10 Insane Movie Stunts You Won't Believe Tom Cruise Performed

No, jumping on Oprah's couch doesn't count.

By Scott Campbell /

Tom Cruise has shown incredible staying power to remain at the very top of the Hollywood A-list for almost 30 years, and even if his star has faded a little over the last decade he is still without a doubt one of the biggest names in the business. From Lestat to Les Grossman, the actor is well-known for his dedication and work ethic as well as four decades worth of hit movies that have earned almost $8bn at the box office. As well as being intensely committed to his craft, Cruise is also renowned as one of the industry's true daredevils. In an era where advances in effects make it almost impossible to spot stunt doubles, Cruise does almost all of his own stunt-work no matter how dangerous it may be, in what is surely an insurance nightmare for any production he works on. No matter your opinion on the guy or his cinematic output, there's no denying that he puts his all into every project. A close-up of the actor performing a death-defying physical feat is almost as common in his movies as a scene that involves unnecessary amounts of running, and after seeing recent footage of Cruise strapped to the outside of plane cruising at 5,000 feet, this article will look at back at ten of the best. Unsurprisingly, the majority of these entries come from the Mission: Impossible franchise, a series built around the actor and his penchant for impressive stunt-work. So read on, and see if you agree with these choices of the craziest Tom Cruise stunts. If you don't, let us know in the comments below.