--- title: "WATCH: Tom Cruise gets firearms training from a former British SAS operator" description: "In this video, Tom Cruise gets firearms training from Mick Gould, a former British SAS operator. See him in action on We Are the Mighty." date: "2022-03-20" modified: "2022-03-20" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-movies/tom-cruise-gets-firearms-training/" categories: - "Entertainment" - "Movies and TV" --- # WATCH: Tom Cruise gets firearms training from a former British SAS operator ![]() A few weeks into 2016, [Keanu Reeves lit up the internet]() (and a few targets) when video of his John Wick-level shooting skills hit YouTube. Rightfully so, because Reeves has some legitimate "3-Gun" shooting range ability. He's not the only actor who does intense training for roles, however. The silver screen's "Jack Reacher" works just as hard, getting his training from some of the world's most elite special forces. --- In this video, Tom Cruise gets firearms training from Mick Gould, a former British SAS operator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8-P8sJNHk0 Gould talks about giving Cruise the kind of training he would have had if the actor spent eight to twelve years in special forces. "Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Tom Cruise and the late Marlon Brando, they are and were ultra-professionals at all times," [Gould told Dangerous Magazine]() in 2012. "It was a pleasure working with them, absolutely no ego at all." Cruise is known for his dedication to stunt work. For "Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation," Cruise learned to hold his breath underwater [for a full six minutes](). For "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol" The 53-year-old actor held on to the outside of an Airbus A400M military aircraft during takeoff and up to 5,000 feet over Great Britain. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()