Mission: Impossible Star Says They Hid Alcohol Problem From Tom Cruise
Simon Pegg says he hid his alcohol addiction from his friend and Mission: Impossible co-star Tom Cruise.
Mission: Impossible star Simon Pegg says he kept his alcoholism a secret from Tom Cruise while filming the third installment in the spy franchise. The actor, who portrays technical field agent Benji Dunn, made the revelation during a radio interview with BBC’s Desert Island Discs via Deadline. “You become very sneaky when you have something like that in your life,” the British star told listeners.
“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.”
-Simon Pegg
Fortunately, Simon Pegg is in recovery and also chatted about his friendship with Tom Cruise. The Star Trek alum says he sometimes teases his Mission: Impossible co-star for his unique level of fame. “We joke about it. I mean, I always make fun of him for it. About the things that he can access… he appreciates the ridiculousness of it sometimes,” he added.
The Mission Impossible actor described his friendship with Tom Cruise as simple and amiable. “It’s always been a very easy relationship, Simon Pegg explained. “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,” the British star continued.
Simon Pegg debuted as Benji Dunn in 2006’s Mission: Impossible III. He reprised the role in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The actor will reprise the role in the upcoming films Dead Reckoning Part One and Part Two, set for release in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The 53-year has also lent his voice to Buck in the animated film series Ice Age. His voice can be heard in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Scrat’s Continental Crack-up, Ice Age: Collision Course, and The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild. Simon Pegg’s appearance in the latter made him the only actor to reprise a role from previous films.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One will hit theatres on July 12. Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film is the seventh installment in the action franchise. Along with Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg, the movie will see Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Henry Czerny reprise their roles from previous films.
Although the plot remains under wraps, the story will be told over the next two installments of Mission: Impossible, bringing Ethan Hunt’s saga to an end. The final mission will see Tom Cruise’s secret agent return to the beginning in an epic emotional journey. Ethan Hunt was last seen tracking down missing plutonium after a failed job.
A few new faces will join the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One cast. This includes Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Esai Morales, Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, Indira Varma, Mark Gatiss, and Cary Elwes. Nick Offerman and Janet McTeer will appear in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One has already been through a few screen tests with rave reviews from those in attendance. However, President of Paramount Global, Bob Bakish, told the 2023 Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, & Telecom Conference that the Tom Cruise film should be cut down. “I haven’t seen all of MI: 7, but I’ve seen a bunch of it. It’s still too long [so] they’ve got to cut it.”
“But the movie is insane. It’s like a complete thrill ride. And Tom Cruise, he’s very good,” Bakish added. Meanwhile, the sequel, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, will hit theaters on June 28, 2024.
