Tramell Tillman on his journey from "Severance" to "Mission: Impossible"

Tramell Tillman connected "Mission: Impossible"

Tramell Tillman joins "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning "as submarine commander 06:08

Actor Tramell Tillman, known for his relation successful the award-winning bid "Severance," makes his enactment franchise debut successful "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," playing Captain Bledsoe, commandant of a stealth U.S. submarine.

Director Christopher McQuarrie specifically sought retired Tillman for the relation aft becoming a instrumentality of his enactment connected "Severance."

"He reached retired and said that, you know, there's a relation successful it for you," Tillman said. "I mean, it was benignant of bizarre. I didn't cognize precisely what helium wanted."

When McQuarrie shifted the speech from "Severance" to the Mission: Impossible project, Tillman had to marque a applicable decision.

"I did person to cheque my schedule, that was not a lie," Tillman said." "But arsenic soon arsenic I hung up with Christopher McQuarrie, I called my squad and said, we person to fig this out."

Internally, Tillman said helium was thrilled. 

"It's like, yes, it's yet happening," helium said.

Critics person taken announcement of Tillman's performance, with reviews calling him "the existent standout" who "steals each scene."

Working alongside Tom Cruise presented unsocial challenges. 

"I had to vie with a shirtless, bedewed Tom Cruise," Tillman joked. "He does not skip a time successful the gym. So I had to marque definite I was connected my up game."

Tillman besides praised Cruise arsenic a collaborator.

"So Tom is truthful generous arsenic a country partner. He truly cares astir the work. He is committed to the craft, and helium cares astir the crew. He gives radical the abstraction to larn and to person the resources they request to archer the story."

How Tillman became an actor

Tillman's way to Hollywood wasn't conventional. He initially studied to go an orthopedic surgeon astatine Xavier University earlier switching careers aft his freshman year.

"I was successful chem laboratory and I was bored to tears," Tillman recalled. "I said, you know, I wanna travel my dream. I wanna bash the happening that lights maine up."

That imagination was acting, which began for Tillman astatine property 10 successful religion plays.

As for the surreal quality of his existent success, Tillman remains grounded. 

"It doesn't consciousness real," helium said. "I'm benignant of waiting for the footwear to driblet a small bit, but I'm truly honored and doing my champion to instrumentality it each in, time by day."

"Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning" is distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is portion of CBS' genitor company, Paramount Global. The movie hits theaters connected Friday, May 23.