Another Mission: Impossible movie is nearly upon us, which means fans are about to be treated to two-and-a-half hours of action. Many of the thrills, of course, involve Tom Cruise performing some impressive stunts. While the A-lister’s feats are incredibly entertaining, they also look somewhat dangerous. The members of the franchise’s cast and crew get a first-hand look at these major sequences while they’re on set. So one would think that they’re pretty much used to seeing Cruise risk his safety now and then. However, co-star Simon Pegg explained that the whole M:I team still has to live with the fact that their leading man could seriously injure himself one day.
Simon Pegg has worked with Tom Cruise on five M:I movies at this point (or six if you count the next installment), and they’re currently working on another. They seem to have become close friends, with Pegg even noting that their unique relationship allows him to “make fun of” the Hollywood titan. But when you have a good buddy, you can’t help but be concerned about them at times. Pegg got candid about that while speaking with Deadline at the premiere of Dead Reckoning – Part One in Rome this past Monday. The 53-year-old star feels fortunate that his character, Benji, doesn’t do much of the physical work. Yet he – and his collaborators – can’t help but consider that Cruise might end up hurting himself:
You know, I’m lucky because Benji just kind of stays behind the computer and he does his thing. Tom is jumping off cliffs on a motorbike he’s hanging his you know, hanging off trains — it’s genuinely dangerous stuff. And There’s always a sense that, you know, one day, something might go wrong, we might lose Tom, you know? Anytime there’s a big stunt, we all have that sense of, you know, fear, but he always pulls it off.
Despite the fact that the star does manage to get the job done in the end, that doesn’t mean that he always comes out of production unscathed. He’s hurt himself to varying degrees on more than a few occasions over the years. For instance, while shooting 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout, he injured his leg, with reports subsequently revealing that it was his ankle that was messed up. The Oscar nominee apparently handled it like a pro, though, and also did what he could to save the production millions of dollars following the injury.
Tom Cruise’s on-screen stunts could honestly give one the impression that he’s somewhat invincible. Like Simon Pegg though, we know that’s far from the case. It’s sweet that his colleagues show so much concern for him whenever he performs the action sequences. And in turn, he reportedly ensures that his co-stars are in good hands whenever they have to do anything strenuous. You love to see that kind of behind-the-scenes synergy, and it likely plays a major role in why Christopher McQuarrie’s recent M:I movies have been so successful.
Concerns may always linger in regard to the 60-year-old star’s well-being, but he certainly doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Dead Reckoning Part One, which has received strong reactions thus far, is a testament to that notion. Footage from the blockbuster shows the Edge of Tomorrow alum taking part in a slew of big movie moments. The one that’s arguably the most anticipated sees him jumping off a cliff with a motorcycle, and the actor apparently did that six times to ensure that he got it right. Talk about commitment.
Chances are Simon Pegg and co. will always have some tinge of concern whenever Tom Cruise does his stunt work. Though I’m sure they also have plenty of confidence in him whenever he’s called up to complete such feats. Here’s hoping Cruise remains safe as the group progresses on the upcoming Dead Reckoning Part Two.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opens in theaters on July 12 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases. You can also stream previous films using a Paramount+ subscription.
