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Actors you forgot were in Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible' movies

Actors you forgot were in Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible' movies

Eammon Jacobs

Angela Bassett, Aaron Paul, and Léa Seydoux all appear in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise opposite Tom Cruise.Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Taylor Hill/Getty Images/Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Tom Cruise has starred in the "Mission: Impossible" movies since 1996.
The franchise has also recruited some huge names over the years.

"The Breakfast Club" star Emilio Estevez briefly portrayed Jack Harmon in "Mission: Impossible."

Emilio Estevez as Jack Harmon and Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible." Paramount Pictures

Jack Harmon is the tech guy on Jim Phelps' (Jon Voight) IMF team alongside Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and he suffers a grisly fate when the elevator he's sitting on crashes into the roof.

"Four Weddings and a Funeral" star Kristin Scott Thomas played Sarah Davies in "Mission: Impossible."

Kristin Scott Thomas as Sarah Davies in "Mission: Impossible." Paramount Pictures

Sarah Davies is another member of the IMF team who gets killed in the opening mission, and Ethan is blamed for her death.

Anthony Hopkins might be best known as Hannibal Lecter, but he was also Mission Commander Swanbeck in "Mission: Impossible 2."

Anthony Hopkins as Director Swanbeck in "Mission: Impossible 2." Paramount Pictures

Anthony Hopkins' Mission Commander Swanbeck is the one who orders Ethan to recruit Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandiwe Newton) to stop Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from releasing a deadly virus.

Film fans might recognize "In Bruges" and "The Banshees of Inisherin" star Brendan Gleeson as John C. McCloy in "Mission: Impossible 2."

Brendan Gleeson as John C. McCloy in "Mission: Impossible 2." Paramount Pictures

Sean Ambrose forces Biocyte CEO John C. McCloy to work with him on releasing the Chimera virus in order to then sell a cure, which would make them both rich.

Before he played drug dealer Jesse Pinkman in "Breaking Bad," Aaron Paul was Rick Meade in "Mission: Impossible 3."

Aaron Paul as Rick Meade in "Mission: Impossible 3." Paramount Pictures

Because "Mission: Impossible 3" looks at Ethan's life with Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan) away from the IMF, it also introduces her family, including her younger brother Rick Meade — played by Aaron Paul.

"Watchmen" and "The Morning Show" star Billy Crudup kept Cruise on his toes as Assistant Director John Musgrave in "Mission: Impossible 3."

Billy Crudup as Assistant Director John Musgrave in "Mission: Impossible 2." Paramount Pictures

IMF Assistant Director John Musgrave plays both sides of the field in "Mission: Impossible 3," helping both Ethan and arms dealer Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman).

Before she starred in the James Bond Movies, Léa Seydoux played Sabine Moreau in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."

Léa Seydoux as Sabine Moreau in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol." Paramount Pictures

Léa Seydoux's Sabine Moreau is a ruthless assassin working for Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) and helps him get his hands on nuclear codes that would help him start a new world war.

The British Prime Minister was played by "Pirates of the Caribbean" alum Tom Hollander in "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation."

Tom Hollander as the British Prime Minister in "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation." Paramount Pictures

In "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation," the British Prime Minister confirms to Ethan and the IMF that the Syndicate was a secret project that was started by MI6.

"Black Panther" and "American Horror Story" star Angela Bassett joined the franchise as CIA Director Erika Sloane in "Mission: Impossible - Fallout."

Angela Bassett as CIA Director Erika Sloane in "Mission: Impossible - Fallout." Paramount Pictures

When Hunt fails to get plutonium back from the Syndicate, CIA Director Erika Sloane orders her operative, August Walker (Henry Cavill), to assist the IMF on their operations. Unfortunately, she didn't know that Walker was a traitor.

In "Mission: Impossible - Fallout," Ethan ran into his ex, Julia Meade. "The Hunger Games" star Wes Bentley plays her new husband, Erik.

Michelle Monaghan as Julia Meade and Wes Bentley as Erik in "Mission: Impossible - Fallout." Paramount Pictures

When Ethan and the team try to stop Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) from detonating a nuclear bomb in a medical camp near the Siachen Glacier, they run into Ethan's ex-wife Julia Meade and her husband Erik (Wes Bentley), who are working at the camp.

"Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" recruited "Game Of Thrones" star Indira Varma as the Head of the DIA.

Indira Varma as the head of the DIA in "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One." Paramount Pictures/Christopher McQuarrie/Instagram

One of the opening scenes in "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" sees a group of agency chiefs meet to discuss a rogue artificial intelligence that is causing chaos around the world. One of them is British star Indira Varma, who plays the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and is best known for starring in "Luther," "Game of Thrones," and "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Sherlock" co-creator and star Mark Gatiss also appears in the scene with the group of agency chiefs, as the head of the NSA.

Mark Gatiss as the head of the NSA in "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One." Paramount Pictures/Christopher McQuarrie/Instagram

While the group explains to the Director of National Intelligence, Denlinger (Cary Elwes), what the A.I. is and why it's become a threat, Mark Gatiss plays the head of the National Security Agency. He also explains to Denlinger who the IMF are.