Tom Cruise, ‘Scared Sh!tless,’ Hangs Outside a Plane During ‘Mission: Impossible’ Filming
Jul 14, 2015
Allen Mowery
Allen Mowery is a Nationally-published Commercial & Editorial Photographer with over 20 years of experience. He has shot for major brands as well small clients. When not shooting client work or chasing overgrown wildlife from his yard, he loves to capture the stories of the people and culture around him.
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I have never been a fan of Tom Cruise. From mediocre acting to control-freak tendencies, he’s never really left much for met to get excited about. Until now…
In the upcoming installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, which hits theaters at the end of the month, Tom gave his stunt double the proverbial finger and decided to risk his own life to accurately play his character.
In one scene, the lead character Ethan Hunt (played by Cruise) attempts to gain access to an Airbus A400M military cargo plane as it is taking off but is, instead, left clinging to the outside as the craft goes airborne. Most actors would gladly leave this scene to a stunt double or render it in an effects lab, but Cruise said “phooey” on all that and insisted that he actually film the shots himself. So, they strapped him into a harness on the side of the plane, taxied, and took off.
“If something went wrong, I can’t get into the airplane until we land,” remarks Cruise in the BTS footage. “I’m feeling the force of the wind hit me. I’m actually scared sh!tless.”
For a guy who chronically suffers from Napoleon Syndrome, he’s got some giant balls.
Yet, while this is all grand and glorious, I’m a little disturbed by the words of Wade Eastwood, the stunt coordinator for the film: “You can’t hang a multimillion-dollar star on the outside of an airplane and fly around in the normal world…” Why? Why is one man’s life so significantly more valuable than another’s? Statistically speaking, when one actor dies, there’s thousands more vying for the position, so that clearly can’t be it.
Either way, you have to admire a guy who’s willing to put his neck on the line for the sake of authenticity, especially when he has every option not to.
How far are you willing to go for authenticity in your own work?
[via Hollywood Reporter]
Allen Mowery
Allen Mowery is a Nationally-published Commercial & Editorial Photographer with over 20 years of experience. He has shot for major brands as well small clients. When not shooting client work or chasing overgrown wildlife from his yard, he loves to capture the stories of the people and culture around him.
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13 responses to “Tom Cruise, ‘Scared Sh!tless,’ Hangs Outside a Plane During ‘Mission: Impossible’ Filming”
That’s so cool! Wait… that’s nuts! But it’s so cool!! Wow… he’s crazy! Wait… lol
You sure that this sudden interest is not out of schadenfreude, Mr. Mowery?
Apparently, you and my therapist agree ;-)
PUSSY
“Why is one man’s life so significantly more valuable than another’s?”: First, Tom Cruise’s demise would have a bigger effect on the movie than a stunt man’s.
Secondly (and less cynically) an experienced stunt man is probably more capable of doing the stunt without injury than Tom Cruise is.
You know you can write ‘shit’ on Facebook, right?
Love the fact he does his own stunts, few actors do these days, you can see the difference with the end product. Appreciate his work ethic and love that he doesn’t rely completely on CG where so many producers and actors now use it as a fail safe. Good job and good job with his last few movies! I’d be a bit skiddish about being harnessed to a plane door through takeoff and landing! Can’t wait for the TOP GUN sequel!!!
Haha…haters gonna hate, lol
Yeah, cuz there’s any chance they’re going to let anything happen to him.
Cruise also hung off the top of the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world at 2722 feet) in Dubai for “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”… Or is that not ballsy enough for you haters?
We have to like him because he hung off a tall building? While an amazing feat, my criteria for endorsement isn’t typically based on stunt prowess.
You’d have to direct that question to Allen, since it took Cruise dangling from a plane to merit some props from him.