greatest," Cruise said. "I've never had a problem with heights. As a kid, anytime I'd get to the edge, I'd want to jump off. I don't know what it is, it's subconscious. I don't want to kill myself, I want to fly."

Helicopter hanging

Tom Cruise climbed up a rope to the inside of a helicopter and then flew the vehicle while filming "Mission: Impossible - Fallout." (Paramount)

In yet another death-defying stunt, Cruise hangs from a rope attached to a flying helicopter in a scene for "Mission: Impossible - Fallout." 

The scene required Cruise to fly a helicopter, so he took the necessary 2,000 hours of in-flight training and got his pilot's license.

"I remember it was freezing, my hands were numb," Cruise said about climbing to the helicopter in a behind-the-scenes video. "I have to try to climb as fast as I can up that rope, and then it's a free-fall to the bag."

'TOP GUN: MAVERICK' STAR TOM CRUISE ARRIVES VIA HELICOPTER TO PREMIERE

While Cruise knew he was fully in control of the stunt, his co-stars watching from the ground were terrified.

"I actually thought he fell, and I heard myself scream," Rebecca Ferguson said in the Blu-ray interview, and Henry Cavill added, "There was an audible gasp from the crowd. That’s a huge drop."

Cruise's co-star, Rebecca Ferguson, thought Cruise actually fell when he performed the free-fall portion of the stunt. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

In a behind-the-scenes clip detailing the stunt, producer Jake Myers explained that the most nerve-wracking part of filming the helicopter chase was the 360-degree barrel roll he needed to execute, saying it is so dangerous even most seasoned pilots won't try it.

"Flying a helicopter takes a lot of skill," aerial coordinator Marc Wolff explained in the feature. "To put someone like Tom in a situation like this is almost impossible to imagine."

Myers explained that when a helicopter chase is filmed, there typically aren't cameras pointed toward the pilot, but they wanted to make sure audiences knew Cruise was the one really piloting the aircraft, so they found a way to mount cameras on all sides of the helicopter to showcase Cruise's new talent.

While filming the seventh "Mission: Impossible" movie, Cruise landed his helicopter in the garden of a British family. (James Devaney/GC Images)

Since learning to pilot a helicopter for the movie, Cruise has flown many more times, and he has been known to land in some questionable places. When filming "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1," the airport was closed and Cruise was forced to land his helicopter in the backyard of a British family. They weren't told who was in the helicopter, only that it was a "VIP who was running late."

"I thought it would be kind of cool for the kids to see the helicopter land in the garden," Alison Webb, the owner of the home, told the BBC. "He basically arrived and got out, and it was like, ‘Wow.’ He went straight over to the children for a chat, then came over and elbow-bumped us and said thank you very much. Then he said if the kids would like, they could go up in the helicopter."

Underwater mayhem

Tom Cruise had to learn to hold his breath for six minutes in order to film a scene in "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation." (Paramount)

One of the most impressive stunts Cruise performed was for "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation," when Cruise filmed a scene underwater, holding his breath for six minutes.

While it was possible to film the scene using CGI or take frequent breaks for Cruise to catch his breath, the actor insisted the stunt be as realistic as possible and trained himself to hold his breath for a record-breaking 6 and a half minutes.

Tom Cruise is never afraid to get dangerous. (JC Olivera)

"Normally in underwater sequences, people hold their breath for 10 seconds, 15 seconds max," Cruise said in a behind-the-scenes video. "So, I had to prove to everyone that it was actually safe and spend time with the safety guys and the safety officers to show them, look, not only is it safe, it’s better that I know how to hold my breath because I’m going to be very relaxed. No one’s going to have to rush in, no one’s going to have to panic."

The free-diving expert on the set, Kirk Krack, explained that he trained Cruise using a breath-hold specialization program that is used for the military. Crew members were both shocked and terrified while watching Cruise train, with one person saying in the video, "Tom’s very comfortable underwater, and he likes to challenge the crew by staying under longer than he should on a breath-hold, get us all worried."

Cruise had to convince producers it was safe for him to learn to hold his breath underwater for several minutes. (Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures International)

Cruise spoke about the experience on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2016, saying it took a lot of practice to get past the pain of pushing his body to the limit, and he explained the agony he felt the first few times he tried it.

"You have these free divers that came in and trained me how to do it. It's not pleasant," Cruise said on the show. "You get to the moment where you train your system to, 'I'm controlling the breath.' I've got a low heart rate anyway, very low heart rate, which means my body's not using as much oxygen, but also we did stuff to bring the heart rate down even lower and certain breathing exercises."

Cruise held the record for the longest breath hold for an actor until recently, when Kate Winslet surpassed his time by holding her breath for 7 minutes and 14 seconds while training for "Avatar: The Way of Water."

Kate Winslet broke Tom Cruise's record for the longest breath hold, reaching 7 minutes and 14 seconds while training for "Avatar: The Way of Water." (Mike Marsland/WireImage)

"Poor Tom," the actress told USA Today. "I mean, I don't know Tom at all – I've never met him in my life – but I'm sure he's getting very fed up of hearing this story of how I broke his record. I loved it, though. ... I was amazed how good I was at it and how I just kept getting better."

The most dangerous stunt to date

Tom Cruise pulled off his most dangerous stunt to date when he drove a motorcycle off a cliff in "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1." (Paramount)

In the new, seventh movie in the franchise, "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One," Cruise performs what he is calling his most dangerous stunt so far.

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The stunt consists of Cruise riding a motorcycle off a long ramp placed at the edge of a cliff and then immediately engaging in a base jump. 

Tom Cruise is one of the very few performers comfortable enough to perform their own stunts. (Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

"This is far and away the most dangerous thing we’ve ever attempted. We've been wanting to do this for years," Cruise said in a behind-the-scenes look at the stunt. "Wanted to do it since I was a little kid. It all comes down to one thing: the audience."

According to the film's stunt coordinator, Wade Eastwood, Cruise put together a team of experts in a number of specialties, including BASE training and canopy training, as well as intense skydiving training and motocross training.

WATCH: TOM CRUISE TAKES ON SPEED FLYING FOR 'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE'

Cruise trained in a number of different specialties in order to properly execute the film's biggest stunt. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

"I had about six seconds once I departed the ramp to pull the chute, and I don’t want to get tangled in the bike," Cruise told Empire magazine in October 2021. "If I do, that’s not going to end well."

In order to get the stunt just right, Cruise practiced the base jump with 30 skydiving exercises a day, amounting to more than 500 dives, as well as 13,000 motocross jumps. Replicas of the final ramp were constructed in a field in England for Cruise to practice the stunt.

Cruise recently spoke with "Extra" at the New York City premiere of the film, saying that "a lot of training" went into making sure the stunt went right on the day.

"Years and years of all the motorcycle and all the parachutes, and then we just refined it and had to do it," Cruise said on the red carpet. "We didn’t know what was going to happen on that motorcycle when it went off. It was very interesting. It was exciting. … It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. When I was a little kid, I used to build ramps and go off and have some terrible crashes on my bicycles, but it was a lot of fun doing that."

Cruise told "Extra" the stunt in the latest movie is something he has been preparing for since he was a kid. (Cedric Ribeiro/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

The future of Tom Cruise, action star

For decades now, Cruise has continued to push his body to the limits, doing things that most actors would never consider.

It's unclear how much stunt work Tom Cruise has left in him.

According to Haas, "Regarding how long Tom Cruise can continue performing these dangerous stunts, it's difficult for anyone to predict. Ultimately, the decision will depend on his personal judgment, the demands of the roles he chooses and the advice of his professional team."

"However, it has become part of his legacy brand, and it's clearly something that drives millions to the theaters. To say it's impressive is quite the understatement."

Tom Cruise could have years of action movies ahead of him. (Getty Images)

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Eldridge added, "Only Tom knows [how much longer he can keep going]. Fans love the fact that he doesn’t use a stunt double and seldom utilizes a green screen. That said, the only two ‘teams’ that are undefeated throughout history are Mother Nature and Father Time. Eventually, the latter will catch up with Cruise, but based on what we’re seeing in 2023, Tom still has a commanding lead."

" Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One " is out now.

Lori Bashian is an entertainment production assistant for Fox News Digital. 

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Tom Cruise Hops on a Motorcycle While Filming 'Mission: Impossible' in Paris

Tom Cruise had another night of adventure on the set of his latest Mission: Impossible movie!

On Thursday (April 25), the 61-year-old was spotted filming a scene for the movie on a motorcycle in Paris, France.

Wearing a brown leather jacket and tan pants, Tom appeared to be in great spirits while getting ready to drive across the Bir Hakeim Bridge.

Keep reading to find out more…

This will be Tom ‘s eighth Mission: Impossible movie. While it was originally going to be titled Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two , we learned earlier this year that the name of this movie (and Part One) had been changed .

Earlier this year, we learned that Tom had landed a starring role in a new movie, which will be the first as part of a deal with Warner Bros. There was also a report about the sort of work that the acclaimed actor is hoping to take on .

Scroll through all of the new photos of Tom Cruise on the set of his new Mission: Impossible movie in the gallery…

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Severance Star Joins Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 8

The cast of Mission: Impossible 8 continues to grow.

Tramell Tillman , known for his breakout role in the popular Apple series Severance , has secured a role in the eighth installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise. The film was previously titled Dead Reckoning Part Two and is no longer using that title.

Per THR , Tillman received SAG and Spirit Award nominations for his performance in Severance , where he starred alongside Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette and John Turturro. Tillman is set to return for the second season of the series. His other screen credits include Dietland , Godfather of Harlem , and Hunters.

Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible 8 Faces a Disruptive On-Set Villain - Sheep

Tillman will be joining a cast of Mission: Impossible franchise newcomers including Katy O’Brian , Nick Offerman, and Hannah Waddingham, as well as returning Mission veterans Henry Czerny, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, and Vanessa Kirby. Plot details including Tillman’s character are being kept under wraps . Tom Cruise is producing the film for Paramount and Skydance, with Christopher McQuarrie directing. Executive producers include David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, and Chris Brock.

The Eighth Movie Is in the Works

In January 2019, Cruise announced that the seventh and eighth Mission: Impossible films would be shot back-to-back, with McQuarrie writing and directing both. Plans for the film later changed in February 2021. Filming began in March 2022 in the United Kingdom and included other locations such as Malta, South Africa, and Norway. The release date for the sequel was moved from June 28, 2024, to May 23, 2025. Production faced delays due to Cruise and his team promoting the release of Dead Reckoning Part One during the summer and the SAG-AFTRA strike that started in July 2023, resuming in March 2024.

Mission Impossible 8 Director Shares a Look at a Jaw-Dropping Stunt

The eighth installment of the franchise will have a three-week run in IMAX and will be filmed using IMAX digital cameras for the digital format. In contrast, Dead Reckoning Part One only had a one-week run in IMAX due to Oppenheimer opening the following week with a guaranteed three-week run in the format.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One concluded with a major cliffhanger, suggesting that Ethan Hunt and his team are embarking on one of their most dangerous missions yet in their pursuit to find and destroy The Entity. Behind-the-scenes shots from the set indicate that the upcoming installment will feature high-stakes action scenes, consistent with previous films in the franchise. Mission: Impossible 8 is unlikely to be the final film in the series, as McQuarrie has hinted at a ninth entry in the future.

The untitled eighth Mission: Impossible film is scheduled for release in the United States on May 23, 2025.

Source: THR

Mission: Impossible 8

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Tom Cruise Creates His Own ‘Trafalgar Square’ Tube Station Filming Mission: Impossible in London

The actor was pictured filming scenes for the eighth 'Mission: Impossible' movie in the British capital on April 28

Raw Image / Goff / Splash / SplashNews

Tom Cruise has taken over the streets of London!

On Sunday, April 28, the actor, 61, was photographed filming scenes for the next Mission: Impossible movie in the British capital outside an invented Tube station called 'Trafalgar Square.'

Cruise shut down the real Trafalgar Square for the shoot as he was seen coming in and out of the London Underground station while surrounded by crowds of extras.

Off camera, the action star appeared in happier spirits as he chatted to members of the crew in between takes. 

The eighth installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise is set for a May 23, 2025 release. According to Deadline , the release was delayed by a year due to the SAG-AFTRA strike , which ended in November 2023.

Cruise returns to the franchise as protagonist Ethan Hunt, along with director and longtime collaborative partner Christopher McQuarrie. 

The actor was spotted filming more adrenaline-fueled scenes for the action movie in London last month. 

On March 24, the American Made star was photographed sprinting down a street in the capital wearing a black suit with an unbuttoned white shirt covered in fake blood.

Last summer, Cruise returned to the big screen in the seventh film in the franchise, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning .

The film made $172 million at the domestic box office and earned the franchise its first Oscars nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound at the 96th Academy Awards earlier this year.

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Meanwhile, Cruise is reportedly set to appear in another sequel of his movies for the third Top Gun film , following the huge success of the second installment, Top Gun: Maverick , released in 2022. 

In January, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Paramount is developing the sequel with co-writer Ehren Kruger, with Joe Kosinski set to direct. According to the outlet, the film will see Cruise return in his role as Pete Mitchell, alongside his Maverick costars Glen Powell and Miles Teller .

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Tom Cruise goes to extreme lengths to prevent Mission Impossible filming chaos in Central London

• Ellie Henman , Bizarre Editor
• Published : 14:13 ET, Apr 30 2024
• Updated : 4:32 ET, May 1 2024
• Published : Invalid Date,

TOM Cruise hired hawks to keep pesky pigeons off the set of Mission: Impossible 8.

The star wanted the feral flappers cleared from London’s Trafalgar Square while he shot scenes where his character Ethan Hunt faces a riot.

Handlers brought in the birds of prey and put them on standby to ward off the pigeons .

A source said: “It was a clever move and meant the scenes were filmed without a hitch.”

London is home to three million pigeons and thousands blight the Square every day.

Harris hawks and Peregrine Falcons have long been used to deter them from flocking to certain areas in London.

Portcullis House, the home of some MPs’ offices in Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge have all used the hawks, which are a popular species in falconry.

Photographs of Tom , 61, filming the spy film showed a tank and armoured vehicles parked up in the tourist hotspot.

His team also created a new Trafalgar Square Tube station and enlisted hundreds of extras to play soldiers.

The untitled film, a sequel to last year’s Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One , is set for release in May 2025.

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