Tom Cruise is a man on a mission, and that mission is to risk his life as frequently as possible in pursuit of completing the most dangerous stunts.
This undertaking looks to have reached its peak with the new movie Mission Impossible 7, in which Tom Cruise rides a motorcycle off of a cliff. Whatever floats your boat, Tom.
Cruise’s obsession with stunts might seem like a recent thing reserved for his new movies. However, that’s not quite right, because Cruise was at it as early as two decades ago when working on one of the best Steven Spielberg movies. “Tom did all his own stunts in the movie,” said the director, speaking of 2002’s Minority Report, per Hollywood Archives.
“I’m not sure there’s anything that Tom didn’t do. I made a deal with him,” he continued. “I said, ‘You have to let me determine what stunts I’ll let you do. You have to take ‘no’ for an answer. I can’t sleep well at night. I’m waking up the next morning knowing you’re putting yourself in jeopardy.'”
So what was Cruise’s justification for continually putting his life on the line? “The stunts help to tell the story. They’re tricky, but a lot of fun.”
Well, to be fair, that’s as good a reason as any. Since Minority Report, which was one of the best science fiction movies of the decade and based on a Philip K Dick short story of the same name, it’s fair to say that Cruise’s stunts have become more intense.
The Mission Impossible 7 release date will give Cruise fans their next look at his death-defying antics, and it’s already gearing up to be one of the best movies of the year. At least, that’s if the early reactions are anything to go by.
For all the latest on Cruise, check out our guide to the best Tom Cruise movies and find out how to watch the Mission Impossible movies in order. Or, take a look at our picks for the best thriller movies. If you’re feeling controversial, you can also see why we think Ridley Scott has a better filmography than Spielberg.