ELLE Exclusive: Tom Cruise On The Art of Doing The Impossible

There are movie stars, and then there's Tom Cruise. At 65, he isn't just defying gravity in Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning, he’s defying time, convention, and every expectation of what a leading man “should” look or act like, past a certain age. Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: the man is still absurdly good-looking. That jawline? That smirk? The infectious energy that somehow hasn’t dimmed since Top Gun? Cruise has retained all the hallmarks of his cinematic charm, but there’s something deeper that keeps us coming back.

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Cruise remains a constant—headlining, producing, and performing with a level of intent and control that’s rare in an industry increasingly driven by spectacle over substance. With Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning, Cruise doesn’t just sign off on the final chapter of a franchise, he reminds us why he's always been more than just a movie star.

via GIPHY

Cruise’s cinematic legacy is already stacked with defining roles. The flyboy swagger of Maverick in Top Gun, the vulnerable confidence of Jerry in Jerry Maguire, the precise danger of Vincent in Collateral—these weren’t just performances; they were pop culture pulses. But it’s Ethan Hunt, his longest-running role, that has truly shaped his screen aura. Over seven films, Cruise has turned Hunt into a cinematic archetype—sharp, selfless, and quietly haunted.

And in Final Reckoning, he’s at the top of his game. The film leans into the legacy of the franchise: stunning locations, stripped-down action, and a narrative that doesn’t insult your intelligence. Cruise plays Hunt with a kind of worn-in intensity; no longer just the rogue agent, but the man who understands what it means to carry the weight of impossible choices.

There’s a reason this character has become a cultural constant. And it’s tied, deeply, to why Cruise continues to hold the kind of appeal that transcends generations—especially for women. It’s not just about the stunts (though yes, the fact that he rode a motorbike off a cliff—without a double—is still wildly impressive). Because while most of his contemporaries have faded into supporting roles or leaned into irony, he has remained unwavering in his approach. That level of consistency has its own quiet charisma. He isn’t performatively “cool.” He just is. Women, in particular, have stayed tuned in—and it’s not hard to see why.

Ethan Hunt, the character, has become the kind of quietly loyal, hyper-competent, deeply committed man who feels like a rarity. The one who will go to hell and back for you—and never need to say it out loud.

Cruise puts it best himself:

“I don't want to tell the audience how to feel, what they're going to walk away with [after watching this]. Even I, as an audience member, like to experience things for myself. For me, as a storyteller, that communication with the audience is critically important,” Cruise says. “I want them to have their experience. My films are on the whole films you have to participate with, cinema that I want the audience engaged in, not just sitting back. One of our favourite lines on these movies is always when someone says to us, ‘I bought the whole seat, and I only used the edge.’ That is what I want.
That's how I feel as an audience member when I'm engaged in a story. And on this one, we have achieved that.”

It’s that devotion to craft—and to us, the audience—that makes Cruise feel relevant, even iconic, well into his 60s. Not because he’s chasing reinvention. But because he refuses to settle. Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning might be closing the door on one of the greatest action franchises of all time. But Tom Cruise? He’s still wide open. Still in motion. Still impossible to look away from.