He jumps out of planes and motorbikes off mountains for his day job, so it only figures that Tom Cruise likes pushing the limits in all aspects of life. But, according to insiders, the actor’s obsession with staving off the ageing process and looking as fresh-faced as he did 40 years ago is starting to take a turn for the dangerously extreme - and his inner circle is worried.
We’re told the 62 year old has become so ensconced in the biohacking world of cryotherapy - wherein a person immerses themselves in freezing or near-freezing temperatures for roughly three to five minutes, purportedly to reverse skin ageing, support fat loss, treat inflammation and prevent chronic diseases - that he’s letting it take over his entire life. And while he insists that he feels fresher and more youthful than ever, friends are concerned that all the ice is giving him serious brain freeze… and making him lose some common sense in the process.
'Biohacking is one of Tom’s big passions,' says an insider close to the blockbuster star, who still – in his sixties – does all his own stunts, and most recently jumped off the Stade de France’s roof in Paris during the 2024 Olympics’ closing ceremony to mark Paris’ handover to Los Angeles. 'He loves the idea of outsmarting nature, and is always reading up on the latest science, meticulously researching ways he can stay feeling, and - more importantly - looking young. He swears that cold exposure is the fountain of youth, and thinks people are living in the dark ages if they don’t embrace the latest methods for increased longevity. He’s been into ice baths for a number of years, but he’s now stepped it up and gotten a cryotherapy chamber for his home, so that he can literally freeze himself every day as a way to boost his metabolism and slow down the ageing process. He’s convinced that it given him an edge, and says it’s better than drinking ten cups of coffee in the morning.'
It’s no secret that cold therapy is having a bit of a moment - as more people than ever are taking a leaf out of extreme athlete Wim Hof’s playbook and turning to plunge pools and cold saunas in their bid to keep their bodies and minds ticking along nicely. But where we’re told to expose ourselves to freezing temperatures for short bursts of time, Tom is apparently refusing to put a time cap on his hypothermic endeavours. What’s more, he’s taking his love for the cold stuff to his beauty treatments too – all in the hope that, unlike the rest of us, he’ll never, ever get old.
'Tom’s cryochamber can get as cold as minus 220 degrees Fahrenheit, and he pushes the limits with how long he stays in there,' says our source. 'The maximum time allowed is five minutes, but Tom has bragged about pushing past that. He’s also getting into liquid nitrogen facials every few weeks, as it supposedly tightens the skin and stimulates collagen. He claims this is the way of the future, and can talk about it for hours. As far as he’s concerned, this is going to help him live well into his hundreds.'
For all intents and purposes, cryotherapy is - at least - a less dangerous option than some other, questionable lifestyle choices made by Hollywood heavyweights. But, as our source explains, it’s the actor’s obsession with staying young and active, and likewise his absolute terror at the idea of getting old, that is causing the most concern. As Hollywood’s number one action star, he’s always prided himself on his exuberant energy and death-defying athleticism. Couple that with the fact that his dad, Thomas, died of cancer at the age of 49, and it’s no surprise that Tom has some underlying discomfort at the idea of getting older and facing his own mortality.
His power, at least in his mind, comes with his sense of invincibility, so he’s prepared to take any measure necessary to stop the clock for good. But by doing so, we’re told, he’s alienating himself from anyone who tries to remind him that he’s mortal and fallible, just like the rest of us, and he’s letting his ego get in the way of his ability to listen to reason.
'Tom had a terrible fall a few years ago on set and broke his ankle, but he pushed through and continued filming – that’s typical of how he operates,' says our source. 'He takes a huge amount of pride in his ability to override pain and fear, but a lot of people in his life don’t think it’s anything to be proud of - especially as he gets older. Pain is there as a signal from the body to slow down, but Tom refuses to listen.'
'At this stage of life, you’d think he’d be starting to dial things down, but he’s actually gotten more intense. He’s always living his life like he’s got something to prove, and that’s pretty frightening for those around him. They’re terrified that one of these days he’s going to agree to a stunt that’s simply beyond his body’s capabilities, and end up paying a huge cost. Tom has this crazy invincibility complex - he truly believes that he’s a superior human being who’ll be able to pull off these stunts well into his senior years, and he refuses to accept the alternative.'
Anyone who saw the sexagenarian busting moves on the dancefloor at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party in April - where onlookers said he did some breakdancing and even dropped into the splits - will know the star defies his birth date on the reg. But there comes a point that we all have to accept that, as much as we try with cryotherapy, plunge pools and everything in between, we cannot permanently freeze the hands of time. Sadly, for Tom, that’s one stunt that truly is a Mission: Impossible.