Why Mission: Impossible Left Its Original Stars Fuming

Tom Cruise has always been upfront about his approach to filmmaking: he’s out to entertain as many punters as possible. He’s not fussed about pleasing everyone, but he’s not making films for a select few either. Thanks to his status, Cruise doesn’t have to worry about studios meddling, writers panicking, or directors getting too hands-on. Sometimes things go off the rails—just look at The Mummy—but that’s the risk he’s willing to take. He’s also known for being open to ideas from his crew and cast, with plenty of folks who’ve worked with him saying he’s approachable and up for a chat. Still, you can’t make a blockbuster without ruffling a few feathers, and in Cruise’s case, the very existence of the Mission: Impossible films rubbed some of the original TV cast the wrong way.

Old School vs. New School

While Cruise didn’t seem bothered by the backlash, the original stars of the TV series didn’t hold back. The films have raked in nearly $5 billion at the box office, with entries like Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, and Fallout standing out as top-tier action flicks. But for some of the old guard, the films were a slap in the face. The only real link between the TV show and the films is the IMF organisation and that iconic Lalo Schifrin theme. Otherwise, they’re worlds apart.

Peter Graves, who played Jim Phelps in the original, was especially unimpressed when Jon Voight’s version of Phelps turned out to be a traitor in the first film.

“I am sorry that they chose to call him Phelps,”

he said.

“They could have solved that very easily by either having me in a scene in the very beginning, or reading a telegram from me saying, ‘Hey boys, I’m retired, gone to Hawaii. Thank you, goodbye, you take over now.’”

Not Everyone Was Keen

Martin Landau, who played Rollin Hand, wasn’t thrilled about the direction either. He told MTV that the decision to kill off most of the original team in the first act put him off the idea of even making a cameo.

“I was against that,”

he said.

“Why volunteer to essentially have our characters commit suicide? I passed on it. I said, ‘It’s crazy to do this’. The script wasn’t that good either!”

Barbara Bain, known as Cinnamon Carter in the first two seasons, didn’t even bother watching the films. She reckoned they had

“nothing to do with the show,”

and described Cruise’s stunts as

“a one-man thing, not a team,”

adding that a guest spot in the franchise

“wasn’t of interest to me one way or the other.”

Blockbuster Success Despite the Backlash

So, the original Mission: Impossible cast weren’t exactly fans of the new direction. But in the end, their opinions didn’t make much of a dent. The films have become a massive hit with audiences worldwide, even if the folks who started it all reckon the franchise lost its way.