Tom Cruise’s Commitment to Stunts Praised by Co-Stars

Tom Cruise continues to gain admiration for his dedication to performing his own stunts. Beau Bridges, who starred with Cruise in the 1990s romantic comedy ‘Jerry Maguire,’ believes the 63-year-old actor is improving with age. Bridges shared his thoughts during the ‘Matlock’ For Your Consideration event.

Bridges remarked on Cruise’s skills, stating, ‘He’s a wonderful actor and just gets better with age. He’s still doing all those crazy stunts and stuff. I like working with him.’

Bridges is not alone in commenting on Cruise’s daring stunts. Actor Ethan Hawke also shared his views, albeit with mixed feelings. ‘Tom Cruise has totally changed what’s expected for actors,’ Hawke noted during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. He expressed frustration over increased expectations for actors to perform their own stunts.

Cruise, despite not participating in superhero films, has solidified his status as an action star through his daring performances. These can be seen in franchises like ‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Top Gun,’ and ‘Jack Reacher.’

During a ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ stunt, Cruise reportedly almost broke his back. One standout scene involved a dangerous biplane battle with co-star Esai Morales.

Cruise recalled, ‘Oh, this almost broke my back,’ highlighting the physical toll of the action. Director Christopher McQuarrie described the sequence, revealing that the force separated the joints in Cruise’s fingers, leading to swollen hands.

In the scene, Cruise’s character had to crash into an aircraft’s side. Recalling it, he said, ‘Oh, that was brutal.’ McQuarrie added humorously that Cruise improvised some parts, adding unexpected realism to the scene.