Mission: Impossible is a series of American action films based on the television series of the same name. The series is co-produced by and stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). Beginning in 1996, the films follow the missions of the IMF's main field team under the leadership of Hunt, who is forced to take over after the team is betrayed from within during the first film. The series focuses on Hunt as the lead character as opposed to the ensemble cast structure of the television series, although some characters, such as Luther Stickell (played by Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (played by Simon Pegg) have recurring roles in the films.