Akshay Kumar Quips: ‘Forget Tom Cruise, My Stunt Inspiration Is Tom & Jerry’

Akshay Kumar Says His Stunt Inspiration Isn’t Tom Cruise—It’s Tom & Jerry.

Bollywood’s original action hero, Akshay Kumar, recently shared an unexpected source of inspiration behind his daring stunts—not Hollywood’s Tom Cruise, but the animated antics of Tom & Jerry.

In a light-hearted interview with Pinkvilla, the Housefull 5 star addressed comparisons to Cruise, especially after a resurfaced clip from his 2000 film Khiladi 420—where he clings to a flying airplane—sparked similarities with a sequence from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.

Brushing off the comparisons, Akshay joked,

• “You know where I draw all this inspiration from? You will not believe it—from Tom & Jerry.”
• Calling the classic cartoon “the most violent thing,” he added with a grin,
• “It is apparently made for children, but actually, if you look, there is so much action.”

Akshay even pointed to specific scenes in his films that were inspired by the show’s chaotic humor.

“I remember Tom coming from the helicopter, hanging and picking up Jerry—I did that in Sabse Bada Khiladi. Then, Tom is hanging on a plane, which is there in Khiladi 420,” he explained.

He also referenced a Khatron Ke Khiladi stunt, inspired by a cartoon scene where Tom and Jerry sip wine mid-air while lounging in a hammock under a plane.

“It is so violent. Please try to understand — it is a violent film you are showing your children,” he quipped.

Akshay’s candid and comical admission reinforces his long-standing reputation as a risk-taking performer with a flair for originality—and now, with a nod to animation.