Mission: Impossible is a television show.
Mission: Impossible . In the first season , the team is led by Dan Briggs , played by Steven Hill ; Jim Phelps , played by Peter Graves , takes charge for the remaining seasons . It also inspired a series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise , beginning in 1996 . Mission : Impossible is a 1996 American action spy film directed by Brian De Palma , produced by and starring Tom Cruise . Mission : Impossible is a series of action spy thriller films based on the television series of the same name , produced by and starring Tom Cruise as Impossible Missions Force ( IMF ) agent Ethan Hunt .