Tom Cruise’s Latest Crazy Stunt Earns Him Guinness World Record

Tom Cruise is adding Guinness World Record holder to his resume.

The Oscar-nominated actor, 62, has officially set the record for most burning parachute jumps by an individual after jumping out of a helicopter 16 times with a fiery chute while filming a stunt for the newly-released Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.

The actor lept out of a helicopter an astonishing 16 times while strapped to a parachute that had been soaked in fuel and set ablaze. Cruise was then able to cut away the remnants of the charred chute in order to safely deploy a backup in the death-defying stunt.

According to Guinness World Records, no other actor or stuntman has even come close to doing 16 of such jumps, and Cruise was subsequently awarded the record title on Wednesday.

“Tom doesn’t just play action heroes – he is an action hero!” said Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records editor-in-chief, in a statement. “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. It’s an honour to be able to recognize his utter fearlessness with this new Guinness World Records title.”

Cruise and the Mission: Impossible stunt team prepared for weeks before ascending more than 75,000 feet in a helicopter while filming the scenes in Drakensberg, South Africa. For numerous takes, Cruise also performed the stunt while attached to a 50-lb. Snorri camera rig, which provided audiences with a close-up of the stunt.

A behind-the-scenes video that showed the reality of filming the scene showed all 16 of Cruise’s jumps. “We’re gonna be real smart. I’m not saying be risky,” Cruise says with a laugh in the video. “We don’t take risks… obviously.”