How would you say Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning compares to the other movies in the series?
It’s huge and on a truly global scale. It’s the kind of movie you really are going to want to see on the big screen, not just because of the epic action scenes, but also because of the beautiful locations. I respect and appreciate that there are other platforms to watch films, but the big screen will allow the audience a full immersive experience of a film like this.
Where does that drive to keep making each Mission: Impossible bigger and more spectacular in terms of stunts come from?
It’s just how I am. I always want to try and do it better. I never think too much about if it can be done, because we work so hard on the stunts. I am lucky to get to work with a talented team on that aspect. Everything is rehearsed and carefully prepared for.
Tell us about shooting the movie on location in Italy?
It was incredible to be able to shoot in Rome and Venice, especially. It was something I had wanted to do for a long time, so it was amazing to finally get to take Mission: Impossible there, with some insane action and a very different emotional aspect to the story. But we were lucky to get the support also to shoot in Norway, England and Abu Dhabi.
There is one spectacular moment that got everybody talking even before the film’s release. Was that really you on a motorbike jumping off a cliff?
Yes, that’s me. We actually did that stunt thrice. I’ve done a lot of work on motorcycles in my career, so I like to think I’m pretty good at it, but that was something else. It was wild.
And what about the car chase around the streets of Rome?
That was me too, along with Hayley Atwell, who was absolutely phenomenal. We were handcuffed together so we actually did the drive one-handed. It was a tiny car and the sequence was complicated, over the cobblestone roads and pavements. It was crazy, but a lot of fun. Actually, I saw a few people doing some insane driving around Rome, so it wasn’t just us (laughs).
What is it about stunts that you love so much? Do you ever see yourself retiring from doing these scenes yourself?
I love learning new skills with the idea that I can use them in the next movie. That’s what drives me. I am never going to stop doing this. It’s what I truly love to do. I love making movies and I’m never going to stop. It’s what I have done my whole life.
Have you ever had a normal job?
Oh, sure. I had a job selling holiday cards door-to-door. I also had newspaper rounds, and worked out-back in a fast food restaurant as a chef. As a kid, when I needed money to go to the movies, I used to cut the grass and clean the yard for allowance. I did whatever I could do to save money in order to do what I really wanted to do. I still pinch myself that I get to do it. It’s a privilege.
How old were you when you first wanted to make movies?
I don’t know, four maybe? I was obsessed by movies as a kid; I still am. I would see these people and places on screen, and remember wanting to go there, but not just as a tourist. I wanted to live and work in these places. That is what Mission: Impossible has allowed me to do. We have been able to take these movies all over the world and celebrate these places and cultures in a special way. It’s what I dreamed of when I was a kid back home, writing little skits for my mom and sisters to make them laugh. I started working very young, and I haven’t stopped since.
How do you stay so fit?
I have no idea (laughs). I’ve always needed to be in shape to make the movies I want to make, so I am constantly training and looking after myself in certain ways. I also like to climb and hike. That helps me stay in shape.
This is only the first part of the latest Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning. What can we expect from Part 2?
We have something very exciting in mind. I can’t say anything about it. We’ve just finished this one, but we’re already onto the next. It’s going to be incredible.
Finally, what would you say is your mission in life, and is there something you find impossible?
My mission is to entertain the audience and to hopefully communicate with people all around the world through cinema. As for what I find impossible, I don’t know. I like to think that anything is possible.
––Asia Features