Tom Cruise performed the underwater breath-hold stunt for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.
For the film’s underwater infiltration sequence, Cruise trained to hold his breath for several minutes while performing choreography beneath the surface. Production accounts commonly describe the actor holding his breath for about six minutes, allowing the scene to be filmed as a continuous, highly controlled action passage.
The sequence takes place during Ethan Hunt’s attempt to sabotage an underwater installation. Unlike a conventional scuba-diving scene, the character must avoid equipment that could reveal his presence, so the action depends on breath control, precise movement, and carefully planned safety procedures.
The stunt is often described simply as “the six-minute underwater stunt,” but it was not an unsupervised feat. Professional divers and safety teams supported the production. Cruise’s preparation became one of the film’s most discussed examples of practical performance in the series.