Main Cast and Character Roles
Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, the IMF operative who leads the team through a high-stakes mission to expose a mole. Jon Voight plays Jim Phelps, the seasoned team leader whose loyalty is questioned as the plot unfolds. This core dynamic anchors the film and drives the central conflict. The original 1996 release established a franchise template that later entries expanded into global box office hits Forbes.
Emmanuelle Béart portrays Claire Phelps, the team's forger and a key figure in the betrayal arc. Ving Rhames takes on the role of Luther Stickell, the tech specialist whose skills become essential during the Prague and Venice sequences. Henry Czerny appears as Eugene Kittridge, the IMF director who sets the initial mission parameters and later becomes a suspect. These roles define the team structure that subsequent films would replicate and modify.
Supporting Actors and Key Plot Functions
Jean Reno plays Franz Krieger, a rogue CIA operative who joins Phelps's team and later turns against Ethan Hunt. Kristin Scott Thomas appears as Claire Phelps's colleague, adding tension to the internal trust dynamics of the unit. The film uses these supporting characters to create layered loyalties and shifting alliances during the Prague and Venice set pieces IMDb.
Rolf Saxon acts as William Donloe, a CIA analyst in Langley whose data becomes a target for the mole. Vanessa Redgrave provides the voice of Max, the shadowy arms dealer who drives the black-market deal at the center of the plot. These roles connect the IMF team to the broader intelligence and criminal networks that the film portrays.
Production Context and Franchise Impact
Paramount Pictures produced the original film, with Brian De Palma directing and David Koepp co-writing the screenplay. The movie adapted elements from the 1960s television series, updating the IMF team concept for a modern action-thriller audience. Its box office performance helped launch a long-running franchise that expanded into multiple sequels and spinoffs Box Office Mojo.
The film's practical stunts, including the HALO jump and the Burj Khalifa-like tower climb in later entries, set a benchmark for the series. Cruise's involvement as both star and producer shaped the franchise's emphasis on real-world action sequences and global locations. The original cast's performances remain a reference point for how the series balances ensemble storytelling with a central lead The Numbers.