This MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Actor Credits Tom Cruise for His Sobriety

Published: May 15, 2025

Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg — CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 14: Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise attend the "Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning" red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 14, 2025 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

By Kayla DeKraker

Actor Simon Pegg credits Tom Cruise and the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE team for helping him to push through a hard time in his life and get sober.

In a discussion with Variety, Pegg explained that when he landed his role as Benji in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — GHOST PROTOCOL, he was struggling.

“What I was ultimately dealing with was depression, which I was trying to manage by anaesthetizing myself,” he told the outlet. “It was less of being alcoholic, more being dependent on the sensation.”

Pegg admitted that on his first day on set, he was “slightly hungover and feeling a little bit wired.”

He continued, “I remember not being particularly present, because I was so inside my own head that it was hard to actually relax and enjoy it.”

Many can relate to Pegg’s struggle with addiction.

The CDC reports, “Substance use disorders (SUDs) occur when the recurrent use of alcohol or drugs causes clinically significant impairment, including health problems, disability, or failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home…In 2023, 48.5 million people aged 12 or older in the United States (17.1% of the population) were estimated to have had an SUD in the past year.”

Thankfully, the actor had support. The production team became aware of Pegg’s struggles, and he sought sobriety.

“They had a sober companion for me — and just really looked after me,” he recalled. “I felt very taken care of and felt valued, because they bothered to do that.”

Cruise also encouraged Pegg. The actor recalled his costar saying, “’You’re going to get in shape for this film — you’re an agent now!’”

Pegg explained, “I kind of found this joy in looking after myself and just realizing that if I ate well and went to the gym, I could actually feel good. So I credit MISSION with rescuing me — because it gave me real focus at a time when I needed focus. And I just had the best time on GHOST PROTOCOL.”

Pegg had been sober ever since.

The actor said of the franchise, “The great thing about MISSION is that it’s literally been a film every few years, but nowadays, if you join a franchise, you’re also going to be in someone else’s movie doing a bit part and being part of the cinematic universe.”

Today, Pegg is singing the praises of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — THE FINAL RECKONING, calling it the “biggest film” he’s ever seen. The movie releases in theaters May 23.