Tom Cruise didn't get the iconic scene from 'Mission Impossible (1996)

The actor repeatedly hit his face against the ground, without achieving the ideal shot in that film.

The director of Mission: Impossible (1996), Brian De Palma, almost canceled the most memorable scene from the first film in the popular franchise, since its protagonist, Tom Cruise, ended up hitting his face over and over again against the ground.

The famous star of the franchise made such a revelation during interviews with Paramount regarding the anniversary of the film, which was released on May 22, 1996; that is, 25 years ago, and published by The Hollywood Reporter.

The problem was that Cruise couldn't balance fast enough while he was dangling from the cable. “We were running out of (filming) time, and he kept hitting my face and the shot wasn't working,” the actor said, explaining that he eventually put sterling coins in his shoes to act as counterweights.

"(Director) Brian said, 'Let's do one more take and (if it doesn't work) I'll have to remove (that action)'," Cruise revealed. "I replied: 'I can do it.' And I went down to the ground and didn't touch it. I remember thinking, 'Oh my gosh. Do not touch it. And it kept me (in the air), it kept me, it kept me, it kept me. And I was sweating and sweating. And (the camera) kept filming."

Cruise said that there he realized they had gotten the right shot, but De Palma kept shooting just to play a prank on him. Finally, De Palma laughed and asked for the cut.