‘Mission: Impossible’ Changed Simon Pegg’s Entire Life
WHEN SIMON Pegg appeared in 2006's Mission: Impossible III—his first of now five outings as IMF Agent Benji Dunn in the long-running action franchise—he was, in his own words, "fairly out of shape." Sure, he'd already played a ruthless police constable protagonist in one of history's greatest action comedies (2007's Hot Fuzz), but it was only when the opportunity for Benji to go from the guy at the computer to a proper gun-toting field agent came in 2011's Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol that his attitude toward personal fitness really changed. He started taking his training as seriously, as, well, an IMF field agent would.
Pegg learned about Benji's new, more physically intensive job responsibilities, and started his training on the job, making evident progress throughout filming. The next time you're rewatching Ghost Protocol, pay particular note to an early moment where Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and Benji are in Russia, walking through Red Square, before the scene cuts to the interior of the Kremlin.
"In that edit, I lose about 20 pounds," he says with a hearty laugh. "I was training on the job, and ever since then, really, it’s been a huge part of my life to stay as fit and healthy as I possibly can. In that respect, Mission really turned my life around."
Fitness has continued to be part of Pegg's daily routine in the 12 years since Ghost Protocol's release, and he continues to this day to spend time working out with Cruise, including in the star's traveling on-set gym that he calls "the pain cave." Pegg has seen Cruise's equipment go from fairly barebones and bodyweight-focused early on to now the less physically-demanding ARX machines, which create constant resistance but create less wear and tear on the body. "I wouldn’t say it’s good for him getting older, because he doesn’t seem to get older," Pegg says. "But it’s good for me getting older."
At this point, Benji has been on missions with Ethan Hunt and the IMF for well over a decade and he's a seasoned agent by the time we get to the newest film, Dead Reckoning Part One. And given all the time put in, it makes perfect sense that Benji can keep up with the world's greatest secret agent/stuntman. In an interview conducted before SAG-AFTRA began its strike on Thursday, Pegg talked all things Mission: Impossible, his history with the franchise, and the power of Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie.
Men's Health: Part of what makes the Mission: Impossible movies so much fun is that the action sequences all feel so real—probably because they basically are. What’s the most important part, prep wise, getting ready to be part of that?
Simon Pegg: Aside from the fact that being a field agent would require being in good shape, we never quite know what, exactly, we’re going to be doing when we shoot the movie. There’s the script, and there’s the story, but there’s also a lot of room for improvisation along the way. I don’t mean dialogue, but, like, why don’t we do this, or why don’t you do that.
It’s really good just to be match fit generally when you enter into a Mission shoot, and be ready for anything. So, that requires you to just be in tip-top shape, really, because you never quite know what you’re going to get asked to do.
How has Tom Cruise impacted your view on fitness? Do you ever work out with him on- or off-set?
Yeah! He famously has what we call the “pain cave” on set, which is the gym he uses when he’s at work; he lets us all use that.
We used to train together on Rogue Nation because we were all staying at the same hotel. Me and Tom and Rebecca would all train together, and it was always really, really fun. Laterally, on this one, because he was so busy all the time—he’d finish work and he’d have to go off and speak to, like, diplomats and shit, to get us permission to shoot during the pandemic—we didn’t get the opportunity to work out so much. But he’s really inspiring in that regard. You look at him, he’s 61, and he’s in incredible shape. He’s just a testament to the fact that if you do put in the hours, you don’t have to give up when you’re 40. You can stay in shape, and you can keep your body trim, and that invariably increases your sense of well-being, I think.
I’ve heard stories from productions past that when Tom isn’t engaged by the idea of a stunt, he’ll kind of just yell "BORING!" Can you vouch for that story?
[LAUGHS] Generally what Tom says, script wise, is, “I don’t get it.” He’s got this incredible capacity to see the movie from total objectivity. So, he’ll see it through the eyes of a 12-year-old kid sitting in a multiplex in Wyoming, or something, and be able to empathize with their experience, and know why something isn’t working at a certain time.
One thing I’ve realized with Tom is that the reason he is the way he is, the reason he’s the only person, really, to be able to do this kind of stuff—he’s the last great movie star, in the judicial sense—is because he just puts the hours in. I mean, he is utterly, utterly dedicated. I don’t think I can do that. I think I have other things that distract me from doing that, like, you know, just playing Minecraft with my kid, or whatever. But that’s something you look at, and you just think OK, it can be done. But it’s not easy.
But he is his own industry. He’s a walking industry, and to keep that industry running, and to keep that industry at its optimum effectiveness, he has to do what he does. I’m not Tom Cruise, thankfully.
I’ve also heard stories from back when you were first entering the franchise, that Ricky Gervais was actually the original pick to play Benji. Do you know if that's true?
No, that’s actually a myth. I think J.J. [Abrams] had spoken to Ricky about a part in the Berlin sequence at the beginning of the film, and that didn’t work out. But as far as I know that’s not the case.
So you were always Benji?
I think so. J.J. had seen Shaun of the Dead, and called me up, and just offered me the role. He didn’t go through any of my representatives or anything. It was just, straight, man-to-man, which is very, very J.J. He’s a very can-do guy, so he just got my number, called me, and said Hey, do you want to come and do this? And I was a bit flummoxed by it! He did the same thing with Star Trek—and I love that about him.
And now it’s been 17 years and counting. When J.J. first gave you that call, did you have any inkling that this journey would turn into what it’s become?
Not at all. I thought it was just a little bit of stunt casting. I felt like it was going to be a little cameo, one for fans of Shaun, and I had no idea that it would continue. And then I got a call a year or so after MI:3 came out, saying How do you feel about Benji becoming a field agent? And, again, I was like, Sure, OK! And that was that.
The series entered the second half of its life, in a way, which is this incredible collaboration between Tom and Chris McQuarrie, because Chris came on board while we were shooting Ghost Protocol with Brad Bird, who did such a great job with that movie, and really introduced the team dynamic, which is persistent since then. But Tom and McQ had already started their creative romance before that with Valkyrie, and it just seemed really logical that McQ come on and direct Rogue Nation. And I think because that went so well, Tom felt like this guy is my lucky charm. And so the back half of this series has had this different kind of feel to it. The first four were all directed by different directors, and sort of self-contained episodes with their own character, and ever since Ghost Protocol onwards, it’s become much more of a continuance.
I love that about them. Even in this movie, you get all sorts of references to past movies, like John Lark and Fallout. I think the way they connect makes them even more fun.
Oh yeah. And McQ [Christopher McQuarrie] is really good at that. Getting Henry Czerny back to play Kittridge again, and that link to the first Mission: Impossible—it really gathers the entire story together into an ongoing saga. And that only gets moreso with Part Two of Dead Reckoning.
Having played Benji for so long at this point, does he feel like a fully-formed person within you that you can tap into at any point? Or do you still find yourself taking influence from elsewhere?
The privilege I’ve had in being in these movies for so long is that I’ve been able to build Benji as a character with each successive installment. So, I always had the feeling that in Mission: Impossible 3, when he was directing Ethan through Shanghai, he got this sort of thrill of exhilaration, and decided to enlist in the field agent program. Then we see him in the field for the first time in 4, and every time we do another film, I build on what Benji’s been through before. And so by the time we meet him in Dead Reckoning Part One, he’s a really experienced, much more of a journeyman agent than he ever has been. He’s been through a lot. He’s saved the world a few times. He’s been hung, he’s killed people, and you just try to pile that experience onto the character you already have, but at the same time retaining his truth and authenticity as the most human of the team. He’s the one that actually takes stock of the situation, looks around him, and says What the hell is going on?
You need that. Because Ethan is all about being this kind of unstoppable super agent, and as human as he is, he always just gets the job done. He never questions anything—and Benji’s the one who does. It’s sweet, because I think Benji’s the only character in the series who can actually shout at Ethan, and Ethan listens. Which is really fun to play.
Benji is usually the one on the other end of the phone with Ethan incredible moments, whether it’s jumping through a window or off a cliff on a motorcycle. And a key part of those moments is you nailing the chemistry of the back and forth in the conversation that comes just before and after. What goes into that?
I think we’ve just developed that chemistry over the years, as we’ve become friends. We have a very easy off-screen relationship as well; it’s very fun and playful. We make each other laugh a lot. If, ever, I can be there for the B-side of a scene—like, I was up there on the mountain, behind the camera, doing the lines back to him when he was on the bike.
I remember the first day of shooting Mission: Impossible 3, and I was shooting the scene in the afternoon where I was guiding him through Shanghai, and he said Do you want me to stay? I’ll stay behind this aftternoon. I was going to go train, but if you want me for off-lines. I was very British about it, and I said Oh, no no. Don’t be ridiculous, of course not. But he meant it, you know? And so we’re always trying to make sure that if it’s possible, then we’re there for each other to make sure that the banter between them sings.
I love the car chase in Rogue Nation. Specifically the part where you and Tom crash into Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames, and you have that little moment.
Yeah! I love that.
Was that improvised? How did you come to that little friendly moment within such an intense sequence?
I remember thinking that it would be really funny if Benji was just like Hey! It’s those guys! That whole thing really made me laugh. Just the shared chemistry that we had, between myself, Jeremy, Ving, and Tom, enabled us to have that moment. It’s one of my favorite bits.
I’m going to jump in with some Mission: Impossible rapid fire questions now. What’s your most rewatched Mission: Impossible movie?
Funny enough, it’s Dead Reckoning: Part One, because I’ve already seen it five times. I’ve seen it more than I’ve seen the others on release, just because it still boggles my mind when I watch it. Obviously, I’ve seen 1 many times. I saw that at the cinemas a long time ago. I showed it to my daughter recently and she loved it. But I think in terms of pure repeated viewings, it’s probably this one.
Who’s your favorite villain?
The villain in the new one is so special, so I’m going to exclude Dead Reckoning Part One from this. I would say I love Sean Harris as Solomon Lane. He was so brilliant, and so creepy and menacing, but in real life he’s just the sweetest guy.
Favorite filming location?
I have to exclude stuff we’ve already done for Two. I would probably say Morocco, when we shot that. Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakesh. That was a lot of fun.
Favorite scene partner not named Tom Cruise?
Rebecca Ferguson. I love her dearly.
One character from the past you’d like to see return to the series?
That’s interesting, because I know things you don’t know [LAUGHS]. I’d like to see Maggie Q come back. I thought she was really cool in Mission: Impossible III, that little team they had going there. She was great.
You know, the minute I start picking on that thread, I’ll say Paula, or Renner, or loads of those people.
Dream cast addition?
Scarlett Johansson recently said that she would love to work with Tom, so it would be lovely to have Scarlett join the franchise in whatever form. I’ve always admired her as an actor, and she certainly can kick butt—because I’ve seen her do it in Black Widow.
Obviously you can’t say much. But what can you tell us about Dead Reckoning — Part Two to get us excited?
It’s bigger and more ambitious than Dead Reckoning — Part One. If you’ve seen the pre-marketing, the pre-press for Dead Reckoning — Part One, then you’ll understand what that means. It does get more crazy. There are things that Tom does in that movie that make the motorcycle stunt seem fairly tame. It’s going to be incredible.
I love the fact that it’s coming out soon. I’m really proud of the fact that Tom and McQ managed to create a Part One that didn’t feel incomplete. It didn’t feel like anyone was left hanging at the end, but the Part Two will certainly continue the story, and be extremely satisfying.
What's your favorite Mission: Impossible stunt?
Oh, man. I’ve been there for so many of them. I was there when he was scaling the Burj Khalifa in Abu Dhabi, and we were going up to see him, and leaning gingerly out to look at him down there, just having the best time. I was there when he was hanging onto the side of the A400, and I was there for the motorcycle stunt.
I think one of the most memorable times, for me, just because I was right there in the thick of it, rather than just observing, was when we did the car chase in Morocco, and he and I were just bombing around in these alleyways. And I remember saying to the stunt coordinator, Wade, foolishly, Who’s going to be doing the driving on this? And he said, Oh, it’s Tom. He’s the best driver I’ve got.
And it was just so, so exciting. We were literally hurdling at breakneck speed around this tiny little zoo in Casablanca. And it was hard not to just woop and laugh all the time, because it was just so fun [LAUGHS]. I think that was my most memorable one.
But being there for all of them… it’s almost more nervewracking when you’re not involved, because you’re completely helpless. You can’t do anything—you can only just watch and marvel at it. Particularly with the motorcycle stunt, I put a film I took on my phone of it up on my Instagram this morning, and you can see how hysterical we all are when it happened. Just utterly wired. It’s terrifying!
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