Tom Cruise Olympic Stunt Cost Is Unbelievable

The multi-phase stunt that audiences were able to view might have led viewers to think the star was paid a hefty sum, but it was recently revealed that the Mission: Impossible actor took on the stunt free of charge.

The Tom Cruise stunt at the Olympics was meant to be a preview of what is coming in 2028 when Los Angeles is scheduled to host the Summer Games. Cruise began the segment by jumping off the Stade du France and landing inside the stadium.

He then walked through a mass of people, receiving the Olympic flag from Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. The next shot is of the actor zipping through the streets of Paris on a motorcycle.

Tom Cruise departs the streets of the Olympic city host into the belly of a plane that is parked near the iconic Eiffel Tower.

A prerecorded portion of the stunt begins at this point, showing the star taking a plunge from the plane, parachuting down in Los Angeles, and landing behind the giant letters of the Hollywood sign.

The Tom Cruise Olympic stunt was originally pitched via a Zoom meeting where it was nearly decided to use a stunt double for the shots. But the actor was steadfast in his resolve to handle it all himself. He told LA 2028 board member Casey Wasserman that he would only be available for the segment if he were able to do it all.

But Wasserman didn’t initially believe that Tom Cruise would be allowed to follow through on the Olympic stunt due to the sheer volume of shots it that would be set against his already packed filming schedule for other projects.

But Wasserman soon learned that the more Cruise became involved with the stunts, the more personally involved he turned out to be.

Tom Cruise didn’t use the Olympics as his first foray into the world of stunts. The Born on the Fourth of July actor earned his reputation for being his own stunt man during the filming of the 1996 film Mission: Impossible.

In one of that movie’s most memorable moments, Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt is suspended by cables above the floor of a bank while trying to break into the bank’s vault. Cruise managed this feat himself, paving the way for multiple opportunities for the actor to begin becoming part of future productions by being his own stunt double.

Tom Cruise may or may not be involved with the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But his ability has certainly allowed the veteran actor and stuntman to make his mark on the games.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter Parade