‘Mission: Impossible’ star Tom Cruise defies age with dangerous stunts: experts

foxnews.com:

Tom Cruise has proven to be one of the most daring actors in Hollywood. Throughout his career, Cruise has starred in many action movies, most notably the "Mission: Impossible" and "Top Gun" franchises.

While most stars opt to have stunt doubles perform the more dangerous scenes in their films, Cruise likes to perform them himself. "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning," the seventh installment of the franchise, promises to feature one of his most dangerous stunts to date, and at 61 years old, Cruise shows no sign of stopping.

So how is he able to pull off such demanding stunts? According to Christine Haas, entertainment PR expert and CEO of Haas Media, it's thanks to the consistent work he's put into the body over the years. "Tom Cruise is notorious for his physical fitness and overall rigorous discipline," Haas explained to Fox News Digital. "After speaking with a director who worked very closely with Tom Cruise over the past decade, it was very apparent that he has a high level of energy and is consistently auditing his behavior and actions daily with the help of his Scientology team." "This level of demand and drive allows him to defy age and perform physically demanding stunts, leading to the consistent development of a masterful personal brand." But these stunts pose a serious risk.

Doug Eldridge of Achilles PR explained to Fox News Digital that Keanu Reeves also did most of his stunts throughout the "John Wick" franchise, but Reeves and Cruise are really the only ones playing that dual role — of actor and stuntman — in Hollywood these days.  "Insurance is a big factor in all of this," he explained. "Studios have to take out aggressive policies to cover actors, stunt sequences, set locations, etc.