Tom Cruise breaks down his improvised fix after a stunt from the original Mission: Impossible movie doesn't feature the same death defying stunt work that has come to define later entries, but it does feature one iconic sequence in which Hunt descends from wires while infiltrating a highly secure room inside the CIA.

During a recent interview with Empire magazine, Cruise outlines how they pulled this Mission: Impossible wire stunt off. According to Cruise, after some trial and error involving the wire rig and the type of metal it would be made of, he found himself hitting his face on the floor as he descended when they were filming. The actor then turned to the crew for help, using some of what they had in their pockets as a counterweight. Check out Cruise's explanation below:

"I was in Japan promoting a film, and De Palma called me and pitched me this. It was Rififi, but how do we do it? I knew this rig and I came back and showed him the rig that I wanted to wear. I was showing him different kinds of equipment and movement, and I would find out, 'What could I do? How could I move through this space? What looks elegant?' I would practise to make it look elegant. And we were testing different metals (to hold Cruise in place). The first metal I tested was soft, and it broke. If I'm up high and it breaks, that's a problem.

"I'll never forget that day, because when I go from the computer down to the floor, it was very challenging, physically. We wanted it all to be in one shot. And my face kept hitting the ground as I went down. So I went to the crew guys and said, 'Empty your pockets, and put British [bank] notes in my toes, and balanced myself. And I went from the computer down, and didn't hit the ground. I'm holding, I'm holding, I'm holding it, and I was sweating. Everyone's holding their breath, and then I could hear Brian start laughing. He goes, 'Alright! Cut!' And we both laughed and hugged each other."

What Cruise's Stunt Fix Means For Mission: Impossible

Cruise Is Crucial To The Franchise's Success

Cruise's story speaks to just how heavily involved he is in the Mission: Impossible franchise in of shaping what ends up on screen. Even for this debut installment he served as a producer, and this allowed him to play a more active role in bringing stunt sequences to life. Even though the wire stunt perhaps isn't quite as dangerous as his motorcycle cliff jump stunt in the acclaimed Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, it still took a great deal of planning to ensure that it was safe and doable on camera.

As seen in the chart above, the 1996 film was a critical and commercial success. Mission: Impossible currently has a 65% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 71% from audiences. It also grossed a staggering $457 million worldwide on an $80 million budget. Even though Cruise's Mission: Impossible stunts, such as his scaling of the Burj Khalifa, have become bolder and more complex, the image of him dangling from wires to obtain the NOC list remains an iconic part of the franchise's history.

Despite Mission: Impossible's success, De Palma did not return to direct another installment, with director John Woo helming the sequel.

Tom Cruise's Biggest Stunts Are Still To Come

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Will Bring Ethan Hunt's Story Full Circle

30 years after the original Mission: Impossible movie, the Empire, though, that the film serves as "the satisfying conclusion to a 30-year story arc."

Even outside his role as Hunt, Cruise's dedication to action is unmatched.

With The Final Reckoning set to serve as a kind of concluding chapter in the franchise, it's only fitting that Cruise carry out his biggest and most dangerous stunts yet. Trailers have revealed that The Final Reckoning features Cruise dangling from an upside-down biplane, and the movie will also feature an extensive underwater sequence that McQuarrie has hyped as being the most dangerous stunt Cruise has ever done. These stunts are on top of car chases, foot chases, fist fights, and shootouts. Now 62 years old, Cruise shows no signs of slowing down.

Cruise's stunts in the Mission: Impossible franchise also aren't the only action cinema work he has on the horizon. Top Gun 3 is in development following the massive success of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, which will mean more high-G action sequences inside real fighter jets. Cruise is also reportedly attached to a film with director Doug Liman that will supposedly be shot in outer space, making it the first ever Hollywood movie to accomplish this feat. Even outside his role as Hunt, Cruise's dedication to action is unmatched.

Our Take On Cruise's Mission: Impossible Stunt Solution

Nobody Does It Like Cruise

Cruise's stunts in the Mission: Impossible movies are thrilling to watch on screen, but it's also interesting to see how they were done. Getting a peek behind the curtain on the CIA stunt sheds light on just how challenging a movie in this franchise is to make, which only makes them more worthy of appreciation.

Cruise's story about his improvised solution to the Mission: Impossible stunt is a testament to just what a singular kind of talent he is. He has brought a level of enthusiasm and ion to each subsequent installment in the franchise, helping to craft stunts in which he puts his life on the line in the name of audience entertainment. It's not clear yet if The Final Reckoning will serve as the last Mission: Impossible movie, but Cruise has so far delivered seven stunning action movies that will surely stand the test of time.

Source: Empire