1 week Ago By Rebecca Sayce
The Oscars has added a category for stunt performances and there is one man who deserves an award more than anyone (Picture: Paramount Pictures)The Oscars have added a new category for stunt design for the 100th Academy Awards, and fans believe Tom Cruise should receive an honorary award for his stuntwork.There have long been calls to recognise stunts officially at the prestigious award ceremony, which began in 1929.From 2027, the Academy Awards will introduce a Best Stunt Design category, shining a light on the designers of movie stunts.
Announcing the news, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yan said in a joint statement: ‘Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking.‘We are proud to honour the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion.’Stuntman David Leitch, who began his career as a stunt double for Brad Pitt, gave numerous presentations to the Academy about including a category for stunts alongside stunt coordinator and designer Chris O’Hara.
From 2027 the Academy will introduce the category for Best Stunt Design (Picture: Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)Reacting to the news, Leitch said: ‘This has been a long journey for so many of us.’Only two stunt performers have ever been recognised at the Oscars – Hal Needham in 2012, and before that, Yakima Canutt in 1966.Cruise, who is renowned for performing his own stunts even at the age of 62, has had fans rallying for him online to receive a gong for his decades of stunts.
It has been reported Cruise has been doing his own stunts since the 1990s, with the first Mission: Impossible film kickstarting it all.He famously performed the vault heist at the CIA Langley facility, which saw him suspended above the floor, as well as the jaw-dropping exploding aquarium scene.Across seven Mission: Impossible films, two Top Gun films, two Jack Reacher films, and The Mummy in 2017, the acclaimed actor has performed his own death-defying stunts.
He famously performed the incredible heist scene in Mission: Impossible (Picture: Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)Comment nowWhat is your favourite of Tom Cruise’s many stunt performances?Comment NowBen Everard posted: ‘Give Tom Cruise the first honorary stunt Oscar. Lifetime achievement.’Josh Blumenkranz agreed, writing: ‘I just want Tom Cruise to get his honorary Oscar.
The man is the king of stunts and should have been the first person to get it. But finally they added the category!!!’As it happens, Cruise has never won an Oscar, but has been nominated four times across his career including Best Picture for Top Gun: Maverick.‘They really don’t want Tom Cruise to win an Oscar.
If there’s a category he would’ve been nailed on to win is the Stunt category, now they add it after the Mission Impossible films end !!,’ Snackbytes wrote, pointing out that the final Mission: Impossible film will be released on May 21, 2025.Travis Glover added: ‘They should give Tom Cruise and the whole Mission: Impossible stunt team an Honorary Oscar for their contributions to stunt community.’The upcoming Mission: Impossible film – The Final Reckoning – also sees the actor at his daredevil best, despite now being in his 60s.
Even though he is now in his 60s, the actor is still one of the best stunt performers out there (Picture: X/Tom Cruise)These stunts are high risk, high reward, as it was reported last year that they had earned the actor a $600 million net worth.The most recent Mission: Impossible film saw Cruise take part in what has been described as ‘the biggest stunt in cinema history’ where he literally drove off a cliff on a motorbike.For it, an enormous ramp was constructed after months of training for a sequence that lasted all of five minutes, proving how much effort goes into the moments we see on the big screen.
Speaking about the stunt, he said, ‘You train and drill every little last act, over and over and over and over again,’ having done over 30 jumps per day and over 500 skydives in total.His career hasn’t been without injury, however, with the actor breaking his ankle while filming Mission: Impossible – Fallout during a scene in which he jumped across high-rise building roofs.During an appearance on the Graham Norton Show, he detailed how one jump saw him miss the mark: ‘I knew instantly my ankle was broken, and I really didn’t want to do it again, so I just got up and carried on with the take.
I said, “It’s broken. That’s a wrap. Take me to hospital”, and then everyone got on the phone and made their vacation arrangements.
’Many fans have called for him to receive an honorary Oscar for his achievements in the world of stunts (Picture: Christian Black/Bad Robot/Skydance Prods/Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)He also broke two ribs during the filming of Mission: Impossible 3 in a scene where fighter jets bomb the Chesapeake Bay Bridge while his character Ethan Hunt is on it.With so much danger and hard work that goes into the art of stunt performing, it’s no wonder the news that the Academy is finally recognising stunts in the Oscars has been met with celebration.Director Paul Feig wrote on X: ‘Thank you @TheAcademy for finally recognizing the amazing work and contributions of the stunt community.
‘They are the unsung heroes of our industry and deserve all the recognition they can get. To all my stunt friends, you are the best. Congrats!!!’Indian filmmaker S.
S. Rajamouli said: ‘At last!! After a 100-year wait!!! Ecstatic for the new Oscars stunt design category for the films releasing in 2027! ‘Huge thanks to David Leitch, Chris O’Hara, and the stunt community for making this historic recognition possible, and to @TheAcademy, CEO Bill Kramer, and President Janet Yang for honoring the power of stunt work. Thrilled to see #RRRMovie’s action visuals shining in the announcement!’Got a story?If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.
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