Whatever Happened To These Mission: Impossible Actors?

While Tom Cruise and his action hero role as Ethan Hunt may be the face of the "Mission: Impossible" film series, the long-running franchise has introduced plenty of friends and foes who have come and gone from the tangled web of its world of spies. As Hunt carries out work around the world for the Impossible Missions Force, a clandestine American intelligence agency, he is partnered with a rotating team of specialists and tangles with memorable enemies throughout his adventures. And though several members of Hunt's team have become a recurring presence in the movies, many of Cruise's co-stars are limited to one or two appearances across the series.

Here are several actors who have played particularly notable roles in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, but have since departed from the screen as Hunt and his usual regulars encounter new characters in their ongoing mission to keep the world safe on behalf of the IMF.

With most of his friends on the IMF gruesomely killed, Hunt is unsure who to trust before he reconnects with Claire Phelps, the wife of Hunt's field team leader Jim Phelps. Played by French actor Emmanuelle Béart, Claire provides a romantic foil for Hunt as he races to learn who was responsible for betraying his team, only to learn Claire was part of the plot. With Jim revealed to have faked his death, Claire is killed by her husband when she attempts to surrender, with Hunt killing Jim shortly afterwards.

Béart has been a staple in French cinema and television since 1976, earning a total of eight César Award nominations (the French equivalent to the Academy Awards). Béart won a Cesar Award for her performance in the 1986 film "Manon de Sources," with her most recent nomination for 2001's "Sentimental Destinies." Béart has predominantly resumed working in French television and film projects, and works as an ambassador for UNICEF (via The New York Times).

Squaring off against Hunt and his team in 2000's "Mission: Impossible 2" is the traitorous IMF operative Sean Ambrose, portrayed by Scottish actor Dougray Scott. In order to play the villainous Ambrose, Scott told The Telegraph he had to give up the role of Wolverine in "X-Men," which famously went to Australian actor Hugh Jackman to great success. Since then, Scott has appeared in a variety of television and film projects, including serving as the primary antagonist in 2014's "Taken 3" opposite Liam Neeson.

Among Scott's memorable, more heroic roles since appearing in "Mission: Impossible 2" was a recurring role in Season 3 of "Desperate Housewives" as Ian Hainsworth. Recently, Scott was a series regular for the first two seasons of "Batwoman" before starring and serving as an executive producer on the British procedural series "Irvine Welsh's Crime." Since 2007, Scott has been married to fellow actor Claire Forlani, with the couple having a child born in 2014 and living together in London (via The Guardian).

By the start of 2006's "Mission: Impossible III," Hunt has retired from field work with IMF, training new recruits while attempting to build a domestic life with his fiancée Julia Meade, played by Michelle Monaghan. Julia discovers the truth about Hunt's professional life when she's targeted by the villainous arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Monaghan reprised her role as Julia in 2010's "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol" and 2018's "Mission: Impossible – Fallout," with the couple separating to avoid Julia from being targeted again.

In between "Mission: Impossible" appearances and beyond, Monaghan has steadily maintained her career in film and television with a variety of high-profile roles. Her more prominent cinematic projects include 2011's "Source Code," 2015's "Pixels," and 2016's "Patriot's Day," alongside roles on TV series like "The Path" and "Messiah." Monaghan and her husband Peter White have been married since 2005 and have two children, living together in New York City (per People).

Another vital member on Hunt's "Mission: Impossible III" field team is Zhen Lei, who assists with his mission in Italy and China. Played by Maggie Q, Lei is a highly skilled field operative who is injured while pursuing Davian in Shanghai, effectively sidelining her for the remainder of the movie. Like Gormley, Lei is never heard from again after "Mission: Impossible III," with no explanation given for her absence from the IMF.

Q has starred in a growing line of high-profile film and television projects since her one-time "Mission: Impossible" role, often capitalizing on her action star status. On the big screen, Q has starred in the "Divergent" film series and the 2021 action thriller "The Protégé," and starred as a series regular on shows including "Nikita," "Stalker," and "Designated Survivor." Between her work as an actor, Q lives in Los Angeles and is a vocal animal rights activist, serving as an ambassador for the Animals Asia Foundation.

The most tragic character introduced in "Ghost Protocol" is the ill-fated IMF operative Trevor Hanaway. Played by Josh Holloway, the character's death is what kickstarts the film's story. Ambushed by Moreau in the streets of Budapest, Hanaway is brutally killed and has the confiscated Russian nuclear launch codes stolen from him as he dies. Without Hanaway, the IMF scrambles to reconnect with Hunt and gain his help in tracking down Moreau and her shadowy client, while Hanaway's death weighs heavily on the team.

Prior to his casting in "Ghost Protocol," Holloway was primarily known for his television work, particularly his role as Sawyer on "Lost," which concluded in 2010. Following "Ghost Protocol," Holloway has largely returned to working in television, starring on the 2016 science fiction series "Colony" and having a recurring role on "Yellowstone" since its third season. Years after "Lost" ended, Holloway reunited with producer J.J. Abrams for the HBO Max original series "Duster." 

"Rogue Nation" antagonist Solomon Lane would return in "Fallout," with Sean Harris reprising his role as the twisted mastermind intent on plunging the world into violence. While Lane is incarcerated and awaiting extradition for his past crimes, his protégé John Lark attempts to free him and irradiate a vital water supply in Asia. Hunt and his team foil this plot, recovering the nuclear device, killing Lark, and ensuring that Lane faces justice back in the U.K.

Harris has been a prolifically working actor in film and television, predominantly in British productions, since 1994. He made his Hollywood blockbuster debut with 2012's "Prometheus." Since his "Mission: Impossible" role, Harris has appeared in 2021's "The Green Knight" and "Spencer," among other high-profile projects. Harris earned a BAFTA for his performance in the 2013 television miniseries "Southcliffe," and has subsequently been nominated for three separate British Independent Film Awards. Harris currently lives in London.