Tom Cruise is awarded Guinness Book World Record with fiery ‘Mission: Impossible 8' stunt

CNN

5 days ago

Tom Cruise is now a title-holder for a daring stunt he performed for the latest installment of the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise.
According to the Guinness Book of World records, Cruise now holds the title for the 'most burning parachute jumps by an individual,' with his jump count clocking in at 16 times.
'Tom doesn't just play action heroes – he is an action hero!' Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, said in a statement Thursday. 'A large part of his success can be chalked up to his absolute focus on authenticity and pushing the boundaries of what a leading man can do.'
Glenday added that it's 'an honour to be able to recognize his utter fearlessness with this new Guinness World Records title.'
Cruise conducted the fiery jumps as a stunt while filming for 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,' the eighth film in the popular action franchise in which Cruise has starred since 1996.
In a video posted posted to the official YouTube page for Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the film, Cruise is seen discussing logistics for the stunt with stunt coordinators, saying, 'I am going to be deploying. If this is twisted while it's burning, I am going to be spinning and burnt.'
He later said in the clip that he wanted to be 'real smart, I'm not saying be risky,' adding with a smirk, 'We don't take risks… obviously.'
The clip shows Cruise sky-diving out of the helicopter with his burning parachute all 16 times in rapid succession as the 'Mission: Impossible' theme song plays in the background.
This latest stunt is far from the first daring feat Cruise has performed. In addition to his performance around the Olympic Games last summer, the actor is known for conducting his own stunts in his movies.