It’s been nearly three decades since the legendary franchise of Mission: Impossible was kicked off with the first film in the series. 27 years, to be precise, since Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt introduced us to a world swirling with danger, thrill, and espionage.

While much of its success is owed to its elaborate plots with complex details and adrenaline-inducing adventures, most of the franchise’s golden glory is thanks to Cruise’ painstaking dedication to the movies. That involves performing the most perilous of stunts even if it meant putting his own life on the line, a tradition that the actor has kept alive from the very first Mission: Impossible film. Ironically enough, the first-ever legendary stunt that kickstarted the franchise is actually one of the most difficult stunts that Cruise ever pulled off.

Tom Cruise

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The Iconic Cable Drop Stunt Made Tom Cruise Break A Sweat

The first installment in the action-spy collection was a booming victory, spawning a billion-dollar franchise led by one of Hollywood’s most bankable actors. Starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible went on to amass more than $450 million globally against a budget of $80 million, and was also met with critical acclamation.

One of the most unforgettable scenes from the first movie is the CIA vault scene wherein Hunt, the unrivaled special agent, drops inside a maximum-security vault while he’s hanging from a cable that is in turn being pulled by Jean Reno’s Krieger. Thought it was a three-minute or so scene, it felt like a lifetime especially with Hunt having to be extremely cautious about not touching the floor or moving a single hair, for that matter. And as incredible as a stuntman Cruise might be, he’s only human.

The iconic cable drop scene from Mission: Impossible (1996)

While trying to execute the stunt, the Days of Thunder star’s face kept hitting the floor as he remained suspended in air just a fraction above the ground. So, to maintain his balance and not test the director’s patience further, the actor filled his shoes with pound coins while hanging from the cable, which surprisingly enough, ended up working.

“I remember we were running out of time and I went down to the floor and I kept hitting my face and the take didn’t work. I put the pound coins in and I hung on the cable to see if I was level. And I had to make it. Brian [De Palma] was like, ‘One more and I’m going to cut into it,’ and I said, ‘I can do it.’ I was holding it, holding, holding it, holding it, and I’m sweating, and I’m sweating, and he just keeps rolling.”

And after an excruciating couple of minutes, Cruise heard the relieving “Cut!”. Needles to say, he nailed the scene in the movie.

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The Mission: Impossible Film Series is A Treasure Trove of Thrill

Even after all this time the Mission: Impossible film series is hailed as one of the best action franchises to be made. And perhaps one of the most conspicuous reasons that sets these movies apart from the number of other run-of-the-mill action sequences is Cruise’s ability to baffle his audience with every other stunt. Not only does he bring something extraordinary to the table in each film, but he also manages to execute it with a precision so flawless that it’s hard to not be awestruck by his performance.

Unlike numerous other action films that are based entirely upon exaggerated action scenes with flipped cars and faux crashes, Mission: Impossible never fails to deliver. Safe to say it’s a goldmine for an adrenaline junkie.

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt

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Be it chasing a helicopter through narrow valleys, carrying out an underwater heist or hanging from a plane mid-air, Cruise’s penchant for danger, risky as it might be, has always led to him accomplishing stunts that seem to be nearly impossible. And that has, in turn, rendered the audience hungry for more. Even at the age of 60, the Top Gun star is not one to shy away from life-threatening stunts – case in point, Cruise drives his motorcycle off a cliff in his forthcoming film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

Speaking of which, the Christopher McQuarrie-helmed movie opens in cinemas on July 12, 2023. Meanwhile, the rest of the Mission: Impossible films are available for streaming on Paramount + as well as HBO Max.

Source: EW