‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ Stars Talk Working With Tom Cruise (Exclusive)

Tom Cruise is back in theatres with the seventh film in the Mission: Impossible franchise. This new movie includes two veteran actors looking to take down Cruise’s character. PopCulture.com spoke exclusively to Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis who talked about the experience of working with Cruise on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

“I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate with some big people, big stars. I was so taken,” Whigham exclusively told PopCulture. “I could sit here and say incredible, amazing, the greatest action. What people don’t realize is how kind and how generous he is as a scene partner and as a boss. He’s a producer, so you’re always aware. I saw the way that he treated [Davis] coming off of Top Gun and I can’t tell you how much I admire it and how much I loved being, as we say, on the floor with him and trying to figure out scenes. I have a love for him and [director Christopher McQuarrie], can’t even express.”

Davis has experience working with Crusie before Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One as he starred in the hit film Top Gun: Maverick last year. When talking about Cruise, Davis said: “It’s about being competent in what you’re doing and the work that you’re doing, being able to understand all of the workings of what’s going on on set and behind the camera, not just your lines, but understanding everyone’s jobs so that you can better help them facilitate their jobs by doing well at yours.”

In the seventh Mission: Impossible film, Whigham and Davis play the characters Briggs and Degas who are asked the responsibility of tracking down and detaining Ethan Hunt (Cruise). And with the way Ethan gets out of trouble, Briggs and Degas have a big challenge on their hands. 

“Degas is an interesting individual who, I wouldn’t say just joined, but he’s entered the Clandestine Services and he’s making his way up the ranks,” Davis said about his character. “He’s been tasked with teaming up with Briggs, Shea’s character, and chasing after Ethan Hunt. So it comes down to this new guy. I guess it’s like the old way versus the new way and trying to understand how to blend it or if it should be blended at all.”

“You’re always trying to find your way, where do you fit in a film,” Whigham added. “Especially something like this because Tom’s name comes above Mission Impossible, so you know he is the biggest star in the world, man. We, too, wanted to service the story, make sure. These guys follow a story and they let these two guys who could be just somewhat banal and uninteresting become interesting as it unfolded and they allowed us to do that. It didn’t happen very often.”