20 times actors performed their own stunts and left us shocked

Modified Jan 16, 2025 07:38 ET

Christian Bale - The Dark Knight (2008) | Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

1. Tom Cruise – Mission: Impossible Franchise

Tom Cruise - Mission: Impossible Franchise | Image Source: Paramount Pictures

Tom Cruise is the gold standard for actors performing stunts: pushing boundaries on what's humanly possible. Whether hanging off the side of a flying airplane in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation or executing that jaw-dropping HALO jump in Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Tom Cruise has raised his commitment to the art to an unparalleled level. To create an action scene for the upcoming Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), he rode a motorcycle off a cliff and skydived—an act he did several times to get the perfect shot.