Tom Cruise Refused to Film a Stunt for Mission: Impossible That Turned 30 This Year

Tom Cruise is undoubtedly one of the greatest action stars of all time, and the Mission: Impossible series, which turned 30 on May 22, is a testament to Cruise’s commitment to the craft, irrespective of how dangerous it may be. From reportedly firing the insurance company so he could perform the Burj Khalifa stunt himself in Ghost Protocol (via Collider) to jumping off a cliff with his motorcycle in Dead Reckoning, it doesn’t appear there’s much Cruise wouldn’t do for the love of the game.

Interestingly, however, Cruise apparently wasn’t always like that, as during his heyday as one of the most prominent movie stars of the ’90s, the actor was initially hesitant to partake in one underwater stunt sequence in the original Mission: Impossible.

Tom Cruise Was Hesitant to Do His First Major Mission: Impossible Stunt

Even though the early restaurant scene of Mission: Impossible, which saw Ethan escaping after a fish tank exploded, is comparatively far tamer than Tom Cruise’s more recent stunts, the actor initially wasn’t fully on board with it.

Brian De Palma recalled that after filming the sequence with a stunt performer, he insisted that Cruise do the scene himself, to which the movie star reportedly expressed doubt, noting that he was “just an actor.” Despite his hesitation, and De Palma believing there was a genuine risk of drowning, Cruise ultimately persevered (via Deadline).

I said to Tom, ‘You’ve got to do this to make it really work.’ I remember when we were just about to shoot it, he came over to me. There was going to be so much water coming out, and glass, and this was really scary. He walked over and said, ‘I’m just an actor.’ I said, ‘Tom, you gotta try.’ And he did it. I think he got into doing all the stunts himself when he realized he could probably do it better than a stuntman

To say that Cruise hasn’t looked back since then would be an understatement, as over the course of the MI franchise, he has cemented himself as the undisputed king of action in the 21st century.

Tom Cruise Finally Conquered His Demons in Rogue Nation

Among all the death-defying stunts that Tom Cruise has performed since the franchise commenced in the mid-’90s, his underwater stunt in Rogue Nation, which saw him holding his breath for a prolonged period, is arguably one of his greatest feats.

Despite initially expressing doubt over the water tank sequence in the first movie, Cruise went above and beyond in Rogue Nation to prove it was safe to hold one’s breath underwater for longer periods. In the end, he performed the stunt for a whopping six minutes, marking a poetic full-circle moment considering his initial roots in the realm of stunt work (via Access Hollywood).

Normally in underwater sequences, people hold their breath for 10 seconds, 15 seconds max. 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.

It’s a shame that, now that the Academy has finally announced a Best Stunt Design category, beginning with the 2028 ceremony, Cruise’s landmark work on the franchise may just miss eligibility. Nevertheless, the journey from initially doubting the original movie’s early restaurant water sequence to becoming one of Hollywood’s most fearless stunt performers is fascinating, to say the least.

Drop your favorite Cruise stunt below!

Mission: Impossible is available to stream on Paramount+ (USA).