Almost 29 years to the date the final film in the Mission: Impossible series, The Final Reckoning, was released, the original started everything along.
Mission: Impossible brought Ethan Hunt to cinemas for the first time on May 22, 1996, with a star cast that heralded its young superstar lead Tom Cruise, at that point already a box office smash and an Academy Award nominee.
However, the project that started it all for the franchise had several other major names to its credit, many of whom have stayed with the series while others have branched beyond.
Take a look at where the stars of the original Mission: Impossible series are now, nearly 30 years later…
© Getty ImagesJon Voight aka Jim Phelps
Jon Voight, now 86, was already a celebrated name in film history at the time, an Oscar winner with several hits under his belt. His biggest successes since MI include Ali, Zoolander (both 2001), Transformers (2007) and Pride and Glory (2008). His most recent notable credit is 2024’s Megalopolis.
In recent years, the star has courted controversy on his political opinions, most notably his stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict and his appointment as a Special Ambassador to Hollywood under President Trump.
© Getty ImagesEmmanuelle Béart aka Claire Phelps
Emmanuelle Béart, now 61, continued her thriving career in Europe after MI, most notably in France. Her most prominent credits since then include Sentimental Destinies (2001), 8 Women (2002) and The Passengers of the Night (2023).
She married actor Michaël Cohen in 2008, and they adopted a child together before separating in 2011. Emmanuelle has since been named an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters and been bestowed with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, the most prestigious national honor in France.
© Getty ImagesHenry Czerny aka Eugene Kittridge
Henry Czerny, now 66, made his return as Eugene Kittridge in Dead Reckoning (2023) and Final Reckoning, racking up other prominent credits on the way such as The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), The Pink Panther (2006), Remember (2015), The Other Half (2016) and Scream VI (2023), plus the TV shows Revenge and Quantico.
Not much is known about his personal life. He is currently married to Claudine Cassidy and they have a son.
© Getty ImagesVing Rhames aka Luther Stickell
Ving Rhames, now 66, remains an integral part of the MI franchise, playing Luther Stickell in every film of the series since the original. His other biggest credits include Con Air (1997), Lilo & Stitch (2002), Dawn of the Dead (2004), and the miniseries Don King: Only in America (which won him a Golden Globe).
After his 1999 divorce from then-wife Valerie Scott, he found love with Deborah Reed. The couple have been married since 2000 and he is now a father-of-three.
© Getty ImagesVanessa Redgrave aka Max Mitsopolis
Dame Vanessa Redgrave, now 88, remains an icon of cinema and theater. Since the original MI, she received a Tony Award in 2003 and has starred in prominent films like Venus (2006), Atonement (2007), Foxcatcher (2014), and will next appear in 2025’s Cold Storage with son-in-law Liam Neeson.
Vanessa tied the knot with her former love Franco Nero in 2006. She suffered tragedy between 2009 and 2010 when she lost both her younger siblings and her daughter, actress Natasha Richardson. She is now a mother-of-three and grandmother to six.
© Getty ImagesKristin Scott Thomas aka Sarah Davies
Kristin Scott Thomas, now 65, earned an Academy Award nomination the year after the original MI for The English Patient, and has followed that up with successes like Gosford Park (2001), I’ve Loved You So Long (2008), Leaving (2009), Darkest Hour (2017) and the TV show Slow Horses.
After her divorce in 2005 from French obstetrician François Olivennes, with whom she welcomed three children, Kristin found love again with John Micklethwait, the editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News. They tied the knot in 2024.
© GettyTom Cruise aka Ethan Hunt
Of course, Tom himself, now 62, has led the franchise to becoming a commercial juggernaut, and has starred in other hits like 1999’s Magnolia, 2001’s Vanilla Sky, 2003’s The Last Samurai, 2004’s Collateral, 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow and 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick.
In 2001, Tom divorced his then-wife Nicole Kidman after they adopted two children together. He tied the knot in 2006 with actress Katie Holmes and they welcomed a daughter, Suri, before getting divorced in 2012.
