tom cruise and simon pegg friends

Tom Cruise’s 7 Closest Hollywood Friends (And 6 Celebs He Avoids)

There are many different sides to Tom Cruise and it's unclear if anyone knows who he truly is. He has made some good friends and a few enemies.

• Tom Cruise has a polarizing reputation in Hollywood due to his support of Scientology and controversial opinions, but he also has a tight circle of friends.
• Cruise's closest friends include David Beckham and Jerry Seinfeld, with whom he has had strong bonds and long-lasting friendships.
• On the other hand, Cruise has feuded with individuals like Brad Pitt, and he has a contentious relationship with Leah Remini due to her criticism of Scientology and him personally.

There are many sides to Tom Cruise . He's one of the highest-grossing actors of all time and has starred in a string of classic movies, such as Top Gun, A Few Good Men and Jerry Maguire. He is also known for his role as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise.

However, Cruise is one of the most polarizing celebs in Hollywood. He has been vocal about his support of Scientology, and he sometimes shares controversial opinions. Cruise has a tight circle of friends, but he is always looking to expose more people to his world. At the same time, he has a few enemies that he's feuded with over the years. It's time to take a closer look at Cruise's buddies and rivals.

'Mission Impossible': The Cast Ranked From Richest To Poorest

Updated on October 2nd, 2023 by Abigail Thomas: Tom Cruise has continued to be a very polarizing actor. While some recent co-workers, like Miles Teller, have nothing but positive things to say about Cruise, others want nothing to do with the Top Gun: Maverick star. Rumors have also circulated that Cruise has stepped away from Scientology , which is surprising considering his previous commitment to the religion.

13 Tom Cruise Is Friends With Soccer Star David Beckham

The iconic soccer player David Beckham can genuinely do it all. He's a talented athlete and world-famous celeb, and he is hugely popular among both his fans and other celebrities. Beckham and Tom Cruise are good friends with a tight bond. They've often gone on late-night motorcycles rides together through the streets of Los Angeles. Cruise even attempted to convince Beckham to join Scientology. However, David and Victoria Beckham decided that it wasn't a good fit for them. Regardless, Beckham and Cruise remain the best of friends.

12 Brad Pitt And Tom Cruise Are Top-Tier Frenemies

Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are natural enemies. Cruise dominated the 80s, while Pitt was the man of the 90s. Regardless, rumors suggest these two megastars have been secretly feuding for over 25 years .

These Tom Cruise Movies Have Grossed Over $100 Million At The Box Office

Reportedly, the feud started when they worked together on the 1994 horror film Interview with a Vampire. Pitt admitted to feeling "miserable" during filming. He also found Cruise to be a bit annoying. There's a great deal of professional jealously and competition between them, as their films sometimes go head-to-head in the theaters. They both enjoy gloating when their movie wins at the box office.

11 Tom Cruise Has A Close Friendship With Fellow Actor Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise have a very close friendship and have been friends for years. At one point, Stiller and his then-wife Christine Taylor would go on family outings with Cruise and his then-wife Katie Holmes . Stiller and Cruise remain friends even after all these years, and they've supported each other through difficult times. Cruise also made a surprise appearance in Stiller's film Tropic Thunder. Cruise and Stiller's friendship is tight and unbreakable, which is rare in Hollywood.

The Uncredited Role That Put Tom Cruise's Career Back On The Map

10 tom cruise tries to avoid brooke shields.

Brooke Shields and Tom Cruise had a very public feud that they eventually put behind them. Regardless, Cruise avoids running into Shields when he can. In 2005, Cruise criticized Shields for going on anti-depressants to help with her postpartum depression . Shields didn't back down and responded with some harsh words towards Cruise. They continued to feud for several months until Cruise apologized privately. Shields called the apology "heartfelt" and accepted it. Later, Shields attended Cruise and Katie Holmes' wedding.

9 Simon Pegg And Tom Cruise Have An Interesting Friendship

Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise's friendship is like no other in Hollywood. Of course, they appear to have nothing in common. Tom Cruise is predominantly an action star, while Pegg gained fame for his roles in several comedy movies. But Cruise and Pegg became close friends while working on the Mission: Impossible films. Cruise is the star of each film, but Pegg is prominent in the series and feels that the media misunderstands his good friend.

8 Tom Cruise Does Not Think Highly Of Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber and Tom Cruise have one of the strangest feuds in Hollywood, and the dispute's pretty one-sided. In 2019, Bieber sent out a tweet challenging Cruise to a fight in the Octagon. Bieber's sudden feud with Cruise seemed to come out of nowhere.

There was never any confrontation or behind -the-scenes drama. Bieber mocked Cruise and was confident that any company would want to sponsor the fight. Of course, Cruise ignored Bieber, and the feud died down. Later, Bieber claimed it was a prank, although he re-issued the challenge in 2020.

7 Tom Cruise Has Been Friends With Dakota Fanning For Most Of Her Life

In 2005, Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning starred in the sci-fi film War of the Worlds. At the time, Fanning was a child actor that was on the rise in Hollywood. Cruise and Fanning formed a tight friendship that continues to this day. Since Fanning's 11th birthday, Cruise has sent her a gift every year. Fanning admits that he usually sends her a new pair of shoes, but she is amazed he continues the tradition.

6 John Travolta And Tom Cruise Have A Rocky History

Tom Cruise and John Travolta have been both friends and enemies. They're two of Scientology's most famous celebs, however rumors suggest that Travolta and Cruise are bitter enemies . Former Scientology members claim Travolta and Cruise have been battling for the top spot in the church.

Travolta is jealous of Cruise being the church's favorite. According to sources, Travolta was furious when Cruise won the Freedom Medal of Valor . Travolta feels that he should be getting the same level of recognition as Cruise.

5 Comedian And Actor Jerry Seinfeld Is Friends With Tom Cruise

Iconic comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Tom Cruise have been good friends for years and they have a lot in common. They're both two of the wealthiest and most famous Hollywood stars. Seinfeld also admitted that he had some brief interest in Scientology in the 70s. The two Hollywood megastars have hung out in New York and Los Angeles. They're so close that they've even spent time with each other's families. Of course, they also make sure they have a lot of bro time, just the two of them.

How Close Are Larry David And Jerry Seinfeld Today?

4 why does tom cruise have a feud with leah remini.

Leah Remini was once a proud member of The Church of Scientology but is now an outspoken critic. She wrote a book and produced a series based on her experiences. Of course, Remini singled out several members, most notably Tom Cruise. She claims that Cruise is the most powerful member of the church and is fully aware of the abuses, though Cruise and the church deny all of Remini's claims.

Regardless, their feud continues to intensify. Remini even encouraged Katie Holmes to come forward and expose Cruise. It's safe to assume that Cruise and Remini won't be going out to dinner anytime soon.

3 Miles Teller Loves His 'Top Gun: Maverick' Co-Star Tom Cruise

Top Gun fans were over the moon when they learned that a sequel was finally in the works. The film of course starred Tom Cruise, and it also brought in actor Miles Teller. Though Teller had to be convinced by Cruise to join the film, Teller adored working with Cruise and has nothing but praise to say about the actor .

"I've said when I've been talking about Tom's performance in this film," Teller said of Cruise to Associated Press . "We give actors so much credit in movies for performing skills, for playing instruments or singing or gaining weight and losing weight. And the skills that Tom is putting on display in Top Gun and so many of his movies, that's a product of thousands of hours practice."

2 Tom Cruise Makes Shakira Uncomfortable

Tom Cruise and Shakira made headlines in May 2023 when they both attended the F1 Grand Prix in Miami, Florida. They were pictured spending time together, and it was clear that Cruise was mesmerized by the singer.

The feeling was sadly not mutual. Though Cruise spoke with his friends about the connection they had , Shakira did not feel a connection. Cruise reportedly sent Shakira flowers after the race, but she was not interested in pursuing a relationship with him. Shakira was begging for Cruise to stop flirting with her, as she had no interest.

1 Mark Wahlberg Is Not A Fan Of Tom Cruise

Mark Wahlberg made it clear to fans that despite being in the same business, he does not appreciate Tom Cruise. After Cruise made a comment comparing his job to "fighting in Afghanistan" in 2013, Wahlberg had quite a bit to say about how disrespectful the statement was.

"I don't give a f*ck what you did. You don't do what these guys did. For somebody to sit there and say my job was as difficult as somebody in the military's. How f*cking dare you. While you sit in a makeup chair for two hours."

Sources: usatoday.com, usmagazine.com, businessinsider.com

Simon Pegg says he has a “simple” friendship with Tom Cruise where they don’t talk about the thing

You know that thing you'd love to ask tom cruise about his mission: impossible co-star won't do it..

One of the most interesting things in the world that the vast majority of us will never ever get to experience is having a basic conversation with Tom Cruise. Hell, just being in a room with him would be one of the average person’s top 10 stories, regardless of what anyone in that room does or says (some of us once saw Michael Bay drive by on a golf cart while he was filming Transformers: Dark Of The Moon in Milwaukee and we’re still milking it). Simon Pegg is not the average person, though, as he’s one of the lucky few who gets to be in a room with Tom Cruise with some regularity, and he briefly detailed that experience while appearing on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs radio show ( via Deadline ).

Pegg says he has a “very simple and amiable” friendship with Tom Cruise, who he has appeared in five Mission: Impossible movies with, which sounds like the most anyone can really hope for when it comes to an inscrutable person like Cruise, but there might be a secret trick to making Pegg’s simple friendship with Cruise work: They don’t ever talk about Scientology. Pegg figures it would “abuse my privileged access that I get to him” if he were to bring it up.

That is the test that all of us would inevitably fail when speaking with Tom Cruise, since at some point we would all be unable to resist the temptation to say “hey, so what’s the deal with—“ and then we’d get cut off as he sprinted away at full speed and never spoke to us again.

Pegg also says that Cruise is, somewhat unsurprisingly, a person who loves being famous and “really relishes it.” Pegg adds that it’s “all he knows” and that it “energizes him and spurs him on,” which is part of what makes him seem like such an interesting person just to be around. If he lives for fame, what’s it like when he’s not “on”? Is he ever not “on”? Simon Pegg might not even know the answer to that.

Simon Pegg Opened Up About His ‘Very Simple And Amiable’ Friendship With Tom Cruise (And The One Thing They Don’t Talk About)

If someone told you, back in the days of Spaced and Shaun of the Dead , that Simon Pegg would a) become a part of the Mission: Impossible series and b) make pals with Tom Cruise, you might not have believed them. And yet both have come true. Pegg joined the series over a decade-and-a-half ago, with Mission: Impossible III . But what do the British comedy legend and the guy who saved movies talk about? And what don’t talk about?

For one thing, they don’t avoid discussing him being the biggest actor on the planet. “We joke about it. I mean, I always make fun of him for it, you know, about the things that he can access,” Pegg said during an appearance on BBC’s Desert Island Discs ( as caught by Deadline ). He added that Cruise “kind of appreciates the ridiculousness of it sometimes.”

Pegg describes they’re friendship as “just very simple and amiable,” adding, “It’s always been a very easy relationship. I think you realise, when you meet the person rather than the thicket of mythology that’s built up around them, it’s a different experience. I mean, he loves [the fame] and he really relishes it, it’s all he knows. It energises him and spurs him on.”

There is something Pegg won’t bring up with him though: Cruise’s scientology. Discussing that aspect of his life, Pegg says, would “abuse my privileged access that I get to him.”

During the radio appearance, Pegg also discussed his struggles with alcohol. He went to rehab shortly before filming the fourth Mission: Impossible , but while shooting the third — after suffering a mental health episode — he found himself hiding his addiction from others on-set.

“You become very sneaky when you have something like that in your life,” Pegg recalled. “You learn how to do it without anyone noticing because it takes over. It wants to sustain itself and it will do everything it can to not be stopped. But eventually it just gets to a point when it can’t be hidden, and that’s when, thankfully, I was able to pull out of the dive.”

The probably super-long Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One will be released on July 12. It will likely not feature Pegg doing crazy stunts , but who knows.

(Via Deadline )

• Discount Codes

Simon Pegg: “I’d love to go into space with Tom Cruise – it would be amazing!”

The Cornetto king of comedy and blockbuster sidekick is stepping out as a serious leading man – he tells NME what to expect from his post-lockdown future

F or the past 20 years, Simon Pegg hasn’t stopped. From Spaced to Star Trek and Shaun of the Dead to Star Wars , Pegg’s ascent from cult television hero to red carpet regular has been a breathless watch. It’s no wonder then, that when he greets NME on the phone from his home in Hertfordshire, where he’s staying with his wife and daughter, Pegg sounds grateful for the enforced rest that lockdown has brought.

“Yes, it has been a lot,” Pegg laughs when we recount just a fraction of his packed CV. “I’ve enjoyed lockdown. My absolute favourite thing is to be at home with my family and I’ve relished the chance to have an extra bit of that for the last few months.”

In the past decade alone, Pegg has written and starred in The World’s End (the final instalment of the Edgar Wright-directed Cornetto Trilogy), appeared in three Mission: Impossible movies and the Steven Spielberg-directed Ready Player One . He’s set up a production company, Stolen Picture , with his best friend and long-term collaborator, Nick Frost, and made a new sitcom with him, Truth Seekers , about a ghost-hunting team of paranormal investigators. On top of all that, he’s started to move away from comedy towards more dramatic parts with recent film noirs Terminal and Inheritance .

Pegg’s latest release, Lost Transmissions , continues this venture into the serious. In a return to his indie roots, the low-budget, Katharine O’Brien-directed drama sees Pegg take the lead role of Theo – a record producer who, whilst at the top of his game during the ‘90s, develops schizophrenia after taking one too many batches of bad acid. Based on a true story (Theo was a well-known music producer before his illness), the harrowing tale is a far cry from Pegg’s comedic origins.

“With people who do comedy, it tends to result in you being pigeon-holed”

“It was a nice surprise to get sent the script,” Pegg says, adding that he’s now being considered for roles outside of comic hero and wacky sidekick. Despite his early days as a stand-up, Pegg never intended to begin his professional life making people laugh. In fact, as a student at Bristol University during the early ‘90s, he initially dreamed of a career in theatre.

“With people who do comedy, it tends to result in you being pigeonholed,” Pegg explains. “My ambitions as a drama student were entirely different. They were more theatrical – I wanted to do Shakespeare and just be an actor. I think I had a love for comedy and was able to do it – it just sort of seemed the way to go when I started off.”

After being spotted at one of his stand-up shows, Pegg was offered jobs on British sitcoms like Big Train , Hippies and Asylum , where he met long-term collaborators Jessica Hynes and Edgar Wright. After those early successes, Pegg wrote Spaced with Hynes (Wright directed) and the show quickly became a cult hit on Channel 4 . Soon after, Pegg and Wright penned zombie parody Shaun of the Dead which remains one of the biggest British films of all time. From there, Pegg’s career skyrocketed as he went on to work with the likes of Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, J. J. Abrams and Tom Cruise.

L ost Transmissions was filmed in 2018, just after Pegg wrapped Mission Impossible: Fallout with Cruise – a project which lasted 10 months. In contrast, Lost Transmissions was shot in just 19 days – something reminiscent of his earlier, indie filmmaking projects with Wright.

“Indie films feel a lot more personal and heartfelt”

What was it like, getting back to basics? “I always like to make sure I stay in contact with that mode of filmmaking,” Pegg says. “That’s where I came from and you get to make very interesting, slightly more challenging, less entertainment-based movies with really interesting characters. That’s not something that I ever want to lose touch with. No disrespect to the big movies, but with indie films, you’re making something that feels a lot more personal and heartfelt.”

For Pegg, Lost Transmissions hit home because some of the issues surrounding his character’s mental health experiences chimed with his own. 18 months ago, the actor revealed he’d entered rehab for alcohol addiction in 2010 after years of battling depression. The news came as a shock. On the outside, Pegg had seemed happy, his career going from strength to strength. Behind the scenes, however, he was extremely unwell.

“I think with Theo in Lost Transmissions , his tendency to have a huge internal storm going on, whilst he’s outwardly seeming okay, was something I had experience of. The idea of a lot of stuff going on inside whilst also trying to maintain a sort of normal experience,” he says. Pegg was at his lowest ebb during a visit to San Diego Comic-Con. He went missing for four days after drinking himself into oblivion – and when he returned to the UK a few days later, he ended up in rehab clinic The Priory.

“I didn’t want to talk about it at the time like a badge of honour,” Pegg says candidly. “Sometimes, people talk about it like ‘oh my booze and drugs hell’ or whatever, like they’re trying to sound a bit more rock and roll. I certainly didn’t feel like it was anyone’s business.”

“People talk about their ‘booze and drugs hell’ like they’re rock and roll – I didn’t want it to be a badge of honour”

Did being on the set of a film exploring mental health issues help him to open up more? “Well, we were having lots of conversations about it and I came to realise that the best thing you can do is talk about it. The worst thing you can do is stay silent because there are so many people having similar experiences – way more than you might expect,” he says. “My initial silence was less about the taboos within the industry, but I do think there’s still a lot of it. I guess that you do worry that people will think, ‘Oh, I can’t trust that person because they’ve got reckless impulses.’ Yet, because I was on the other side of it, I felt like I could speak about it as something that happened to me and that I survived. I came to realise that it can hopefully give a positive message to people who are in the midst of it all now.”

He adds: “There is a dialogue now and people are speaking out more, but it’s still a very stigmatised position to be in. I mean, it says a lot that if you want to to discredit or silence someone, you call them crazy.”

Pegg’s research for his role in Lost Transmissions was meticulous. He became friends with the real-life Theo, spent time in a mental health facility with schizophrenia patients and later with the homeless community in ‘Skid Row’, LA, where Theo ends up after he stops taking his medication. “I think schizophrenia, generally as a mental health issue, is fairly misunderstood,” Pegg says. “People think it’s about a split personality and that’s not what it really is at all. It was important for me going into this to get it right and not approximate what I thought it was or just play crazy, which is done a lot. People often just act silly when they want to portray someone with mental health issues, when obviously there’s a lot more complexity there.”

“Mental health issues are still stigmatised – if you want to discredit someone, you call them crazy”

In one scene, Theo is in the midst of a delusion when he is approached by the police. Moments later, they pull guns on him, not realising he’s unwell. In a climate where America’s policing is under more scrutiny than ever, the scene chills.

“He’s very lucky in that moment, you know, because it could have gone a completely different way and I’m sure when you’re dealing with the homeless, they probably don’t get those kinds of breaks, if they get arrested,” Pegg says. “People are reluctant to get involved with people that have mental health issues because they think they’re going to be trouble. The fact is, the majority of us suffer from them to some degree, even if it’s only mild, even if it’s just a phobia or a kind of anxiety. It all comes under the umbrella of mental health. It’s just easy when you see someone who’s really suffering, like a schizophrenic, to distance yourself from that and say ‘well, it’s not me.’”

Pegg admits Lost Transmissions can be a difficult watch at times, but one that will ultimately, he hopes, stays with viewers. “I think as human beings we prefer the path of least resistance… I always feel more sated after I’ve watched a film that’s challenged me, than I do one that’s just entertained me.”

W ith Lost Transmissions out online now (the pandemic put pay to a theatrical release), Pegg is looking forward to restarting work on Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 . Just hours before he was due to fly to Italy to start filming in March, the entire production was halted due to COVID-19.

“I’ve been ready for this situation for a while,” Pegg jokes, referring to his history of playing characters who find themselves in apocalyptic situations. In fact, he and Frost reprised their famous Shaun of the Dead roles at the start of the pandemic, releasing a video of tongue-in-cheek survival tips . It clocked up more than 2.5 million views on YouTube. Social media, meanwhile, was flooded with memes of Pegg and his zombie fighting crew taking refuge at The Winchester pub.

“Generally, in times of adversity – Brexit , ‘The Best from the East’ – whatever apocalyptic situation it is – that meme of us will always pop up,” Pegg laughs. “This situation now is of course much more comparable with people being told to stay at home, to shut their doors and stay safe. It’s hard to be glib in this terrible situation but it’s an odd testament to the film’s longevity that it’s still relevant,” Pegg says of his and Wright’s classic zom-com.

“The next two ‘Mission: Impossible’  films are going to be a lot of fun”

Whilst he’s expecting more memes of him and Frost when the pubs reopen later this week, Pegg himself will be waiting for things to blow over at home until he can get back to filming. What can we expect from the next M:I instalment? Pegg says the supporting cast will have bigger roles, with each getting their own storyline. “I know the basic story of the two movies and it’s going to be a lot of fun. With me and Ving [Rhames, who plays Luther Strickell], you know, we’ve put the hours in now so we’d hope we would get some kind of payback to give our characters their own arc, something really interesting to do and I think we have that now.”

As with Lost Transmissions , Pegg relished the opportunity to venture into the limelight more. “It’s great because it obviously gives you something to get your teeth into as an actor and you don’t want to be hanging around waiting to do stuff on set. You want to be on set and if you are the main actor, then you do get to do that the most. It was really nice. I hope I can continue to do that.”

“I hope I can continue to be the main actor on set”

Will Tom Cruise’s rumoured lockdown village be a reality when filming starts again this autumn? “I’ve heard about that. I don’t know how true it is, but I’ll wait until I get confirmation from the source.” And what about Cruise’s plans to make the first film shot in space with Elon Musk? Will the Star Trek -loving Pegg be following him up anytime soon? “I’d love to go into space, it would be amazing! But you know, you have to also think about your family and safety and stuff,” Pegg laughs. “Tom never does anything recklessly and all of his stunts are meticulously designed, rehearsed and trained for. If he does it, it will be really safe. So, I don’t know, you never know.”

For now, Pegg is keeping his feet firmly on the ground, remaining at home with his family. Until filming restarts, he’ll be writing lots (during the first few weeks of lockdown, he dashed off eight episodes of a new, under-wraps TV series) and he’s planning more indie filmmaking as his production company, Stolen Picture, continues to grow. He beams when he talks about both, sounding happy and content.

“I’ve really relished being able to just get my head down and do some writing,” he says. “It’s been really fun [with Stolen Picture] to actually have some sort of autonomy or control over what we’re doing, to have some say, to have some space where we can create our own stuff.” Pegg’s non-stop work schedule shows no signs of slowing post-lockdown. Stepping out as a fully-fledged frontman and filmmaker, the next 20 years promise to be his most exciting yet.

‘Lost Transmissions’ is available online now

More Stories:

Nell tiger free doesn’t scare easily: “‘the first omen’ was so much fun”, sydney sweeney doesn’t get why you’re obsessed with her: “i’m just being me”, ethan coen misses the pre-streaming movie business: “i don’t know where i am anymore”, sakura ando on ‘monster’ and reuniting with director hirokazu kore-eda, marisa abela: “if i’ve learned anything from amy winehouse, it’s to be fearless”, austin butler and timothée chalamet tell us about their obsessions with radiohead and the beatles.

Mission: Impossible’s Simon Pegg Weighs In On Whether He’ll Keep Working With Tom Cruise After Franchise Ends And He Finally ‘Stops Jumping Off S–t’

Will this dynamic duo continue on?

Simon Pegg has been working with Tom Cruise for almost two decades. Fans may know that in the Mission: Impossible films, Pegg plays Benji Dunn , an IMF technician who helps Cruise's Ethan Hunt achieve the, well, impossible. The action franchise has continued for a while, and rumors suggest that M:I 8 may be the end for the series , or at least Cruise’s tenure with it. Now, Pegg is weighing in on what he sees for the Top Gun actor’s post- Mission career, and if he thinks that he will get to be a part of it. 

The Shaun of the Dead star -- who's been part of some of M:I 's best mask-rip reveals -- recently sat down with The Independent to talk about his films and his own relationship with the blockbuster franchise. While he clearly enjoys working within that universe, even he knows it can’t go on forever. He didn’t confirm or deny if he and Tom Cruise would hang it up after serving as Mission: Impossible 8 cast members. but he did comment on what he believes Cruise’s next phase of acting will look like. He also revealed his thoughts on working with the Risky Business actor again post- Mission , saying:

I don’t know. I love working with Tom [see?] and he’s really good fun to work with but I get the feeling that when Tom goes off and does other things, it’ll be a completely different thing. He has a whole other age to come in his career. He’s a very good actor, a very, very good actor – as we’ve seen in Magnolia and Jerry Maguire… I think when he finally stops jumping off shit, he’ll have a third act. And yes it’d be nice to be a part of that.

The Mission: Impossible Movies In Order And How To Watch Them Streaming

Simon Pegg previously opened up about the effect that Tom Cruise’s love for "jumping off shit" has had on the rest of the cast. While they are in awe of the actor's otherworldly abilities, Pegg still worries about the possibility that Cruise could seriously injure himself . This fear likely continues in M:I 8 , for which even more mind-blowing and death-defying stunts have been teased. After Dead Reckoning Part One , the next film has a lot to live up too, and it may be difficult for the eighth movie to stand on its own .

The Paul actor isn’t the only one who has speculated about what the Oscar nominee's next career phase may look like. Movies like Top Gun : Maverick and a planned SpaceX film suggest that the Oscar nominee isn’t ready to slow down quite yet. However, as much as we love watching him run and jump off tall buildings, cliffs, and trains, surely some would also love to see the actor return to quieter roles and show off his dramatic acting chops. He is always unpredictable, so when we do finally learn about his next project, it will likely shock as well as challenge both the star himself and his audience. 

Even if M:I 8 is the end for Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, it’s very sweet that Simon Pegg hopes that his unlikely friendship and collaborations with the movie star will live on. They make a great duo, and have complimented each other well throughout the run of the franchise. Those movies are no easy feat, and having a familiar face to support you throughout is something really special. I think all Mission fans would love to see these two back on the big screen together again in some capacity -- just hopefully on something maybe a little less dangerous. 

You can catch Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One , which is currently available to rent on Amazon . You can also see the duo in previous installments of the Mission: Impossible franchise which are streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription .

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

Writer, podcaster, CinemaBlend contributor, film and television nerd, enthusiastic person. Hoping to bring undying passion for storytelling to CinemaBlend.

The First Omen Review: Excellent Scares In A Story That Can't Overcome Prequel Pitfalls

Gerald’s Game’s Carla Gugino Recalls Fearing That The Brilliant Stephen King Movie Could Have Been The End Of Her Career

Exes Gwyneth Paltrow And Chris Martin Are Friendly Now, But It Sounds Like She May Be A Little Enthusiastic About His Wedding To Dakota Johnson

Most Popular

By Heidi Venable April 04, 2024

By Mike Reyes April 04, 2024

By Corey Chichizola April 04, 2024

By Tom Wardley April 04, 2024

By Laura Hurley April 04, 2024

By Sarah El-Mahmoud April 04, 2024

By Nick Venable April 04, 2024

By Adam Holmes April 04, 2024

• 2 Jerrod Carmicheal And Dave Chappelle Feud: What Happened And Why They Still Aren’t On The Same Page
• 3 Reacher Star Alan Ritchson Finally Addresses The Batman Rumors, And I Think James Gunn Needs To Call This Dude
• 4 Elizabeth Hurley Reacts To The Theories She May Have Been The Older Woman Prince Harry Said He Slept With In Spare
• 5 The Matrix 5 Isn’t Helmed By The Wachowskis, And Fans Are Sounding Off On Social Media

Mission: Impossible Changed Simon Pegg’s Entire Life

The longtime IMF agent—and sidekick to Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt—explains how the series led him to fitness, and reveals the highlights (and greatest stunts) from his 17 years as Benji.

WHEN SIMON Pegg appeared in 2006's Mission: Impossible III —his first of now five outings as IMF Agent Benji Dunn in the long-running action franchise—he was, in his own words, "fairly out of shape." Sure, he'd already played a ruthless police constable protagonist in one of history's greatest action comedies (2007's Hot Fuzz ), but it was only when the opportunity for Benji to go from the guy at the computer to a proper gun-toting field agent came in 2011's Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol that his attitude toward personal fitness really changed. He started taking his training as seriously, as, well, an IMF field agent would.

"In that edit, I lose about 20 pounds," he says with a hearty laugh. "I was training on the job, and ever since then, really, it’s been a huge part of my life to stay as fit and healthy as I possibly can. In that respect, Mission really turned my life around."

Fitness has continued to be part of Pegg's daily routine in the 12 years since Ghost Protocol 's release, and he continues working out with Cruise to this day, including in the star's traveling on-set gym that he calls "the pain cave." Pegg has seen Cruise's equipment go from fairly barebones and bodyweight-focused early on to now the less physically-demanding ARX machines, which offer constant resistance but less wear and tear on the body. "I wouldn’t say it’s good for him getting older, because he doesn’t seem to get older," Pegg says. "But it’s good for me getting older."

At this point, Benji has become a seasoned IMF agent, running missions with Ethan Hunt for well over a decade by the time we get to the newest film, Dead Reckoning Part One. And given all the time put in, it makes perfect sense that Benji can keep up with the world's greatest secret agent/stuntman. In an interview conducted before SAG-AFTRA began its strike on Thursday, Pegg talked all things Mission: Impossible, his history with the franchise, and the power of Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie.

Men's Health: Part of what makes the Mission: Impossible movies so much fun is that the action sequences all feel so real—probably because they basically are. What’s the most important part, prep wise, getting ready to be part of that?

Simon Pegg: Aside from the fact that being a field agent would require being in good shape, we never quite know what, exactly, we’re going to be doing when we shoot the movie. There’s the script, and there’s the story, but there’s also a lot of room for improvisation along the way. I don’t mean dialogue, but, like, why don’t we do this, or why don’t you do that.

It’s really good just to be match fit generally when you enter into a Mission shoot, and be ready for anything. So, that requires you to just be in tip-top shape, really, because you never quite know what you’re going to get asked to do.

How has Tom Cruise impacted your view on fitness? Do you ever work out with him on- or off-set?

Yeah! He famously has what we call the “pain cave” on set, which is the gym he uses when he’s at work; he lets us all use that.

We used to train together on Rogue Nation because we were all staying at the same hotel. Me and Tom and Rebecca would all train together, and it was always really, really fun. Laterally, on this one, because he was so busy all the time—he’d finish work and he’d have to go off and speak to, like, diplomats and shit, to get us permission to shoot during the pandemic—we didn’t get the opportunity to work out so much. But he’s really inspiring in that regard. You look at him, he’s 61, and he’s in incredible shape. He’s just a testament to the fact that if you do put in the hours, you don’t have to give up when you’re 40. You can stay in shape, and you can keep your body trim, and that invariably increases your sense of well-being, I think.

I’ve heard stories from productions past that when Tom isn’t engaged by the idea of a stunt, he’ll kind of just yell " BORING!" Can you vouch for that story?

[LAUGHS] Generally what Tom says, script wise, is, “I don’t get it.” He’s got this incredible capacity to see the movie from total objectivity. So, he’ll see it through the eyes of a 12-year-old kid sitting in a multiplex in Wyoming, or something, and be able to empathize with their experience, and know why something isn’t working at a certain time.

One thing I’ve realized with Tom is that the reason he is the way he is, the reason he’s the only person, really, to be able to do this kind of stuff—he’s the last great movie star, in the judicial sense—is because he just puts the hours in. I mean, he is utterly, utterly dedicated. I don’t think I can do that. I think I have other things that distract me from doing that, like, you know, just playing Minecraft with my kid, or whatever. But that’s something you look at, and you just think OK, it can be done. But it’s not easy.

But he is his own industry. He’s a walking industry, and to keep that industry running, and to keep that industry at its optimum effectiveness, he has to do what he does. I’m not Tom Cruise, thankfully.

I’ve also heard stories from back when you were first entering the franchise, that Ricky Gervais was actually the original pick to play Benji. Do you know if that's true?

No, that’s actually a myth. I think J.J. [Abrams] had spoken to Ricky about a part in the Berlin sequence at the beginning of the film, and that didn’t work out. But as far as I know that’s not the case.

So you were always Benji?

I think so. J.J. had seen Shaun of the Dead, and called me up, and just offered me the role. He didn’t go through any of my representatives or anything. It was just, straight, man-to-man, which is very, very J.J. He’s a very can-do guy, so he just got my number, called me, and said H ey, do you want to come and do this? And I was a bit flummoxed by it! He did the same thing with Star Trek— and I love that about him.

And now it’s been 17 years and counting. When J.J. first gave you that call, did you have any inkling that this journey would turn into what it’s become?

Not at all. I thought it was just a little bit of stunt casting. I felt like it was going to be a little cameo, one for fans of Shaun, and I had no idea that it would continue. And then I got a call a year or so after MI:3 came out, saying How do you feel about Benji becoming a field agent? And, again, I was like, Sure, OK! And that was that.

The series entered the second half of its life, in a way, which is this incredible collaboration between Tom and Chris McQuarrie, because Chris came on board while we were shooting Ghost Protocol with Brad Bird, who did such a great job with that movie, and really introduced the team dynamic, which is persistent since then. But Tom and McQ had already started their creative romance before that with Valkyrie, and it just seemed really logical that McQ come on and direct Rogue Nation. And I think because that went so well, Tom felt like this guy is my lucky charm. And so the back half of this series has had this different kind of feel to it. The first four were all directed by different directors, and sort of self-contained episodes with their own character, and ever since Ghost Protocol onwards, it’s become much more of a continuance.

I love that about them. Even in this movie, you get all sorts of references to past movies, like John Lark and Fallout . I think the way they connect makes them even more fun.

Oh yeah. And McQ [Christopher McQuarrie] is really good at that. Getting Henry Czerny back to play Kittridge again, and that link to the first Mission: Impossible —it really gathers the entire story together into an ongoing saga. And that only gets moreso with Part Two of Dead Reckoning.

Having played Benji for so long at this point, does he feel like a fully-formed person within you that you can tap into at any point? Or do you still find yourself taking influence from elsewhere?

The privilege I’ve had in being in these movies for so long is that I’ve been able to build Benji as a character with each successive installment. So, I always had the feeling that in Mission: Impossible 3, when he was directing Ethan through Shanghai, he got this sort of thrill of exhilaration, and decided to enlist in the field agent program. Then we see him in the field for the first time in 4, and every time we do another film, I build on what Benji’s been through before. And so by the time we meet him in Dead Reckoning Part One , he’s a really experienced, much more of a journeyman agent than he ever has been. He’s been through a lot. He’s saved the world a few times. He’s been hung, he’s killed people, and you just try to pile that experience onto the character you already have, but at the same time retaining his truth and authenticity as the most human of the team. He’s the one that actually takes stock of the situation, looks around him, and says What the hell is going on?

You need that. Because Ethan is all about being this kind of unstoppable super agent, and as human as he is, he always just gets the job done. He never questions anything—and Benji’s the one who does. It’s sweet, because I think Benji’s the only character in the series who can actually shout at Ethan, and Ethan listens. Which is really fun to play.

Benji is usually the one on the other end of the phone during some of these incredible Ethan moments, whether it’s jumping through a window or off a cliff on a motorcycle. And a key part of those moments is you nailing the chemistry of the back and forth in the conversation that comes just before and after. What goes into that?

I think we’ve just developed that chemistry over the years, as we’ve become friends. We have a very easy off-screen relationship as well; it’s very fun and playful. We make each other laugh a lot. If, ever, I can be there for the B-side of a scene—like, I was up there on the mountain , behind the camera, doing the lines back to him when he was on the bike.

I remember the first day of shooting Mission: Impossible 3, and I was shooting the scene in the afternoon where I was guiding him through Shanghai, and he said Do you want me to stay? I’ll stay behind this aftternoon. I was going to go train, but if you want me for off-lines. I was very British about it, and I said Oh, no no. Don’t be ridiculous, of course not. But he meant it, you know? And so we’re always trying to make sure that if it’s possible, then we’re there for each other to make sure that the banter between them sings.

I love the car chase in Rogue Nation . Specifically the part where you and Tom crash into Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames, and you have that little moment.

Yeah! I love that.

Was that improvised? How did you come to that little friendly moment within such an intense sequence?

I remember thinking that it would be really funny if Benji was just like Hey! It’s those guys! That whole thing really made me laugh. Just the shared chemistry that we had, between myself, Jeremy, Ving, and Tom, enabled us to have that moment. It’s one of my favorite bits.

I’m going to jump in with some Mission: Impossible rapid fire questions now. What’s your most rewatched Mission: Impossible movie?

Funny enough, it’s Dead Reckoning: Part One, because I’ve already seen it five times. I’ve seen it more than I’ve seen the others on release, just because it still boggles my mind when I watch it. Obviously, I’ve seen 1 many times. I saw that at the cinemas a long time ago. I showed it to my daughter recently and she loved it. But I think in terms of pure repeated viewings, it’s probably this one.

Who’s your favorite villain?

The villain in the new one is so special, so I’m going to exclude Dead Reckoning Part One from this. I would say I love Sean Harris as Solomon Lane. He was so brilliant, and so creepy and menacing, but in real life he’s just the sweetest guy.

Favorite filming location?

I have to exclude stuff we’ve already done for Two. I would probably say Morocco, when we shot that. Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakesh. That was a lot of fun.

Favorite scene partner not named Tom Cruise?

Rebecca Ferguson. I love her dearly.

One character from the past you’d like to see return to the series?

That’s interesting, because I know things you don’t know [LAUGHS]. I’d like to see Maggie Q come back. I thought she was really cool in Mission: Impossible III, that little team they had going there. She was great.

You know, the minute I start picking on that thread, I’ll say Paula, or Renner, or loads of those people.

Dream cast addition?

Scarlett Johansson recently said that she would love to work with Tom, so it would be lovely to have Scarlett join the franchise in whatever form. I’ve always admired her as an actor, and she certainly can kick butt—because I’ve seen her do it in Black Widow.

Obviously you can’t say much. But what can you tell us about Dead Reckoning — Part Two to get us excited?

It’s bigger and more ambitious than Dead Reckoning — Part One. If you’ve seen the pre-marketing, the pre-press for Dead Reckoning — Part One, then you’ll understand what that means. It does get more crazy. There are things that Tom does in that movie that make the motorcycle stunt seem fairly tame. It’s going to be incredible.

I love the fact that it’s coming out soon. I’m really proud of the fact that Tom and McQ managed to create a Part One that didn’t feel incomplete. It didn’t feel like anyone was left hanging at the end, but the Part Two will certainly continue the story, and be extremely satisfying.

What's your favorite Mission: Impossible stunt?

Oh, man. I’ve been there for so many of them. I was there when he was scaling the Burj Khalifa in Abu Dhabi, and we were going up to see him, and leaning gingerly out to look at him down there, just having the best time. I was there when he was hanging onto the side of the A400, and I was there for the motorcycle stunt.

I think one of the most memorable times, for me, just because I was right there in the thick of it, rather than just observing, was when we did the car chase in Morocco, and he and I were just bombing around in these alleyways. And I remember saying to the stunt coordinator, Wade, foolishly, Who’s going to be doing the driving on this? And he said, Oh, it’s Tom. He’s the best driver I’ve got.

And it was just so, so exciting. We were literally hurdling at breakneck speed around this tiny little zoo in Casablanca. And it was hard not to just woop and laugh all the time, because it was just so fun [LAUGHS]. I think that was my most memorable one.

But being there for all of them… it’s almost more nervewracking when you’re not involved, because you’re completely helpless. You can’t do anything—you can only just watch and marvel at it. Particularly with the motorcycle stunt, I put a film I took on my phone of it up on my Instagram this morning, and you can see how hysterical we all are when it happened. Just utterly wired. It’s terrifying!

.css-1fpt53b{height:1.25rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1fpt53b{overflow:unset;line-height:1.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-1fpt53b{line-height:1.25rem;}}.css-1fpt53b:before{background-color:#D2232E;color:#fff;margin-right:0.625rem;width:1.25rem;height:1.25rem;content:'';display:block;} Entertainment

43 Most Anticipated New Shows of 2024

How to Watch 'The Zone of Interest' Right Now

Manhunt’ Is a Conspiracy Thriller You Need to See

You Won't Want to Miss 'Monkey Man'

Every Dev Patel Movie, Ranked

JB Smoove Has Some Sound Fitness Advice

2024 Is Another Incredible Year for Horror

The 'Invincible' Season 2 Finale Twist Explained

Mojo Is the Newest Comic Callback in ’X-Men ‘97’

Don't Miss an Episode of 'X-Men '97'

FX's ‘Shōgun’ Is 10 Episodes of Pure Epic TV

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

He can’t handle the truth! Did Simon Pegg really reveal Tom Cruise’s darkest secret?

Pegg’s casually dropped bombshell and awkward online disclaimer may have given us the most chilling glimpse behind the Cruise curtain we’ve seen in years

I f you were online at all this weekend, you may very well have noticed an interview that Simon Pegg gave to The Times (£). It didn’t offer much new information when it comes to Pegg (he had an alcohol problem, he wants to be taken seriously, he has tattoos now). However, it did appear to reveal something new about Pegg’s frequent co-star Tom Cruise: he is compulsively unable to display contrition.

“The best thing he taught me is never to accept responsibility for a mistake,” Pegg said. “If something goes wrong and it’s his fault, he’ll flatly deny it. And then if someone corrects him, instead of saying sorry, he’ll just say: ‘Yeah,’ and wink at me … He maintains his authority by never being to blame for anything.”

This in itself is interesting. For decades now, Cruise has managed to maintain an aura of mystique, and this has helped him to become the perfect movie star. Nobody really knows anything about him, and this allows us to project all our hopes and aspirations on to him. In fact, the one time his career took a significant dive happened to be the moment where he slipped and let the world in a little too much. His courtship of Katie Holmes was slightly too public. He used interviews as a platform to preach Scientology values. He started jumping on settees on the television. It was all a little unsightly, and it affected his star power.

You’ll notice that Cruise’s recent career upswing has coincided with him shutting the gates again. Interviews with him are rare, and he’d never deign to express a strong opinion about anything in public. And this is why Pegg’s interview went viral. He gave us a peek behind Tom Cruise’s curtain, and in the process appeared to reveal a genuinely horrible personality trait.

Not taking responsibility for a mistake is a bully trait. It’s what Apprentice candidates do. It’s what Donald Trump does. Owning up to something that’s your fault is human, and it’s hard to trust anyone who finds themselves unable to do it. It is, in short, not a good look for Tom Cruise.

And this might explain what happened next. A few hours after the interview was published, Pegg posted a short video to the internet. “I’m currently trending on Twitter for something I said in the Times interview about Tom Cruise never accepting responsibility for his mistakes, like it isn’t just a fucking running joke that we have,” he said, before growling. “Stop being so fucking literal.”

Now, as far as I can see, one of three things happened here. Let’s break it down.

1. Simon Pegg really was joking in the interview. This is entirely feasible. Perhaps he really does have a running joke where he chides Tom Cruise about his refusal to cop to mistakes. The pair have worked together on several movies now, and may well have developed the sort of rapport where Tom Cruise doesn’t immediately obliterate Simon Pegg’s career and personal life for talking back. However, nowhere in the interview does Pegg even come close to alluding to the fact that this is a joke.

2. His tone didn’t translate. Again, this is entirely feasible. Since the dawn of time interviewees have come to realise that sometimes things that seem fun and lighthearted in person can often come across as uncomfortably blunt in print. Perhaps, for all we know, Pegg spent the interview giggling and winking and saying outlandish things about his friend only to see that, once written down, it looked like a serious evaluation of all of Cruise’s biggest flaws.

3. Simon Pegg got a call. I’m not saying that Tom Cruise’s big red telephone went off as soon as the interview was published and, apoplectic with rage, called Pegg and chewed him out for half an hour about the incalculable brand damage his loose lips caused, which then forced Pegg to issue an awkward response online. And I’m not saying that “Stop being so fucking literal” is as lame an excuse as “I was taken out of context” or “My account was hacked”. But I will say this. If this is what actually happened, and Simon Pegg really did screw up by revealing too much about Tom Cruise, then that response video is an absolute masterclass in not taking responsibility for a mistake. He has taught you well. Bravo.

Most viewed

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Simon Pegg says he doesn’t ask Tom Cruise about Scientology: ‘That would be abusing my privileged access’

Cruise has been linked to the controversial organisation since the 1980s, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey

Get our the life cinematic email for free, thanks for signing up to the the life cinematic email.

Simon Pegg has opened up about his longtime friendship with Tom Cruise .

The British actor, 53, joined the Mission Impossible franchise in its third instalment released in 2006.

He’s since starred in three more Mission Impossible movies opposite Cruise, 60, with the next – Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – out 12 July.

In the latest edition of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs , Pegg told host Lauren Laverne that he avoids talking to Cruise about his controversial faith in the Church of Scientology .

“I don’t ask him about stuff like that because I feel that would be me abusing my privileged access that I get to him, you know what I mean?” Pegg explained.

• What we know about Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield ‘fallout’ amid ‘tension’ claims
• Jemima Kirke weighs in after brother-in-law Penn Badgley requests an end to on-screen sex scenes
• Netflix’s Queen Cleopatra star responds to ‘fundamentally racist’ casting backlash

Cruise is Scientology’s most famous follower. The religion and its leader David Miscavige have been accused of bilking supporters for cash, separating members from their loved ones, and harassing and threatening journalists and critics.

Pegg added that his relationship with Cruise is “just very simple and amiable. We’re friends.”

“It’s always been a very easy relationship. I think you realize, when you meet the person rather than the thicket of mythology that’s built up around them, it’s a different experience,” he said.

“I mean, he loves the fame and he really relishes it, it’s all he knows. It energizes him and spurs him on.”

Pegg also said he “makes fun” of Cruise for his fame and “the things that he can access”. He recalled: “We were filming in South Africa recently on this mountain and then he decided he wanted to swim with sharks.

“He flew us in a helicopter to this seaside part and we dived with sharks. At the end of the day, we said, ‘That was a real Tom Cruise kind of day.’ He kind of appreciates the ridiculousness of it sometimes.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Pegg reflected on hiding his alcohol addiction while on the set of Mission: Impossible III.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is out in cinemas 12 July.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Want an ad-free experience?

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

Subscribe Now! Get features like

• Latest News
• Entertainment
• Real Estate
• Lok Sabha Election Schedule 2024
• IPL 2024 Schedule
• Bihar Board Results
• The Interview
• Web Stories
• IPL Points Table
• IPL Purple Cap
• IPL Orange Cap
• Mumbai News
• Bengaluru News
• Daily Digest

Simon Pegg on working with Tom Cruise: It’s been 12 years. We have become friends

Actor simon pegg says that he has become friends with tom cruise after working with him on mission: impossible series..

English actor Simon Pegg considers Hollywood actor Tom Cruise a good friend, and says it is “interesting to get a glimpse of someone about whom there is so much speculation and gossip”.

“We have become friends. It has been 12 years and we have got to know each other better and better. I love working with Tom because he is such a professional and applies himself with such incredible commitment that it is hard not to try and keep up with that,” Pegg told IANS here.

The actor and comedian became a part of the Mission Impossible world as a lab technician Benji Dunn, but has graduated to a field agent accompanying Ethan Hunt, essayed by Cruise, on his dangerous missions.

“Tom is such an extraordinary person. It is very interesting to get a glimpse of someone about whom there is so much speculation, gossip and talk. It is nice to actually see with a little more clarity about who that person actually is.”

Pegg is back as Benji with Mission: Impossible Fallout, which has been helmed by Christopher McQuarrie. The Paramount Pictures movie is distributed in India by Viacom18 Motion Pictures. It opened in India on July 27 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like.

• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Weather Today
• HT Newsletters
• Subscription
• Print Ad Rates
• Code of Ethics

• Elections 2024
• India vs England
• T20 World Cup 2024 Schedule
• IPL 2024 Auctions
• T20 World Cup 2024
• Cricket Players
• ICC Rankings
• Cricket Schedule
• Other Cities
• Income Tax Calculator
• Budget 2024
• Petrol Prices
• Diesel Prices
• Silver Rate
• Relationships
• Art and Culture
• Telugu Cinema
• Tamil Cinema
• Exam Results
• Competitive Exams
• Board Exams
• BBA Colleges
• Engineering Colleges
• Medical Colleges
• BCA Colleges
• Medical Exams
• Engineering Exams
• Horoscope 2024
• Festive Calendar 2024
• Compatibility Calculator
• The Economist Articles
• Explainer Video
• On The Record
• Vikram Chandra Daily Wrap
• EPL 2023-24
• ISL 2023-24
• Asian Games 2023
• Public Health
• Economic Policy
• International Affairs
• Climate Change
• Gender Equality
• future tech
• Daily Sudoku
• Daily Crossword
• Daily Word Jumble
• HT Friday Finance
• Explore Hindustan Times
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Subscription - Terms of Use

site categories

Sandra oh joins aziz ansari’s lionsgate comedy ‘good fortune’, simon pegg “kept alcoholism secret on ‘mission: impossible’ set”; reveals “simple” friendship with tom cruise.

By Caroline Frost

Caroline Frost

More stories by caroline.

• Woody Allen Says “Romance Of Filmmaking Is Gone”, Is “On The Fence” About Making Another Movie
• Iranian Journalist Back On Air A Week After Being Stabbed, Says “I’m Not Scared”
• BBC Radio Presenter Greg James Apologizes For “Disgusting” Glass Eye Comment In Video

Simon Pegg has revealed how he previously hid his alcoholism from cast and crew on the film set of Mission: Impossible . 

The actor, who plays IMF technical field agent Benji Dunn in the longtime franchise, told the BBC’s Desert Island Discs radio interview programme that he had suffered a mental health episode during the filming of Mission: Impossible III back in 2006 and turned to alcohol: “You become very sneaky when you have something like that in your life.

Related Stories

Director Yeon Sang-ho On Adapting 'Parasyte: The Grey' For Netflix As A Long-Time Manga Fan

ABS-CBN Boss On Partnering With Former Network Rival GMA On Filipino Variety Series 'It's Showtime'

Pegg who is now in recovery, also referred to his friendship with co-star Tom Cruise in the interview, admitting he sometimes mocks the superstar for his unique level of fame and the privileges it brings. 

“We joke about it. I mean, I always make fun of him for it, you know, about the things that he can access… he kind of appreciates the ridiculousness of it sometimes.

“My relationship with him is just very simple and amiable,” said Pegg. “It’s always been a very easy relationship. I think you realise, when you meet the person rather than the thicket of mythology that’s built up around them, it’s a different experience. I mean, he loves [the fame] and he really relishes it, it’s all he knows. It energises him and spurs him on.”

One subject remains off limits, however, between the pair. Asked if he discusses Cruise’s faith in the Church of Scientology, Pegg said not – believing it would “abuse my privileged access that I get to him.”

Must Read Stories

Nbc cancels sci-fi series after two seasons; raymond lee reacts to news.

‘Monkey Man’ Seeing $10M, ‘First Omen’ $8M; ‘Godzilla’ No. 1 Again

‘quiet on set’ filmmakers on docuseries response, episode 5 & toxic kids tv, ‘mamma mia’ turning 25 on west end & producer’s greta gerwig wish.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

• Breaking News
• King Charles III
• Prince Andrew
• Prince Harry
• Meghan Markle

He’s best buddies with Tom Cruise, hangs out with Gwyneth Paltrow and has a VERY ungeeky six-pack. Simon Pegg reveals how he became ...Hollywood's NERD do well!

By Adrian Deevoy For Event Magazine

Published: 17:01 EDT, 7 July 2018 | Updated: 17:01 EDT, 7 July 2018

View comments

While working on Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth instalment of the impossibly successful secret agent series, British actor Simon Pegg completed a personal mission of his own: sculpted stomach muscles.

His punishing physical workout reportedly earned him the nickname ‘Six-Pack Pegg’ from his gym partner, the producer and kingpin of the £2.1 billion grossing franchise, some guy called Tom Cruise.

‘We train together a lot of the time,’ a well-toned Pegg confirms coyly. ‘And yes, Tom called me Six-Pack Pegg. He thought it was funny. I didn’t mind. At 48, I was quite pleased that I was able to locate my abs again.’

Simon Pegg’s reckless days are behind him. He stopped drinking in 2010, having ‘hit a low with alcohol’, and now avoids boozy occasions

Since achieving cult fame as an actor/screenwriter in the Noughties with off-beat hits including Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, Pegg’s name has stealthily become synonymous with big box-office business and earned him a reputation as Hollywood’s hottest geek.

Appearances in Star Trek: Beyond (which he also co-wrote), Star Wars: The Force Awakens and as Benji Dunn in four of the Mission: Impossible movies have made him a film-maker’s favourite and a confidante of major players like Cruise.

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

The ‘nerd do well’ Brit and the American movie deity have become firm friends and, as a good mate should be, Pegg is defensive about the rumours that surround Cruise, regarding the superstar’s Scientology beliefs and lifestyle.

‘He is the subject of so much speculation and conjecture,’ Pegg sighs from behind tan aviator sunglasses. ‘And he just lets it go. People have these opinions about him, which are based entirely on gossip and he doesn’t really do anything to combat that. When I hear people speculating about his weird religion and making assumptions about who he is as a person, I say, “You know he risks his life for his audience?”’

This isn’t a hollow Hollywood boast. All the stunts for Mission: Impossible – Fallout are real. No CGI, no trickery, no kidding. ‘Tom’s 100 per cent driven,’ Pegg asserts. ‘He commits 100 per cent. He is doing those stunts, flying those helicopters, making those jumps.

‘In order to provide any kind of authenticity in an era when you can create anything with CGI, to really get to the audience now emotionally, you have to be authentic and that might require actually risking your life, which he does.’ Pegg pauses. ‘It blows my mind.’

It also broke Cruise’s ankle. During filming in August 2017, while executing a heart-stopping leap between two buildings, Cruise smashed the bone, yet stumbled on to the end of the scene. ‘Knowing how much the break was going to cost the movie, he carried on,’ Pegg says. ‘Tom limped out of shot on, essentially, a liquid ankle.

‘We thought we’d have to shut down for six months because it was such a profound break but he recovered in three. He was sprinting around London again within 12 weeks.’

As producer, Cruise likes to lay on morale-boosting entertainment for the cast and crew. Morocco was group zip-lining. In Dubai, he hired out a go-karting track for the evening.

‘Tom was obviously in the lead the whole time,’ Pegg reports. ‘His name on the board was Cole Trickle, his character from Days Of Thunder. Who was I? Simon Pegg.’

You wonder what thrusting, clear-eyed Cruise sees in Pegg, who despite some dazzling Tinseltown teeth has something of the eternal film-studies student about him.

‘He is the subject of so much speculation and conjecture,’ Pegg says of his co-star Tom Cruise

When I hear people speculating about his weird religion and making assumptions about who he is as a person, I say, “You know he risks his life for his audience?”’

‘Tom’s 100 per cent driven,’ Pegg asserts. ‘He commits 100 per cent. He is doing those stunts, flying those helicopters, making those jumps'

‘He likes me because I make him laugh,’ Pegg decides, sipping mineral water, perched poolside on the roof of a swanky Shoreditch hotel. ‘I’ll pull him up on stuff and I can be frank with him. But he’s still Tom Cruise. When you’re on set, he’s the boss. I’ve never seen him just be a p****. If he’s in a darker mood, there’s usually a reason for it. When his ankle was hurting and he was running on it a lot, he was quieter and a little bit more spiky, but normally we’re laughing a lot.’

Pegg confesses to concerns that, in the pursuit of gut-wrenching entertainment, Cruise could one day come a proper cropper. ‘I remember on a couple of occasions, prior to a really big stunt, that conversation of, “I’ll see you then, good luck.”’

He gulps his water.

‘When me and Rebecca [Ferguson – Isla Faust in the Mission Impossible films] left New Zealand this time last year, Tom was staying behind to do the aerial footage [where Cruise would effectively bungee jump from a helicopter at 2,000ft] and there was a genuine wobbly-chin moment. “Maybe see you in London.” It was weird. I don’t think for a second I could ever persuade him not to do something. But he’s so careful, he’d never say, “F*** it, I don’t need a harness”. He isn’t ever reckless.

‘Tom’s possibly the last true movie star in existence. I don’t think there is another film star like him.’

In all the time he has spent with him – on location, at dinner, in the locker room – what has Pegg learned from Cruise? ‘Don’t jump off buildings,’ he deadpans.

Pegg enjoys sobriety in rural Hertfordshire with his wife of 13 years, Maureen, and their only child Tilly, nine, who is ‘clever and joyously funny’

Pegg is godfather to Apple, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin of Coldplay’s 14-year old daughter

Pegg’s reckless days are behind him. He stopped drinking in 2010, having ‘hit a low with alcohol’, and now avoids boozy occasions. He prefers to stay in and watch TV or play the videogames Minecraft and Fortnite. ‘I can totally see how it could become an addiction’, he observes. ‘I just don’t go out any more. I love not having the pressure of being in a noisy crowded room making small talk with people chasing the first hour of the night. If you go out with your friends and they’re drinking, at about ten o’clock, you lose them all,’ he says sadly. ‘They all turn into d****. I get that even with the people I love most in the world.

‘I don’t think I was ever an angry drunk or anything, just a drunk drunk,’ he says. ‘I was in terribly poor health. I look back at the films I made at that time and I’m really bloated and unhappy. There are certain films of mine that I can’t watch now because I remember where I was at that point and it wasn’t a great place. I only associate my drinking with bad things so I don’t have any yearning for it. I don’t miss it. It’s been the best eight years of my life.’ Pegg enjoys sobriety in rural Hertfordshire with his wife of 13 years, Maureen, and their only child Tilly, nine, who is ‘clever and joyously funny’. Having experienced showbusiness in extreme close-up, would he ever put his daughter on the stage?

‘Mrs Worthington?’ he quips. ‘She played Mary in the school nativity play and as a screaming atheist I did take some pleasure in watching her bang baby Jesus’s head against the stage in time to the music.’

Pegg with Henry Cavill in Mission: Impossible – Fallout; In 2016, Pegg conquered another mountain: having amassed five million followers, he quit Twitter. ‘I didn’t really like the way I was on it,’ he says

Pegg is godfather to Apple, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin of Coldplay’s 14-year old daughter. By return, Martin is Tilly’s godfather, although neither is entirely sure what modern godparenting duties entail. ‘I send her presents?’ Pegg squints. ‘I don’t see her as much I’d like to because they live LA so when I go over, I see her. Chris is better at it. He sends her little video messages.

‘The most amazing thing was at the last Glastonbury that Coldplay did, he got Tilly and Apple and Moses [Paltrow and Martin’s son] up on stage to sing backing vocals on a song.

‘So, her first Glastonbury, at the age of six, she headlines on the Main Stage. My biggest achievement when I went to Glastonbury for the first time, back in 1987, was not having a poo for three days.’

In 2016, Pegg conquered another mountain: having amassed five million followers, he quit Twitter. ‘I didn’t really like the way I was on it,’ he says. ‘I have friends who have social media and I don’t like them on social media.

‘One of the other things I got sick of was that someone would die and you would feel compelled to say something. Nothing exists unless it can be defined by a celebrity and I don’t want to be part of that.’

Pegg doesn’t consider himself to be a celebrity (‘that’s not my job’) and retains a fan’s-eye perspective, which informs much of his work. He still gets starstruck when meeting his idols, like Steven Spielberg, who directed him in Ready Player One. ‘I’ve learnt how to not appear starstruck but I’m always excited to see him,’ enthuses Pegg, who will make his own debut as a director later this year. ‘He’s intuitive and smart but incredibly personable and sweet. I find myself just loving him.’

Pegg’s eyes crease with mirth. He’s fully aware how extraordinary all this sounds. Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Gwyneth Paltrow, global rock stars – somebody’s having a laugh, surely. ‘I guess I’m seen as the kind of guy who lucked out,’ he grins, adjusting his shades. ‘The regular bloke down the pub who won a competition to go to Hollywood.’ 

‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ is in cinemas July 25 in IMAX®, 3D & 2D. Pegg also stars in ‘Terminal’, released on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on August 6

Share or comment on this article: Simon Pegg on his friendship with Tom Cruise and leaving Twitter

More top stories.

• Follow DailyMail
• Subscribe Daily Mail
• Follow @dailymail
• Follow MailOnline
• Follow Daily Mail

Head Start to Home Cooked

• Back to top

Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd

Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group

Simon Pegg Won’t Talk to Tom Cruise About Any ‘Private Beliefs’: It Would ‘Abuse My Privileged Access That I Get to Him’

By Zack Sharf

Digital News Director

• Dwayne Johnson Says Endorsing Biden for President in 2020 Caused Division That ‘Tears Me Up in My Guts’ and Today’s ‘Woke Culture’ Really ‘Bugs Me’ 1 day ago
• Angelina Jolie’s Lawyer Alleges Brad Pitt’s ‘History of Physical Abuse of Jolie Started Well Before’ Their 2016 Plane Altercation 1 day ago
• Michael J. Fox Would End Acting Retirement If a Role Came Up ‘That I Could Put My Realities’ and ‘Challenges’ Into: ‘If I Could Figure It Out’ 1 day ago

Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise have been “Mission: Impossible” co-stars and friends since meeting during the production of J.J. Abrams’ third installment, which opened in theaters in 2006, but that doesn’t mean the two discuss Cruise’s ties to Scientology. During an interview on BBC’s “Desert Island Discs” radio show , Pegg said he does not ask Cruise about anything related to his “personal beliefs” because “that would be me abusing my privileged access that I get to him.” That means Scientology questions are off the table.

So what does Pegg talk to Cruise about? Cruise’s mega-fame, for starters.

“My relationship with him is just very simple and amiable,” Pegg also said. “It’s always been a very easy relationship. I think you realize, when you meet the person rather than the thicket of mythology that’s built up around them, it’s a different experience. I mean, he loves [the fame] and he really relishes it, it’s all he knows. It energizes him and spurs him on. I don’t think I would appreciate that particularly. I’d find it very stressful and overwhelming and it would make me want to retreat. I’m happy where I am.”

Pegg and Cruise are back together for this summer’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” which marks their fifth “Mission: Impossible” movie together. Paramount is opening the tentpole in theaters July 12.

More From Our Brands

Dolly parton turns tom petty’s ‘southern accents’ into a stunning country ballad, putter’s paradise: the $39 million pebble beach estate wants to help you sharpen your short game, final four, suns put phoenix at center of basketball universe, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, bridgerton star nicola coughlan: my contract requires a pg version so my parents can watch, too, verify it's you, please log in.

Why Simon Pegg Refuses To Ask His Friend Tom Cruise About Scientology

Actors Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise first worked together for the movie "Mission: Impossible III" in 2006. The two quickly became friends. Fast forward to filming for the franchise's next Mission Impossible movie and the two grew even closer. On set, laughter rang out all the time between them and amongst the cast in general. At one point, Pegg — along with costars Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton — were kicked out of the studio because of the inability to stop laughing while Cruise was attempting to film a serious scene.

With big-name celebrities, it's easy to get caught up in their image and reputation. It wasn't like that with Pegg and Cruise though. "My relationship with him is just very simple and amiable," Pegg told Deadline . "It's always been a very easy relationship. I think you realize, when you meet the person rather than the thicket of mythology that's built up around them, it's a different experience." Pegg admitted that he does joke about Cruise's level of fame, but he doesn't let it get in the way of their friendship. Instead, he went on to say that he recognized the way it "energizes" and "spurs" Cruise on.

It appears that the friendship is a comfortable one. When it comes to personal matters such as spiritual beliefs, Pegg is cautious not to overstep boundaries.

Past associations, and the impact on here and now

Tom Cruise was once widely associated with the Church of Scientology. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he spoke openly about it, and even allegedly fired his publicist for asking him to refrain from doing so. The actor appeared in a 2004 promotion for the establishment that was leaked to the public in 2008. "I think it's a privilege calling yourself a scientologist. And it's something that you have to earn because a Scientologist does," he said during it. "He or she has the ability to create new and better realities and improve conditions."

Some of Tom Cruise's biggest controversies and career blows occurred in the mid 2000s largely because of his involvement in the Church of Scientology. Accusations of forced labor, abuse, and human trafficking in the Church of Scientology arose on a public scale. Since then, Cruise has distanced himself from the church by keeping a low profile when it comes to the press. His focus has been on privacy and making movies. While he hasn't denounced it or made any indication that he's left it, he's significantly less vocal about it.

This past is something Simon Pegg does not discuss with Cruise. "I don't ask him about stuff like that because I feel that would be me abusing my privileged access that I get to him, you know what I mean?" Pegg told BBC Radio's Desert Island Discs .

Beliefs and adherents

The Church of Scientology is a self-professed religion. Its roots date back to the 1950s, when the organization was founded by L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer. Scientology teaches that trauma impacts people's ability to view reality through a clear, analytic mind. In order to experience true reality, one must go through the process of getting clear. This is a matter of finding the trauma's root, reliving it, and eventually finding neutrality. The individual can then experience true reality, unclouded by past traumas.

The ultimate goal in Scientology is to become an "Operating Thetan." A thetan is an immortal being, which Scientologists believe people are at their very core. "OT (Operating Thetan) is a state of spiritual awareness in which an individual is able to control themselves and their environment," according to The Scientology Newsroom . "You move up the bridge to freedom by working toward being an 'Operating Thetan,' which at the highest level transcends material law," David Bromley, a professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, told CNN . "You occasionally come across people in Scientology who say they can change the material world with their mind."

While Tom Cruise was one of the most vocal about his involvement in the Church of Scientology, other celebrities such as John Travolta, Kristie Alley — who says her relationship with Scientology saved her — and Elisabeth Moss. "Many of my church's stances and concepts are grossly misunderstood by the media," Elisabeth Moss told The Advocate . "It's a long list."

Simon Pegg weirdly describes being friends with Tom Cruise as ‘privileged access that I get to him’

What happened to just being buddies?

It’s worth wondering if Tom Cruise actually has friends in the strictest sense of the word, seeing as he’s been one of the most powerful, influential, and successful stars in Hollywood for nigh-on 40 years. There’s also the whole Scientology thing, but it does create questions as to whether or not he ever kicks back and shoots the breeze like us mere mortals.

One person that’s grown very close to the Top Gun: Maverick star over the years is Simon Pegg , who first crossed paths with the A-list megastar in Mission: Impossible III and has remained part of his inner circle – or at least the closest version of whatever that is in Cruise’s world – ever since. To put it in simple terms; he’s on the cake list , and that’s all you need to know.

However, during an interview with BBC Radio’s Desert Island Discs show, Pegg was questioned about his longtime association with the industry’s foremost on-camera daredevil, and he went about describing it in a way that no normal person would ever talk about somebody they’ve known for close to 20 years.

“We joke about it. I mean, I always make fun of him for it, you know, about the things that he can access… he kind of appreciates the ridiculousness of it sometimes. My relationship with him is just very simple and amiable. It’s always been a very easy relationship. I think you realize, when you meet the person rather than the thicket of mythology that’s built up around them, it’s a different experience. I mean, he loves [the fame] and he really relishes it, it’s all he knows. It energizes him and spurs him on.”

That being said, no matter how buddy-buddy they’ve become , asking about his faith is off-limits, with Pegg admitting that questioning Scientology would “abuse my privileged access that I get to him.” Just remember the next time you hang out with one of your nearest and dearest, make sure to relish every second of the privileged access that you get to them, because life is short.

Tom Cruise Refused to Tell His Family About This Film Stunt

Tom Cruise is known for going above and beyond when it comes to film stunts . But there was one stunt so dangerous that the action star refused to even tell his family about it.

Tom Cruise revealed the 1 film stunt he didn’t want to tell his family about

Cruise has always preferred to do his own stunts if he could get away with. And even in his older years, he’s shown no signs of slowing down. The actor is 61 years old , and is still seen doing the same death-defying sequences that he did in his much younger years. Many of his friends, family, and colleagues are usually well-aware that Cruise might put himself in harm’s way for the sake of his films. But there was one action sequence Cruise felt he needed to be tight-lipped about.

According to Contact Music , the action scene in question happened in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation . There, Cruise would jump on a cargo plane that was taking off. The scene was so harrowing that he decided to keep it a secret from his loved ones.

“I did not tell my family, I did not tell anyone,” Cruise said.

It seemed Cruise was right to keep it a secret. Later on, his mother would see a cut of the film, and freaked out at the stunt.

“We had some cut footage, and I showed her that and she was like… ‘Oh my Lord! Oh Lordy! Oh sweet Jesus… Tom, is that you, is that you? Oh my Lord… I’m so glad you didn’t tell me about this one,’” Cruise remembered.

The stunt was also a rare moment where Cruise worried he might’ve gone too far.

“I was going down the runway, I was like, ‘Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea… Oh s***, Oh s***!’ There were so many things that could potentially go wrong,” he said.

Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission Impossible’ co-star said they always worry about something going wrong

Just because Cruise is used to doing these kind of stunts, doesn’t mean they don’t frighten him . But the actor asserted that the fear is something else that he enjoys about putting himself in danger.

“I just don’t mind it,” Cruise once told CNN . “I don’t mind that feeling, I kind of like that feeling. You prepare for something, and you’re like, ‘What’s gonna happen?’ I don’t mind that feeling.”

However, his Mission Impossible co-stars like Simon Pegg are always a bit on edge when Cruise pushes his limits.

“There’s always a sense that, you know, one day, something might go wrong, we might lose Tom, you know,” Pegg said in an interview with IGN . “Anytime there’s a big stunt, we all have that sense of, you know, fear, but he always pulls it off.”

Tom Cruise did his famous motorcycle ‘Mission Impossible’ stunt the first day just in case something went wrong

Jessica Chastain Learned How to Run Like Tom Cruise to Play an Action Hero in ‘The Debt’

Cruise performed another one of his most daring stunts in his latest film Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One . The scene, which also appeared in trailers , showed Cruise riding off of a cliff on a motorcycle. It was a very meticulous scene that required a lot of moving parts to do right. But Cruise knew he and the team were more than ready to nail the take on the day it was shot.

“I was training and I was ready,” Cruise told Entertainment Tonight . “You have to be razor sharp when you’re doing something like that. It was very important as we were prepping the film that it was actually the first thing. I don’t want to drop that and go shoot other things and have my mind somewhere else. Everyone was prepped. Let’s just get it done.”

But Cruise confided there was always the small possibility that something could go wrong. And if an accident did happen, Cruise felt it was better to get it out of the way in the beginning of production.

“Well we know either we’re going continue with the film or we’re not. Let’s know day one,” Cruise said. “Let’s know day one, what is going to happen? Do we all continue, or is it a major rewrite?”