Tom Cruise lives on the edge by doing his own movie stunts. For the fifth edition of "Mission Impossible," the 52-year-old actor put himself in danger once more by going 5,000 feet above the British countryside, refusing to have a fall guy step into his shoes.
Playing the character of field agent Ethan Hunt for the secret agency Impossible Mission Force, Cruise hung from the side of an A400M while the aircraft flew over the U.K. Wearing a tailored charcoal slim fit suit that restricted his movements, he hung from the door of the aircraft attached by two safety harnesses and gripped with both hands the fixtures of the four-engine military vehicle.
The previous M.I. film had daring stunts, too, which the actor chose to do himself. "Mission Impossible: The Ghost Protocol" had Cruise scaling Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building in Dubai. In an interview with Total Film, Cruise said that it was "learning on the job." He went on to add that he had trained for several months for the shot but did not anticipate the high winds at such a height and he had to figure out a way to fly. Once he was able to figure out how to use his feet as rudders, they were able to get the right shots for the film.
"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" was released in December 2011 and collected a whopping $700 million at the box office worldwide. The actor is also famous for his roles in other hit movies like "Knight and Day," "Top Gun, and "The Last Samurai," among many others.
In the upcoming "Mission Impossible" installment, Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, "Mission Impossible 5" also stars Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, and Alec Baldwin. The movie is set for release in late 2015.
