Tom Cruise reveals how he broke a world record in death-defying stunt skydiving with his parachute on fire
Topics: Film and TV, Guinness World Records, Tom Cruise, Celebrity
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
Topics: Film and TV, Guinness World Records, Tom Cruise, Celebrity
Tom Cruise did a whole bunch of wild stunts for his latest Mission: Impossible movie but one of them has actually landed him a Guinness World Record.
However you feel about Tom Cruise and his action films, you've got to give it up to the 62-year-old - he is more than a little determined when it comes to his projects.
The veteran actor has become known as someone willing to do many of his own stunts and thankfully for film lovers, they often end up making his movies even better.
His latest flick and potentially last in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, has Cruise performing a whole host of notable stunts.
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But it wasn’t the underwater or the plane scene that landed him in the record books; it was a rather wild parachuting stunt.
A scene where his parachute - you know the thing that helps stop your body from smashing hard into the ground - is actually lit on fire.
But what is the actual record?
Well, Cruise holds the record for the most burning parachute jumps by an individual.
The Hollywood legend leapt out of a helicopter 16 times while a chute doused in fuel was set on fire for the film, and over on his Twitter page, he shared a behind-the-scenes look at his many skydiving jumps.
The impressive feat was shot in Drakensberg, South Africa, and had Cruise falling from 7,500 feet, then cutting himself free from the parachute after a few seconds.
What is even more impressive is that he also frequently carried a 50-pound camera rig to capture the moment up close.
Guinness World Records' Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday praised Cruise for his efforts and his dedication to doing so many stunts.
He said: “Tom doesn’t just play action heroes - he is an action hero. 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 honor to be able to recognize his utter fearlessness with this new Guinness World Records title.”
People on social media also bombarded Cruise with praise underneath his post.
One user wrote: “Mr. Cruise! amazing stunts! love your dedication to cinema.”
Another commented: “Alright dude, I'll go see it at the theater.. That is some legendary stuff right there.”
While a third added: “What you give for your movies is 100 per cent, all for the love of making fabulous content within your movies. Awesome Tom.”
And someone else simply praised: “Commendable! Thrilling to say the least.”
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is in cinemas now.