Tom Cruise has found himself at the center of a fresh Hollywood flashpoint after fellow actor Ethan Hawke accused him of reshaping movie stardom in ways that leave other performers feeling diminished if they do not risk their bodies in the same way.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the tension surfaced as Hawke, 55, promoted his new historical drama The Weight at the Sundance Film Festival, reflecting on how 63-year-old Cruise’s long-running commitment to performing his own stunts has altered industry expectations.
Ethan Hawke Calls Out Tom Cruise for ‘Stunt Shaming’
Ethan Hawke criticized Cruise for creating ‘ridiculous’ stunt expectations for actors.
Cruise has spent decades building his reputation as Hollywood’s most fearless leading man, particularly through the Mission: Impossible franchise, where he routinely scales skyscrapers, clings to aircraft, and endures high-risk action sequences without stunt doubles.
But Hawke was blunt about the impact of his feats. “Tom Cruise has totally changed what’s expected for actors,” he moaned.
“Some part of me is getting angry over the years because everyone somehow feels like they’re less if they use a stunt team.”
The comment has been interpreted by insiders as a rare public rebuke of Cruise’s influence, with some industry experts telling us his on-screen antics are leaving other A-listers feeling like the pint-sized star is “stunt shaming” them.
‘It’s Not About Things Blowing Up’
Hawke is promoted his gritty historical drama, ‘The Weight,’ at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Hawke contrasted Cruise’s brand of spectacle with the grounded approach taken on The Weight, a physically demanding but non-explosive film in which Hawke plays a father on a brutal journey to save his daughter.
He said his favorite part of the experience of filming the project was that “there were no ridiculous stunts.”
Hawke added about the project: “It’s human. It’s not about things blowing up, so most of the stunts were things we could do. They weren’t superhero things.”
Industry sources said Hawke’s remarks have resonated with many actors who feel pressured to emulate Cruise’s extreme commitment.
One veteran producer said, “Tom’s dedication is extraordinary, but it’s also created an unspoken hierarchy where realism and safety can look like weakness. Not every film or actor should have to compete on that level.”
Tom Cruise Almost Suffers Brutal Injury on Set
=Cruise admitted a biplane battle in his latest film nearly broke his back.
Cruise’s reputation has been reinforced by his own comments. In a home-video commentary for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, the actor recalled a particularly dangerous sequence, saying it “almost broke my back.”
Director Christopher McQuarrie described the same stunt as “brutal,” explaining the force of the action separated joints in Cruise’s fingers and slammed him into the side of a plane during a mid-air biplane battle.
While Cruise has never appeared in a Marvel-style superhero film, his feats have often rivaled comic-book spectacle. Supporters argue his approach keeps practical filmmaking alive.
One studio executive said, “Audiences respond to authenticity. Tom believes if you can do it for real, you should. That philosophy has paid billions at the box office.”
Hawke warned that younger actors now feel pressured to prove themselves physically rather than artistically.
Hawke, however, emphasized the personal cost of physical filmmaking even without Cruise-level danger.
Discussing The Weight, he added: “This was one of the hardest summers of my life. Being in the water, being in the woods, I keep saying, ‘Oh, it’s an action movie without that much action,’ but it was exhausting. Just worrying about the ticks alone.”
Another source close to Hawke said the actor’s frustration is not personal animosity but concern for the profession. “Ethan respects Tom immensely,” the source said.
“But he worries younger actors feel boxed into proving themselves physically instead of artistically.”
Cruise has not responded publicly to Hawke’s comments.
