At 61, Tom Cruise continues to defy both aging and gravity, performing death-defying stunts while maintaining his youthful appearance through an intensive regimen that includes everything from cryotherapy to breath control techniques.
The “Mission: Impossible” star has recently added extreme breath control to his arsenal of anti-aging practices. “A few years ago, he started to get really interested in all aspects of breathing and how dialing it in can really be a game changer for overall health,” a source revealed. The actor reportedly tapes his mouth shut before sleeping and has developed a fascination with free-diving techniques.
Beyond breathing exercises, Cruise maintains his physique through a rigorous five-day weekly workout routine that incorporates weight training, cardio, and diverse activities like fencing and hiking. His diet is equally strict, focusing on antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory foods, with all meals prepared by a personal chef using low-temperature cooking methods.
His commitment to physical excellence is perhaps most evident in his approach to stunts. For his latest film, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” Cruise performed what director Christopher McQuarrie called “one of the most dangerous sports in the world” – speed-flying down mountainsides at high velocities. The feat had the film crew in “absolute terror” as Cruise navigated perilously close to rocky surfaces.
“No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance?'” Cruise said during a 2022 Cannes appearance, defending his insistence on performing his own stunts. This dedication has led to some close calls throughout his career. During the filming of “The Last Samurai,” co-star Hiroyuki Sanada revealed a particularly dangerous moment: “Tom’s neck was right in front of me, and I tried to stop swinging my sword, but it was hard to control with one hand. The film crew watching from the side all screamed because they thought Tom’s head would fly off.”
Throughout his career, Cruise’s commitment to performing his own stunts has led to other numerous close calls. During the filming of “Top Gun” (1986), he nearly drowned in a parachute scene. The incident occurred when water began filling Cruise’s parachute as he attempted to lift Anthony Edwards’ body from the ocean.
In 2004’s “Collateral,” a car chase scene with Jamie Foxx almost went wrong when Foxx’s cab collided with Cruise’s Mercedes-Benz.
The “Mission: Impossible” franchise has become synonymous with Cruise’s death-defying stunts. In the 2011 film “Ghost Protocol,” he scaled Dubai’s 163-floor Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, with only a wire keeping him from falling. For 2015’s “Rogue Nation,” he hung from the outside of an Airbus 400 during takeoff, wearing special contact lenses to protect his eyes from potential debris.
During the filming of “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (2018), Cruise broke his ankle while jumping between buildings, causing a six-week production delay. The actor later shared footage of the exact moment of injury on “The Graham Norton Show,” noting that he “knew instantly it was broken” but completed the scene before seeking medical attention.
For his latest film, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” Cruise achieved what he called a childhood dream: riding a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting to safety. The stunt required years of specialized training across multiple disciplines. A crew member added that Cruise did a total of six takes, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to perfection.
To prepare for these dangerous sequences, Cruise underwent extensive training. For the underwater sequence in “Rogue Nation,” he trained to hold his breath for six minutes.
Cruise’s anti-aging routine extends to his skincare regimen, which includes a 30-minute daily facial routine starting with ice-water immersion, followed by specific cleansing, toning, and moisturizing steps. He also regularly undergoes cryotherapy treatments and uses a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
Despite concerns from his inner circle about the extreme nature of his anti-aging practices and dangerous stunts, Cruise remains committed to his rigorous lifestyle. According to sources, he “treats his body like a temple and firmly believes it’ll pay off in the long term with a far longer lifespan than the average person.”