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 Joining Ethan Hunt as members of his IMF team are Luther Strickell (Ving Rhames) - the only person to join in on all three missions - as well as Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), Zhen (Maggie Q), and Lindsey (Keri Russell). Laurence Fishburne plays Brassel, the director of the Impossible Mission Force, and Billy Crudup is Musgrave, Brassel's right-hand man.
Ving Rhames reprises his role as computer expert Luther Strickell. In this film, says Rhames, it's rewarding to see Luther's relationship with Ethan explored in more depth than ever before. “In the first two movies, they never talked about their private lives,” says Rhames. “These two guys are co-workers and friends; this time, they talk about the things that friends talk about. That's what J.J. has done - he's made these people humans apart from what they do for a living.”
Rhames notes that Abrams's directing style is, in some ways, like that of another director he's worked with. “He reminds me of Quentin Tarantino and the youthful energy he brings to the set,” says the actor. “I think that's contagious with actors.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers joins the team as Declan, the team's transportation expert: if you need it flown, driven, sailed, glided, helicoptered, or motored, he's the man you want - despite his personality quirks. “Declan's a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, mad Irishman,” says Rhys Meyers, who was most recently seen in the lead role of Woody Allen's “Match Point,” a performance for which he received rave reviews. “He's part of the next generation of the IMF - Ethan's grooming him. He's got that risk element that Ethan likes in his team members.”
Declan is also a chameleon, able to blend into any situation unnoticed. “One minute, he's an Italian deliveryman; the next, he's a geeky American tourist; and the next, a Vatican guard,” notes Rhys Meyers. “It's very easy for him to slip into another character.”
Maggie Q comes to “Mission: Impossible III” as one of Asia's most popular actors after starring in such motion pictures as Hong Kong's box-office smash “Gen-Y Cops” and “Naked Weapon.”
Born in Hawaii, Maggie was busy working in Hong Kong when the “M:i:III” call came. “I've been living in Hong Kong for eight years and wasn't planning to do an American film,” she says. “Now, my first American starring role is in a huge Tom Cruise movie. The scale of everything is so much bigger than in Hong Kong. Coming back to America has been a real culture shock.
“Zhen is a very tough, hard woman - a doer, not a talker,” Maggie says of her character. “She works behind-the-scenes; Ethan is the front man of the operation and Zhen is part of the team that helps make everything work.”
To prepare for her role, Maggie underwent a rigorous training regime. In addition to cardio and toning, she underwent some strength training to gain muscle. She also went through martial arts training and boxed. “In movie fighting, you have to be a jack-of-all-trades,” she says. “You can't specialize - you're often called upon to chameleon into different kinds of fighting.”
After witnessing Jackie Chan and other Asian martial-arts stars willing to put their bodies on the line for their films, Maggie Q was impressed with Cruise's willingness to perform his own stunts. “I've worked with Jackie Chan, and watching Jackie, you know he grew up in a Kung Fu school, he was in the circus - he had a tough upbringing and he's a tough guy. There's no doubt he can handle it. When I see Tom do the same things, that, I think, is amazing. Tom earns a lot of respect from the action director and the stunt people who know just how difficult everything is. Tom has an undying energy - when he's acting, of course, but really, all the time.”
Keri Russell, who previously starred for Abrams on his first television series, “Felicity,” takes on the role of Lindsey Ferris, the only trainee that displays the high skill level and abilities to be confirmed by Ethan to become a member of IMF.
“Keri's the absolute greatest,” says Abrams. “I haven't worked with her since `Felicity,' so having this opportunity is an absolute joy. It's inspiring: she's never done anything like this before, so watching her pick up the gun work and the stunts really showed me that she's capable of anything. Tom was really helpful in showing her the ropes of action and stuntwork: the timing of it, the rhythm of it, and getting the confidence to do it.”
In the movie, Russell's character, Lindsey, spars with Ethan using stick-fighting techniques. “The training was really fun,” says Russell. “I spent about four and a half months training with the stunt guys - they're incredible athletes. We boxed and I learned to stick-fight. It was pretty cool.”
For Laurence Fishburne, joining the cast of “Mission: Impossible III” was the realization of a childhood fantasy. “When I was a kid, it was the show we ran home to watch,” he says. “We'd play Impossible Mission Force and pretend to be secret agents, play with the gadgets, sing the cool music, all of that. Now I'm the boss, the guy above Mr. Phelps - I'm the guy who sends the envelopes. Who could pass that up?”
 Next Page: About the Stunts and Action Sequences |
  Director David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en) was slated to direct M:i:III but dropped out in favor of another film.
“M:I:III” delivers all of the incredible action and breathtaking stunts that moviegoers expect from the franchise.
In exploring that, the filmmakers created a new life for Ethan Hunt
Writing team took special care to create a villain worthy of Ethan Hunt.
Let's talk about Ethan Hunt's IMF team members.
J.J. wanted to put his own stamp on the action sequences.
The locations were chosen because they were specifically part of the story.
The theme to “Mission: Impossible” is originally written by Lalo Schifrin, the theme sets the stage for all the action and suspense to come.
This is J.J. Abrams's vision, with his voice as a filmmaker.
Tom Cruise has achieved success as an actor and producer in a career spanning two and a half decades.
Ving Rhames, Philip S. Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Laurence Fishburne, Sasha Alexander, Keri Russell, Simon Pegg, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Michelle Monaghan, Maggie Q
J.J. Abrams, Paula Wagner, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Stratton Leopold, Dan Mindel, Scott Chambliss, Maryann Brandon, Mary Jo Markey, Colleen Atwood, Michael Giacchino, Vic Armstrong, Roger Guyett, Dan Sudick.
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