The actor revealed this funny anecdote a few years ago and couldn't stop laughing.
Tom Cruise is a certified pilot and in his most recent film American Made, he was able to once again capture his passion for flying as he plays a CIA agent who transported drugs in the 1980s.
In real life, Cruise has also been somewhat irresponsible when he is at the helm because, on one occasion when he was flying to Colorado in his private plane, he decided to do mischief that resulted in one of the funniest anecdotes ever told in The David Letterman Show.
The movie star narrated in 2004, when he was promoting his movie Collateral, that to reach his destination faster they had to fly at a higher altitude and thus avoid bad weather conditions.
“We realized that at higher altitudes there were better flight conditions because there was less turbulence. My co-pilot and I had oxygen masks, but we couldn't stay at that altitude for long because we had a passenger," Cruise said, pausing to laugh.
“We figured out that if we reduced the oxygen in the cabin we could continue flying at that altitude. It's not like it was dangerous or anything like that,” he said and the audience erupted in laughter.
Even Letterman was surprised that Cruise would say that on television: “But seen from another point of view, isn't that an assassination attempt? You're lucky you're not in jail, for God's sake!”
The actor was literally doubled over with laughter on the couch when he finished off the anecdote after Letterman asked him what had happened with his friend.
“He was very still and silent. He was a nice guy…so we decided he deserved to sleep through the flight. When we landed he told us: 'My hands are tingling, it must have been the position I fell asleep in'. It wasn't that serious because we weren't at such a high altitude where he was deprived of oxygen and at risk of death."
