Why Tom Cruise Was Told To Stop Smiling During Stunts ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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Tom Cruise, the king of DIY stunts, has a unique problem—he can’t stop smiling while doing things that would make most of us pass out. On The Graham Norton Show, Cruise dropped this gem: stunt coordinators had to tell him, multiple times, to wipe that grin off his face mid-action.
“I’ve been told a few times during shooting a stunt to stop smiling!” Cruise admitted. I guess adrenaline hits differently when you’re hanging off a plane.
Cruise doesn’t just star in action movies—he lives them. The guy is all in, whether it’s diving out of planes, speeding through wild car chases, or freefalling off a motorcycle (Mission: Impossible 7, anyone?). And while Ethan Hunt is supposed to be dead-serious in these moments, Cruise? He’s beaming like it’s his birthday.
From clinging to an airplane during takeoff to holding his breath underwater for six whole minutes, Cruise has done it all—and with a smile (literally).
This isn’t just an Ethan Hunt thing. Cruise has chased the action high across Jack Reacher, Edge of Tomorrow, and The Mummy. But Mission: Impossible is where he lets loose. The stunts keep getting crazier with every movie, and Cruise keeps grinning through the madness.
Take Mission: Impossible Seven as a prime example. The man jumped a motorcycle off a cliff, tucked, rolled, and free-fell into the open air. And, somewhere mid-stunt, he had to be reminded that Ethan Hunt probably isn’t enjoying himself.
“I’m a very physical actor, and I love doing them,” Cruise said about his stunts. “The first time of any stunt is nerve-wracking but also exhilarating. I’ve broken a lot of bones!”
The guy’s dedication is wild. He trains like a maniac and plans every stunt down to the wire. But that rush of danger? It’s enough to break his poker face every time.
Sure, Ethan Hunt might look intense while saving the world, but Cruise? He’s grinning ear to ear while leaping off buildings and dodging explosions. If you were riding motorcycles off cliffs for a living, you’d probably smile too.
Tom Cruise: the only guy who can make risking his life look like so much fun.
