Mission: Impossible 6, praised by experts and topped the box office. The success of the film affirmed the vitality of the film brand. The first part was released in 1996, earning 457 million USD while the budget was 80 million USD, making the producers confident to make a sequel. To date, of the original actors, only Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames are still associated with the series.
Mission: Impossible is a series of films with special significance in Tom Cruise’s career. In 1993, the actor founded the film company Cruise/Wagner Productions with the ambition to become a producer, not just an actor. Paramount at that time held the copyright to the TV series Mission: Impossible (aired since the 1960s) and wanted to develop it into a film brand. The two units cooperated with Tom Cruise as the main actor and producer, and Brian De Palma as director. This was also the first project of Cruise/Wagner Productions.
Initially, the budget was estimated at 40-50 million USD, but Cruise wanted more action scenes, so it was raised to 80 million USD. The actor plays the role of spy Ethan Hunt – a character created specifically for the film version, not in the TV series. In the first episode, Hunt was ambushed while on a mission with a group of IMF agents. As the only survivor, he was suspected of being a traitor to the unit. The spy went through many battles to regain his reputation and expose the real villain.
In 1996, Tom Cruise was already famous for many blockbuster movies. However, the self-made stunts in Mission: Impossible elevated him to become a top Hollywood action star. After this movie, he also appeared in many big projects such as The Last Samurai, War of the Worlds, Jack Reacher, Edge of Tomorrow. Tom Cruise often plays a masculine, pragmatic and approachable action character, rather than a glamorous spy like James Bond. In 2006, Tom Cruise was named the most powerful actor in Hollywood by Premiere magazine. To date, he is the ninth highest grossing actor in the US.
In addition to entertaining films, Cruise has also proven his ability in many profound roles. He received three Oscar nominations for the films Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996) and Magnolia (1999). In 1999, he appeared in Eyes Wide Shut – the last psychological work of legendary director Stanley Kubrick. By the 2010s, Cruise had mostly participated in action films. At the age of over 50, the actor still maintained his form in dangerous scenes. He performed many action scenes himself, was injured on the set of Mission: Impossible 6 but recovered in time to complete the project. After this film, Cruise embarked on the project Top Gun: Maverick, also in the role of male lead and producer.
Tom Cruise’s personal life has been a topic of discussion for more than 20 years. After splitting from his first wife, Mimi Rogers, the actor married Nicole Kidman in 1990 and they were considered Hollywood’s dream couple. However, the couple split in 2001 when Kidman was pregnant. He dated Penelope Cruz and Nazanin Boniadi before dating Katie Holmes in 2005. That year, Tom Cruise was criticized for his excessive behavior when he jumped on a chair on Oprah Winfrey’s show to show his love for Holmes. He married again in 2006 and had a daughter named Suri with Katie Holmes, but they split in 2012.
Tom Cruise is an ardent member of Scientology – a controversial sect with many strange rules. This religion is considered the reason why Katie Holmes divorced Tom Cruise. According to Us Weekly, because of Scientology’s rules, the actor has not seen his daughter in the past 5 years. He currently lives a private life in Clearwater (Florida, USA), and only introduces his image to the public when there are films.
Jon Voight
The veteran actor born in 1938 plays the most controversial character in Mission: Impossible – Jim Phelps, the leader of the IMF. In the predecessor TV series, Phelps (played by Peter Graves at the time) was the protagonist, but in the movie version, he betrayed and became the villain. This detail made many actors in the TV version – including Graves – unhappy and did not support the film. However, Jon Voight’s experienced acting is the highlight of the action film. The actor has a career of more than 40 years with 98 roles. He won the Oscar for “Best Actor” in 1979 for the movie Coming Home, and received three nominations in other years. At the age of over 70, Voight is still working hard in both film and television. His most recent notable role was Mickey Donovan – a dangerous man just released from prison – in the series Ray Donovan (aired from 2013 to present). He won the Golden Globe for “Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series – Drama” in 2013 and was nominated for two Emmys for this role.