Tom Cruise has come under fire for yelling at crew members on the set of his latest "Mission: Impossible" film for not following COVID-19 safety protocol, but sources have revealed that the actor has been under immense pressure, which preceded his meltdown.
"It's hard to [describe] how incredibly intense and focused he is on making every movie the absolute best possible," a U.K.-based production source told People. "The 'Mission: Impossible' movies are very special to him. They are 'his' movies. Tom helped set up the COVID protocol. Of course he takes it personally when the protocol is broken."
The insider explained that, in all the years of filming the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, Cruise has never raised his voice.
"He is usually just laser-focused on filming," the source said. "This movie is very different though. He has to film while making sure everyone stays safe."
A second source explained that Cruise "is a perfectionist" and wanted others to share his work ethic.
"Tom’s whole life is his work. When he sees something less than professional, he wants to make it right," the insider said. "He feels the pressure of how scary things look now," the industry source added. "He does not want any further disruption. There is a lot at stake."
Production on the film had to be stopped twice this year — once at the start of the pandemic and then again in October after several crew members tested positive for COVID-19. Cruise has helped implement safety protocols to ensure the safety of his workers and lost it last week when he found members of his crew violating the rules. In leaked audio, Cruise swears at the crew and then threatens to have them fired. Days later, several staffers quit after he had a second meltdown.
Cruise has now shut down production on "Mission: Impossible" again so that he can take an early break to visit his son in Miami over Christmas.
"It’s the end of a really tough year, and a bit of time out seems like a good idea for everyone as tensions have been mounting for a while," a source told The Sun.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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