In a recent revelation ahead of the highly anticipated release of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, director Chris McQuarrie shared an interesting tidbit about his initial encounter with Tom Cruise back in 2006. McQuarrie, who has worked closely with Cruise on the past three Mission: Impossible films and is also produced Top Gun: Maverick, first collaborated with the veteran action star on the film Valkyrie. In a candid conversation with The Times newspaper, McQuarrie disclosed that Cruise described his work as “mass entertainment.”
During the production of Valkyrie, which revolves around a mission to assassinate Hitler, Cruise realized that additional funds were needed to complete the film. Consequently, he made the decision to modify the script in order to appeal to a wider audience and make it suitable for a larger cinematic release.
In addition to this insight, McQuarrie also shared the weirdest story that Cruise himself had ever heard about his own life. Contrary to a popular myth, the actor revealed that there was a misconception that people on set were not allowed to make direct eye contact with him. It seems that this particular rumor was far from the truth.
Another close associate of Cruise, his friend and frequent co-star Simon Pegg, also provided some context to shed light on Cruise’s highly publicized outburst on the set of the seventh Mission: Impossible movie. Pegg explained to The Times that Cruise’s passionate reaction was fueled by his deep commitment to keeping the film industry afloat during the challenging times of the pandemic. Pegg recalled Cruise shouting, “Do that again and you’re gone,” at a crew member who had violated social distancing rules. Pegg emphasized the importance of Cruise’s concern, stating that everything he valued in his job was at stake due to the global health crisis. Cruise genuinely believed that the virus had the potential to obliterate the existence of cinemas.
As we eagerly await the release of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, these anecdotes offer a glimpse into the mindset of Tom Cruise and his relentless dedication to creating entertainment on a grand scale. Despite his status as an iconic Hollywood figure, Cruise remains grounded and focused on delivering mass appeal through his films.