There’s an honor that most actors in the industry covet just as much as a mega hit on the 2025 movie schedule. Miami Vice star Phillip Michael Thomas coined it as “The EGOT,” which means that a star has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award in their presumably storied career. While this is still a gold standard of trophy hunting, stars like Tom Cruise and Florence Pugh might inspire a Guinness World Record to become part of the mix.
Admittedly, the most recent story that fuels this speculation is one out of Variety, which claims that Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’s big burning parachute set piece was the feat that clinched it. In case you were wondering where that new record stands, it’s at 16 – which you can see play out in this video from Paramount’s Mission marketing campaign:
As far as Florence Pugh’s end of this discussion goes, her interview with Harper’s Bazaar confirmed that she is a Guinness World Record holder, as are her Thunderbolts*’ stunt double Sarah Irwin and stunt coordinator Heidi Moneymaker.
As you’d guessed, the stunt that landed this honor was Pugh’s insane MCU base jump off of the second highest building in the world – Kuala Lumpor’s Merdeka 118 building. Which, by the time Disney+ subscription holders get to stream May’s MCU entry, will probably still have fans talking about Thunderbolts*’ most daring stunt.
It’s not just actors and their stunt performers that are pushing for some of that Guinness gold either. Back when I talked to legendary James Bond special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, even he admitted that the production wanted to outdo their record setting explosion on Spectre, which led to No Time to Die’s even bigger blast.
But if we turn our gaze back to stunt performers and actors, winning a Guinness World Record could be a feather in the cap of anyone who really wants to go for the gold. Thanks to the Oscars’ new “Achievement in Stunt Design” award, the trophy set to be introduced in 2028 might see voters swayed by shenanigans that make the record books.
I mean, would you vote against a stunt that won a Guinness World Record? I highly doubt that, because a massive feat of such daring kind of goes with awards recognition the same way that Tom Cruise pairs with popcorn, and that man loves his popcorn.
If this trend is truly going to happen, then I propose we alter the name to “GEGOT,” because that’s the best sounding rebrand that stands out. The subject’s open for discussion of course, and you can get involved by seeing both Thunderbolts* and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – which are currently showing at a theater near you.