Often known for performing his own stunts, Tom Cruise acquired the title of action star, in Hollywood. Playing over 40 roles throughout his lengthy and ornamented career, the actor oftentimes got himself into great risks. Causing significant damage to himself and putting his life in danger, Cruise managed to perform some harrowing stunts while cheating on death.
Popularly known for his adventurous roles in Mission Impossible series and the Top Gun franchise, Tom Cruise appears to be intensifying his craze for stunts, with increasing age. Dangling from an aircraft to falling from a chopper, the actor still seems to crave intense action sequences in his movies. However, nothing beats the dreadful near-death experience that Cruise faced while shooting the 1986 box office hit Top Gun.
Tom Cruise’s Penchant For Dangerous Stunts
Portraying the role of reckless Navy jet pilot Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, Tom Cruise highlighted the risks taken by Navy fighter pilots. Portraying the heartbreaking scene in which Maverick’s co-pilot and best buddy Goose (Anthony Edwards) dies during an aborted mission, the film evoked its audiences’ emotions.
Earning $357M globally after being made with a budget of $15M, Top Gun became the highest-grossing domestic film of 1986. Maintaining its popularity, the filmmakers came up with the second installment Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. However, nothing could beat the insane fanbase of the prequel where Tom Cruise came dangerously close to death while following his penchant for difficult stunts.
While real-life fighter pilots often face death, the 1986 Top Gun carried a similar level of hazards while portraying aerial scenes. Barry Tubb, who played “Wolfman,” in the film, appeared for an interview during the 25th anniversary, where he detailed Tom Cruise’s near-death experience. “Cruise came as close to dying as anybody on a set I’ve ever seen” Tubb stated to New York Post.
Tom Cruise Had A Near Death Experience
Discussing Tom Cruise’s action scenes that often scare the life out of his crew, Barry Tubb detailed the incident that almost took Cruise’s life. While shooting an onscreen accident scene, where Goose (Anthony Edwards) gets killed, hotshot pilot Maverick jumps out and cradles Goose’s body in the ocean, while waiting for rescue.
In the aftermath of that scene, Tom Cruise had no idea that his parachute had begun filling with water. “They were refilling the camera or something, and luckily one of the frogmen in the chopper saw his chute ballooning out” Barry Tubb explained. Discussing the gravity of the situation, Tubb mentioned how the incident could have drowned Cruise to the bottom of the ocean.
“He jumped in and cut Cruise loose right before he sank. They would have never found him. He would have been at the bottom of the ocean” Tubb mentioned the rescue process. Tom Cruise was lucky as he narrowly escaped death while shooting his blockbuster movie Top Gun in 1986. Pulling off stunts and delivering blockbusters throughout his career, Cruise, fortunately, lives to tell his tales of outstanding actions.
Watch the two installments of the Top Gun franchise on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: New York Post
