Actor Tom Cruise reportedly berated members of the Mission: Impossible 7 film crew over violations of the movie production’s COVID-19 protocols in leaked audio.
Cruise, the star of the 24-year-old movie series, was recorded yelling at staffers who were not social distancing, according to audio published by the Sun on Wednesday. It’s unclear when the incident occurred.
“We want the gold standard,” he yelled at two crew members who were looking at the same computer within 6 feet of one another. “They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us, because they believe in us and what we’re doing. I’m on the phone with every f—ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf—ers. I don’t ever want to see it again, ever. And if you don’t do it, you’re fired. If I see you do it again, you’re f—ing gone. And if anyone in this crew does it — that’s it, and you, too, and you, too. And you, don’t you ever f—ing do it again.”
About 50 staffers at Warner Bros. in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England, were around at the time. The Washington Examiner was not immediately able to verify the video’s authenticity.
“If I see it again, you’re f—ing gone, and you are, so you’re going to cost him his job. If I see it on the set, you’re gone and you’re gone,” he continued. “That’s it. Am I clear? Do you understand what I want? Do you understand the responsibility that you have? Because I will deal with your reason. And if you can’t be reasonable and I can’t deal with your logic, you’re fired. That’s it. That is it.”
The latest installment in the Mission Impossible franchise has already been beset by the coronavirus, which has forced them to shut down production at times. A dozen people on set in Italy were said to have tested positive for the coronavirus in October. Up to 150 extras were told not to come to work at the time of the positive tests.
Cruise has taken it upon himself to enforce COVID-19 protocols on set, where he often models safe behavior, and he has shelled out money from his pocket to avoid another outbreak. He paid 500,000 euros for an old cruise ship for the cast and crew to isolate on.
