Tom Cruise’s work ethic and professionalism is the stuff of legends by now. Known to go the extra mile for his films, Cruise displays perfectionist tendencies in grabbing just the right shot and take. He’s also known to be well-mannered and incredibly polite to passers-by watching him perform on set. And he creates a healthy work environment on set by ensuring that everyone brings their A-game, even if it sometimes means he has to go to extreme lengths to get folks to cooperate.
Hayley Atwell, the newest entrant to the Mission: Impossible series, was witness to all of this. Being a fresh face to the series allowed her to offer her own perspective on what she witnessed. In a Collider press interview ahead of the movie’s premiere, she was quizzed about Cruise’s professionalism and what he brings to the table and she had nothing but words of praise to shower.
Working with him, you’re meeting every day someone who turns up on set on time knowing everyone’s name, saying hello to everyone, looking them in the eye, seeing what everyone needs to make sure that they can thrive that day, and you feel his level of professionalism and commitment is contagious. He is always pushing himself. He never settles. That’s why he is the way he is, and he wears his fame with such an ease and such a lightness of touch, and such an open-heartedness. He’s a pure soul, Tom. I think he’s just a really special human being.
When asked about what makes Cruise go the extra mile, Atwell remarked that his committment to making movies for audiences is a step above the rest. He understands the significance of his audience, which in turn leads him to go the extra mile for ensuring that they receive their money’s worth, not just on screen but behind the scenes as well.
I think one of the reasons why he’s the most famous person on the planet is that he is at the top of his game and has been for so long because he’s so committed to making movies for the audience. He knows that you guys are coming to see the movies he’s making, and he’s making them for you, so that connection that he has.
When we were filming even these stunts in Rome in a car, he would get out in between takes and set-ups and go and say hi to everyone. He takes such enjoyment from meeting people that come and see his films because it’s a relationship, it’s a dialogue. It’s really humbling to see. I think that’s why people love him. That charisma, he makes people feel seen.
Check out the whole interview with Collider in the embed below, in which Atwell compares her experience on the Mission: Impossible films with the Marvel Cinematic Universe where she spent the better part of the last decade. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One arrives in theaters on July 12, 2023.
