After reading through this list of Tom Cruise‘s remarkable achievements, I find myself utterly amazed at the sheer scale and diversity of his contributions to the world of cinema. It’s not every day that one comes across a career as dazzling as his, spanning genres, ages, and box office records.
Tom Cruise has consistently held the summit of box office success, with his heartwarming romantic films and high-octane action movies earning him widespread admiration. As a leading figure in ’80s cinema and beyond, he has set the benchmark for box office dominance and is one of the most reliable stars in Hollywood. The star of ‘Top Gun’ has consistently gone the extra mile to deliver exceptional performances for his audiences, from dangling outside of speeding aircraft, performing breathtaking jumps, motorcycle stunts, and even executing feats under real zero-gravity conditions.
One way of rephrasing this passage in a more natural and easy-to-read style is: “Tom Cruise’s relentless pursuit of the most jaw-dropping stunts is a major factor that keeps audiences flocking to his movies. Throughout his over four-decade film career, he has shattered both stunt and box office records, even well into his sixties. Moreover, Tom Cruise has been nominated for an impressive four Oscars, with fans eagerly hoping he’ll finally take home the award for his performance in Top Gun: Maverick.
Throughout his extraordinary acting journey, Cruise has left fans spellbound by his daring feats that border on defying death, and he’s shattered numerous records in the process. For a refresher, here’s a rundown of his most record-setting performances:
7 ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ (1999)
Longest Continuous Film Shoot
As a devoted cinephile, I can tell you that Stanley Kubrick’s last masterpiece was nothing short of a grueling journey for Tom Cruise and his then-spouse, Nicole Kidman. This film, which stands as the longest uninterrupted shoot in history, spanned an incredible 46 weeks! The production was marked by endless script revisions, countless takes of individual scenes, and mental strain due to Kubrick’s boundary-pushing directing style. From this intense pressure emerged a timeless thriller classic that continues to leave fans debating its ending a quarter of a century later.
Difficult Director
In terms of intensity, there might not be anyone more suited than Cruise to emulate Kubrick. These two meticulous artists complemented each other exceptionally, with Cruise still being among a select few actors who had the privilege of collaborating with Kubrick. The movie, set in New York City during Christmas, follows a couple as they become entangled in a puzzling society that could potentially drive them apart. This role marks one of Cruise’s least expected performances and moves him away from the romantic or action hero persona he is often associated with.
6 ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ (2015)
On-Set Record for Breath-Holding Underwater (At the Time)
In the fifth film of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise left both himself and viewers breathless during a memorable stunt. Playing Ethan Hunt once more, Cruise found himself pushing his limits, both physically and mentally, during an exceptionally tough sequence. The star astonished everyone by establishing a new underwater breath-holding record on set with an incredible feat of six minutes. This record remained unbeaten from 2015 to 2022 until Kate Winslet surpassed him. Nonetheless, for those who enjoy such feats, it’s rumored that Cruise plans to break the record again in The Final Reckoning.
Death-Defying Stunts
Frequently, enthusiasts of Tom Cruise witness him pushing his physical limits, a fact that he acknowledges himself. Over time, he’s suffered numerous broken bones and narrowly escaped life-threatening situations for the sake of filmmaking. Fortunately, he emerged unscathed from this particular stunt and has since taken on even more demanding tasks.
5 ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018)
Longest Jump on a Film Set
For the daring actor, no trick or perilous feat is beyond reach. This time around, it was all about executing a breathtaking leap, a feat synonymous with Ethan Hunt. Tom Cruise yet again demonstrated his mettle, but this time at an altitude of 25,000 feet above ground. In what has been recorded as the longest jump ever made on a movie set, most would shudder at even considering it once. However, Cruise showed no fear and attempted the leap an astonishing 106 times, proving that fear is not part of his vocabulary.
Giant Leap
Tom Cruise is renowned for making daring leaps of faith, whether it’s in romantic comedies or action movies. He fearlessly immerses himself into every character and every aircraft. For the massive stunt, military operators were needed, and Cruise had to wear a specially designed oxygen mask. With over 100 attempts, Cruise finally captured a shot that both he and director Christopher McQuarrie could be proud of.
4 ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ (2011)
Climbed the Tallest Building in the World
For the movie “Ghost Protocol”, Tom Cruise traveled to Dubai to scale the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Cruise’s impressive climbing abilities; he showcased them in “Mission: Impossible II” as well. Being a stickler for realism, Cruise and his team decided to challenge themselves by focusing their efforts on the world’s tallest building for this stunt.
Epic Climb
Following the acquisition of necessary permissions, Cruise undertook measures to limit equipment usage in an attempt to execute the scene effectively. The fourth installment in the series placed Hunt and his squad in a precarious position, as they were mistakenly identified as terrorists. Determined to clear their names and aiming for something unforeseen, he embarked on a mission. Although not quite reaching the 25,000-foot Halo jump, he is among a select few who can boast of scaling the iconic Burj Khalifa.
3 ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)
Highest-Grossing Memorial Day Weekend
Once more, Tom Cruise, famously known as “Maverick”, outdid himself with the sequel to his timeless hit, Top Gun. The rule-breaking Pete Mitchell soared through the skies once again, pushing the series to unprecedented heights with jaw-dropping stunts and an astounding box office performance. Cruise now holds the Guinness World Record for having eight films in a row that grossed over $100 million. However, this time he outshone all others by dominating an entire holiday weekend, surpassing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End as the highest-grossing Memorial Day film ever.
King of the Box Office
Demonstrating that even later in their careers, actors can continue to rule the box office, Tom Cruise achieved this feat once more with Top Gun: Maverick. This movie was up for Best Picture and garnered acclaim due to its deep emotional resonance. Particularly noteworthy was Cruise’s heartrending scene alongside Val Kilmer, which drew significant praise. The film raked in a staggering $1.46 billion and emerged as Cruise’s highest-grossing movie of his career, also securing the fifth spot among the all-time highest-grossing films.
2 ‘The Last Samurai’ (2003)
Highest-Grossing R-rated Film in Japan (At the Time)
In a surprising turn of events, despite earning four Oscar nominations, The Last Samurai continues to be one of Tom Cruise’s most contentious films due to its depiction of him as a white savior character, which faced significant criticism. However, this didn’t hinder the movie from becoming one of the biggest box office hits of that year. Following its 2003 premiere, it even outperformed The Matrix Reloaded as the highest-grossing R-rated film in Japan. Known for breaking records and limbs, Cruise once again dominated the box office charts with his performance.
A Major Hero
The character Nathan Algren, played by Tom Cruise, is a soldier who feels disillusioned and assists in training the Japanese military to repel an imminent attack. Initially an outsider, Algren eventually becomes a crucial member of this army, participating in some of the fiercest battles ever filmed during that era. The movie earned close to $500 million at the box office and received numerous prestigious awards, making it one of Cruise’s most memorable roles.
1 War of the Worlds
Fastest Steven Spielberg Film to Reach $100 Million at the Box Office
In this thrilling science fiction movie, two legendary figures from Hollywood, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg, collaborate. Joining forces with Cruise is almost always a surefire hit at the box office, and that held true in this case. The film, titled War of the Worlds, quickly reached $100 million at the box office, making it Spielberg’s fastest movie to do so. Now, it ranks as the fifth highest-grossing Spielberg film ever, leaving fans eager for another collaboration between these two powerhouses.
Incredible Sci-Fi
When alien intruders attack Earth, Tom Cruise’s character, Ray Ferrier, takes on the crucial role of safeguarding his family. This film showcases Steven Spielberg’s exceptional filmmaking skills as well as Tom Cruise’s knack for keeping audiences enthralled. In another nail-biting fight against an apocalyptic event, Cruise demonstrates once more that he is perfectly suited to the task. Over the years, the actor has consistently broken records, and here’s wishing him continued success in the future.
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2024-12-07 06:02