Thanks in large part to the Mission: Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise has become as well known for his death-defying stunts as he is for his acting. His stunts are such a phenomenon that Guinness World Records has awarded him a new record, one as improbable as the dangerous feats Cruise undertakes.
As it turns out, while filming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Cruise earned himself the world record for “most burning parachute jumps by an individual,” a goal so lofty (and fiery) that most of us probably didn’t know it was a mantle to be claimed.
The record is a bit of a publicity stunt, acknowledging the lengths to which Cruise and his team will go to film the most jaw-dropping footage possible. In other words, there wasn’t an entry in the vaunted Guinness Book for burning parachute jumps until Cruise managed to do the stunt a whopping 16 times. And just imagine, most of us won’t even do it once.
We jest, but the very fact that Cruise managed to pull this off so many times without so much as a single accident or incident is an incredible testament to the actor’s willingness to push himself, and to his crew’s ability to keep up with his ever more dangerous stunts.
“Tom doesn’t just play action heroes – he is an action hero!” says Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, in a statement. “A large part of his success can be chalked up to his absolute focus on authenticity and pushing the boundaries of what a leading man can do. It’s an honour to be able to recognize his utter fearlessness with this new Guinness World Records title.”
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is now playing in cinemas. For more, see our guide to all the most exciting upcoming movies of 2025.
