Mission: Impossible 8 Director Shares A Jaw-Dropping Image Of Tom Cruise For His Birthday

Over the years, legendary action star Tom Cruise has made it abundantly clear that he enjoys performing his own stunts, including the one "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part One" stunt that almost took him out. A few of Cruise's more daring stunt performances include the time he clung to the side of a plane while it was taking off in "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation" and scaling an immense skyscraper in "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol." Both stunts required an incredible amount of physical training and (like nearly all the stunts you see the actor perform) were filmed in live action without the assistance of digital effects (via Insider).

Indeed, Cruise's commitment to live-action stunt work is so intense that he actually piloted most of the aircraft you see in "Top Gun: Maverick" (via Film Inside) — with the exception of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, which the U.S. Navy forbade him from flying despite the actor's protests. Considering all the incredible stunts that Cruise has managed to pull off over the years, it should come as no surprise that he plans to continue his stunt work in the upcoming "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part Two," a feat made even more impressive for the fact that Cruise recently celebrated his 60th birthday.

Christopher McQuarrie, the director of "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part Two," decided to celebrate Tom Cruise's birthday by tweeting a behind-the-scenes photo of Cruise performing yet another dangerous airplane stunt. The image shows the actor dangling precariously from an inverted biplane — which seems to be in the process of rolling over onto its side. There are no visible wires in the photo, and it genuinely looks as though Cruise is simply holding onto the plane as it flips over, legs dangling into the empty air below.

The photo is extremely impressive, not only because of the immense coordination and bravery that this kind of stunt requires but also because of the fact that Cruise is performing this ridiculous stunt at nearly 60 years old. This jaw-dropping image is a perfect way to pay tribute to Cruise's long history of extreme stunt work, and if Cruise is able to pull off something this incredible at his age, we have to imagine he will continue performing his own stunts for many years to come.