Tom Cruise and Matt Damon, renowned Hollywood luminaries, have forged their own paths to stardom, astonishingly never crossing them together. Nevertheless, they have each achieved remarkable triumphs as formidable action protagonists, with Cruise leaving an indelible mark through the Mission Impossible series and Damon spearheading the iconic Bourne saga. Consequently, these colossal figures of Hollywood have formed a profound camaraderie, uniting over their shared experiences as action heroes.
While filming the sci-fi flick The Edge of Tomorrow in 2014, Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt decided to share a delightful dinner with none other than Matt Damon. Seizing the opportunity, Damon took advantage of the occasion to pick Cruise’s brain about performing daring stunts, a practice for which Cruise himself has become renowned.
What Did Matt Damon Ask Tom Cruise
A prime example of Cruise’s audacious spirit can be seen in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the franchise’s fourth installment, where Tom Cruise fearlessly tackled a perilous feat all on his own. In this particular scene, he fearlessly donned suction gloves to scale the towering Burj Khalifa, a staggering 2,722-foot skyscraper. Unfazed by the daunting task, the intrepid actor embraced the challenge, expertly securing himself to the monumental structure.
Without a doubt, this particular stunt stands as an awe-inspiring pinnacle within the realm of action cinema, rendered even more remarkable by the absence of any stunt doubles. Ever since that unforgettable moment, Cruise has persistently embarked on perilous exploits, leaving no stone unturned in his relentless pursuit of capturing the perfect shot. During a conversation with Conan O’Brien, Matt Damon openly revealed his own apprehension towards heights despite his action-hero persona. Curious to understand Cruise’s approach to executing such a daring feat, Damon inquired further, prompting the actor to divulge,
“I’ve been dreaming of this shot for 15 years, of this sequence, and finally, I had a chance to do it,” Tom Cruise told Matt Damon.
How Tom Cruise Approaches Dangerous Stunt Work
In Damon’s lighthearted conversation, Damon disclosed Cruise’s unique solution when faced with discouragement from attempting a stunt: he would simply dismiss the current safety personnel and bring in a new one. This audacious approach allowed Cruise to accomplish a multitude of exhilarating stunts, solidifying his reputation as Hollywood’s paramount daredevil.
“I go to the safety guy. […] The safety guy says, ‘You can’t do that because that’s too dangerous,’ and I’m like, ‘Uh-huh uh-huh,'” Tom Cruise told Damon.
As time has marched on, Cruise has persistently taken on the challenge of executing his own stunts, exemplified by the awe-inspiring aerial sequences showcased in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. In one unforgettable scene, Cruise piloted the aircraft at an astonishing speed of 600 miles per hour, maintaining a jaw-dropping altitude of under 50 feet. According to Kevin LaRosa II, the film’s esteemed aerial stunt coordinator (as mentioned in GQ), a set of rules was established for the film’s aerial maneuvers, with the paramount rule being that everything had to be undeniably authentic.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Far Out
