‘Mission: Impossible’ star Ving Rhames says Tom Cruise taught him Hollywood’s most important lesson

Between death-defying stunts, Ving Rhames embraced a different kind of mission — learning from Tom Cruise how to survive and thrive in Hollywood.

The actor, who has appeared in every "Mission: Impossible" movie in the franchise as world-class hacker and confidant Luther Stickell, is taking on a new high-risk operation. 

As host of the History Channel series "History’s Deadliest with Ving Rhames," he guides viewers through some of the most catastrophic natural disasters ever recorded, where the danger is real and survival is anything but guaranteed.

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The 66-year-old told Fox News Digital that explosions, car chases and high-altitude chaos aside, he’s never feared for his safety while bringing "Mission: Impossible" to life, all thanks to the steady hand of Cruise.

"Tom Cruise made it quite safe for us," Rhames insisted.

From the very beginning, Rhames said the 63-year-old star managed to surprise him.

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"[What surprised me about him?] I’d say the fact that Tom Cruise does not see color," Rhames said. "To work with a Caucasian actor who really didn’t see color, I was very moved by the experience."

Between daredevil stunts, Cruise didn’t hesitate to sit down and bond with Rhames.

"[My favorite memories] are talking to him off-stage," said Rhames. "Learning secrets he knew about the industry that he was able to talk to me about."

The biggest lesson Rhames said Cruise passed along was surprisingly simple: "Treat each person fairly."

In an industry known for ego and excess, Rhames said that principle has been essential to his longevity in the entertainment industry.

"[One big piece of advice is] to be in Hollywood, not of Hollywood," he said. "And that's just from years of experience."

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Cruise’s spokesperson for comment.

Before "Mission: Impossible," Rhames faced another challenge: portraying feared Los Angeles crime boss Marsellus Wallace in 1994’s "Pulp Fiction." Like with Cruise, he described the cast as "down-to-earth."

But there was one unexpected reason the dark comedy was so memorable.

"The tape on the back of my head!" he said. "I was going to a dermatologist, and I had a keloid injected. I had that Band-Aid on. So then the day we had to film, I had the Band-Aid off. Quentin Tarantino said, ‘Where’s the Band-Aid?' It was something that wasn’t planned. It just happened."

The look stuck. To this day, fans have a few choice words when they spot Rhames.

"I’m gonna get medieval on your a--," said Rhames, referring to one of his character’s most iconic catchphrases.

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Even with decades of Hollywood experience, Rhames said he was unprepared for the disturbing stories uncovered in "History’s Deadliest."

"We did an episode about something that happened in China," he teased. "I was affected because I really thought about how many people were affected by this [natural catastrophe]. If that happened in America, how would it have affected me? But I hope [these stories] will give knowledge. And I hope that the knowledge I get from it will make me a fuller human being."

After narrating "History’s Deadliest," there’s one thing Rhames would tell viewers.

"Never put anything past man — that’s what I would say to them," Rhames said. "History repeats itself."

Rhames is still going strong, and Cruise remains just as relentless.

In May 2025, while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," Cruise said he doesn’t see himself ever stepping back from action movies.

He previously told the outlet that he wanted to continue making "Mission: Impossible" movies until he was in his 80s, much like Harrison Ford, who continued making "Indiana Jones" movies in his 80s.

"I actually said I’m going to make movies into my 80s; actually, I’m going to make them into my 100s," said Cruise. "I will never stop. I will never stop doing action, I will never stop doing drama, comedy films — I’m excited."