The actors from the original Mission Impossible hate Tom Cruise’s saga and it makes perfect sense

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It might be surprising to some, but the “Mission: Impossible” series doesn’t just consist of movies featuring Tom Cruise. In fact, it all started with a television series in 1966, and it was revived in 1988, spanning over two seasons. This series followed the adventures of a fictional espionage agency called the Impossible Missions Force (IMF).

The nine-season television series served as a basis for the Tom Cruise movies, but unfortunately, the actors from the “Mission: Impossible” TV show disapproved of them. The highly successful action films, which made billions at the box office, were criticized by the original TV cast due to their dissatisfaction with how their characters evolved on screen. They harbor resentment towards the filmmakers for not valuing their contributions after the success of their TV series launched the franchise.

The original Jim Phelps was disappointed with how his character was treated in the movies

Jim Phelps is a character who has been portrayed by both Jon Voight in the Mission: Impossible movies and Peter Graves in the TV series. In the films, Phelps serves as one of the main antagonists, revealing himself to be a traitor. Weary from saving the world without recognition or recompense, he betrayed his own team, leading to the deaths of many IMF members. His treachery ultimately culminated in a helicopter crash that took his life.

It’s not surprising that Phelps’s actor expressed displeasure about how his character was portrayed in the movies, as he was the courageous head of the IMF. He shared his thoughts on this matter during an interview with CNN shortly after the release of the first movie (as reported by Espinof).

Apologies for the inconvenience, but it seems they decided to name him Phelps. To avoid this confusion, they could’ve effortlessly set things straight by having me make an appearance at the start or receiving a message from me: “Hey team, I’m living it up in Hawaii, retirement’s treating me well. It’s time for you guys to take over.” Here’s to better storytelling!

The Mission: Impossible movies met with opposition from the stars of the original

In a similar vein, Martin Landau, known for portraying Rollin Hand, also voiced his criticism about the Cruise movies during an interview with MTV. Over a decade after the initial movie’s release, he didn’t hold back when discussing his displeasure over the writers’ decision to introduce characters from the TV series, only to have them meet untimely deaths on screen.

In place of the television show’s actors, they opted for a change: renaming Phelps’ team members and eliminating fresh characters instead. Yet, the criticism from Landau persisted, as he continued to voice his displeasure with the movies years later.

During the initial stages of creating the first film (not the final version), the team was contemplating a scenario where they would systematically eliminate everyone, one by one. However, I opposed this idea. It was more about action-adventure than the intricate plot that became known as “Mission.” The true essence of Mission was all about mental challenges and completing missions undetected, leaving no trace behind. So, I questioned why we should willingly have our characters meet a fatal end. I found it irrational and even expressed my concerns by saying, “This is absurd!” The script wasn’t particularly impressive either in my opinion.

Despite the actors from the TV show having reservations about Tom Cruise’s movies, it was the viewers who appreciated them, leading to their massive success and earning a spot as one of the top-grossing series in film history.

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2025-09-08 14:02