Simon Pegg Gets ‘the Willies’ from Watching Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible’ Stunts

Tom Cruise is on everyone’s mind these days.

The massive success of “Top Gun: Maverick” and that jaw-dropping trailer for “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” have brought the actor’s love of blockbuster cinema and practical stunts back into the center of film discourse. And it isn’t just fans who are left in awe of the actor’s constant disregard for his own safety. Even Hollywood professionals find themselves wowed by what he consistently accomplishes.

In a new interview with Soho House, Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible” co-star Simon Pegg was asked to compare Cruise’s Ethan Hunt with the other biggest movie spy, none other than James Bond. Despite Pegg’s British heritage, he revealed that he thinks the “Mission: Impossible” movies are superior because of Cruise’s death defying stunts.

“Because I’m biased, I think ‘Mission’ pips it a little bit, as everything you see, he does for real,” Pegg said. “There are no stunt doubles for him.”

While Cruise’s terrifying stunts can be thrilling to watch from the comfort of a movie theater, Pegg said that he even finds them scary to watch, particularly because he’s been on set and recognizes the authenticity first-hand.

“There’s a frisson you get when there’s authenticity: the idea that this guy is actually jumping off a cliff on a motorbike and deploying the parachute 100 feet from the ground?” he said. “It puts the willies up you.”

Pegg had ample reason to be concerned about that stunt involving a motorcycle and a parachute, which will be seen in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.” Even the famously fearless Cruise recently said that it was the most dangerous stunt of his career.

“I had about six seconds once I departed the ramp to pull the chute and I don’t want to get tangled in the bike,” Cruise said. “If I do, that’s not going to end well.”

“Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One” was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. In addition to Cruise and Pegg, it stars Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Shea Whigham.