How Tom Cruise Saved Elisabeth Shue's Life

Tom Cruise may have a certain reputation in the press, but he's typically known as the quintessential professional on set. Still, sometimes he lets his guard down, like the time in 2020 when Cruise went viral for admonishing crew members who didn't abide by the COVID-19 rules on the set of "Mission Impossible 7." A leaked audio tape of Cruise's outburst made its way onto the internet. He could be heard saying (via The Sun), "If I see you do it again, you're f***ing gone. And if anyone in this crew does it, that's it — and you too, and you too. And you, don't you ever f***ing do it again.They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf***ers. That's it. No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their f***ing homes because our industry is shut down."

And while there's no doubt that Cruise is the kind of person who wants you to follow the rules — particularly when it comes to people's livelihoods, at least when it comes to COVID-19 safety guidelines — he also takes his role as an action hero just as seriously. In fact, the Hollywood star managed to save his co-star Elisabeth Shue's life in an incredibly scary near-accident to happen on set. Here's what happened.

Tom Cruise and Elisabeth Shue's working relationship dates back to 1988, when they starred in the film "Cocktail." Shue played Cruise's love interest in the movie — but, she made sure to tell McCall in 1966 — not in real life. "They said I was having an affair with Tom Cruise during 'Cocktail,'" she recalled, calling the rumor "the most absurd thing I'd ever heard." They may not have been together romantically, but Cruise certainly cared about his co-star. In fact, he automatically went into action hero mode to save Shue's life.

Bill Bennett, a camera operator, recalled a moment when Cruise and Shue walked over to a helicopter to get notes for their next scene together. According to The Sun, Bennet wrote in a Facebook group called "Crew Stories" that the chopper pilot kept the rotor going, which almost cost Shue her life. "The rotor is invisible when it is spinning, and if you walk into it, it will kill you instantly," he explained. But energized after receiving notes from the director, Shue began running towards the back of the chopper (where the blades are), and that's when Cruise "lunged after her, but only was able to grab her legs, tackling her to the ground."

Needless to say, Shue was shocked over what had just happened, but at the same time, grateful for someone like Cruise to react in the way that he did. Then again, this wasn't the first time Cruise has sprung to action to save someone from being severely injured on a movie set.

In April, Tom Cruise proved yet again that he doesn't just talk the talk, but walks the walk — saving a cameraman from falling off a moving train on the set of "Mission Impossible 7," according to the Daily Mail, which has photos of that exact moment. While Cruise is clearly quick on his feet when it comes to saving people from terrifying incidents, this is all in a day's work for someone like him.

While speaking to Cameron Crowe for Interview Magazine in 1986, back then Cruise had no idea what kind of impact he would have on people's lives, both on and off screen. He (via The Uncool), "Let's face it, I'm not saving lives here. I feel fortunate, but this is just one aspect of my life. I love my work, but my family is very important to me, too. You pick up the paper and see that there are many things happening outside my little world." It's interesting to note that the movie star himself said that he "wasn't saving lives" — but did just that only two years later, and then again in 2021.