‘Mission: Impossible’: Tom Cruise’s ‘From Five Years Old’ Dream and the Story Behind the Original TV Series

Ever catch yourself daydreaming about something so wild it feels like chasing a lightning bolt? That’s Tom Cruise, at five years old, conjuring a vision of soaring off a cliff on a motorcycle. He was so captivated by the audacious exploits of the IMF agents in the original Mission: Impossible series that he vowed to one day be part of such thrilling escapades.

Now at 62, and he’s not just dreaming; he’s doing it, heart and soul, in the Mission: Impossible saga. We’ll also unpack the clever roots of the 1960s TV series that sparked it all. Let’s jump in.

How Tom Cruise turned a five-year-old’s dream into reality

Tom Cruise dreamed of daring stunts from the age of five.
A still from Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning | Credits: Paramount Pictures

While the rest of us were falling off bikes in our driveways as kids, Tom Cruise, who’s now 62 but moves like time missed his address, was apparently dreaming of riding a motorbike straight off a cliff. No kidding. And not just in daydreams. This wasn’t a passing fancy; it was a full-blown childhood wish that came true decades later, courtesy of Mission: Impossible.

Now, if you’ve followed Cruise’s journey as Ethan Hunt, you know the man’s built his career on ‘doing the impossible’ with the same calm you’d expect from someone tying their shoelaces. He’s done it all.

Actress Hayley Atwell spilled the beans during a chat with The Guardian, saying:

There’ll be Tom going: ‘From five years old I’ve always wanted to jump from a cliff on a motorbike’, and realising his dream. But with the rest, they’re kind of making it up as they go.

And realize it he did. In Dead Reckoning, there’s a scene where Hunt has to jump off a sheer cliff on a bike, then parachute down to a moving train. They shot it on day one. First thing. No easing in. Cruise pulled it off like someone diving straight into the deep end of the pool with a grin on his face.

It’s safe to say, when it comes to chasing dreams, the Top Gun star doesn’t tiptoe; he guns the engine and jumps.

Mission: Impossible: From novel to screen

Actress Hayley Atwell revealed Cruise’s childhood dream during an interview with The Guardian.
Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Absolutely, hats off to one clever Instagram user who served up a storytelling masterclass by connecting the dots across decades with style and flair. Let us break it down for you, keeping all the charm and layers intact, because this tale is too good to rush through.

So, it all starts back in 1962 when Eric Ambler, a British writer, pens The Light of Day. This book catches the eye of Jules Dassin, a filmmaker with a knack for turning stories into suspenseful cinema. By 1964, Dassin had released Topkapi, a heist flick about a ragtag crew trying to nab a jewel-encrusted dagger from a high-security museum. This idea and a few others planted a seed in Hollywood, inspiring Bruce Geller to whip up something fresh.

Geller didn’t just copy-paste. He flipped the script, turning those thieves into undercover good guys, creating the 1966 TV show Mission: Impossible. What made it stand out? Geller built a show dripping with tension and sharp edges, like walking on thin ice every episode.

Now, here’s where the magic really hits home. Geller knew the opening mattered more than anything. So, he dreamed up an opening montage featuring a hand lighting a fuse, no small detail. Then, he called in Lalo Schifrin, an Argentine pianist and composer, with a brief so tight it could make anyone sweat buckets: create a theme that grabs viewers by the collar and doesn’t let go.

The original Mission: Impossible TV series premiered in 1966.
Tom Cruise in a still from Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning | Credits: Paramount Pictures

With barely time to blink, Schifrin composed the legendary tune that’s still instantly recognizable today. And here’s the cherry on top: this show captured the imagination of a five-year-old glued to the screen, dreaming big. That kid? None other than Tom Cruise, who decades later would not only star as Ethan Hunt but live out his own wild dreams.

Cruise took the franchise to new heights, literally and figuratively!

So, from a cleverly crafted novel to a film, then a groundbreaking TV show, and finally an adrenaline-fueled blockbuster saga—this is how a spark becomes a roaring flame. And it all started with a story, a hand lighting a fuse, and a tune that keeps echoing in our heads. 

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is running in theaters near you.

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