Ving Rhames stars in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Ving Rhames, right, and Jeremy Renner star in “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.” (Photo: Photo courtesy Paramount Pictures)

Ving Rhames was born and raised in Harlem, New York. His career as a thespian began at the New York High School of Performing Arts, followed

by training at the prestigious Julliard School of Drama.

Soon thereafter the talented actor landed his first role on Broadway in The Winter Boys. In 1985, he made his first TV appearance in Go Tell It On the Mountain.

Rhames subsequently segued to feature films, and was eventually cast as a merciless drug dealer opposite Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. That performance helped him land the role of Luther Stickell in Mission: Impossible opposite Tom Cruise.

Rhames has since starred in many other blockbusters, such as Rosewood and Con Air. In 1998, he won a Golden Globe for his powerful portrayal of Don King in Don King: Only in America.

From there, he went on to star in Out of Sight with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, Entrapment with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Bringing Out The Dead with Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette and Tom Sizemore.

Other films on his impressive resume include Baby Boy, Undisputed, Dark Blue and Dawn Of The Dead. He ventured behind the camera in 2005 as a producer for the USA series Kojak. His producer credits also include: Back In The Day, Animal and Shooting Gallery.

Here, Rhames talks about reprising his role as Luther in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation.

Since you play weapons expert Luther Stickell on the IMF team, do you try to keep up with what is going on with military hardware in the real world?

Ving Rhames: Quite honestly, I play a computer expert, not a weapons expert. Luther’s a computer geek, so I don’t know where Kevin got that misperception. But I don’t really keep up with developments in quote “hand-to-hand” combat type weapons or other military technology, except drones. However, I do gang intervention in California, and there are a lot of those military weapons in the ‘hood with the Crips and the Bloods. I hate to say it, but you can find almost anything there in terms of military weaponry, even grenade launchers.

How did you enjoy reuniting with Tom Cruise to make Rogue Nation?

VR: We did the first one 18 years ago, so I feel very blessed and very privileged. And outside of Tom Cruise, I’m the only person who’s been in all five films. And I think that I might have made history for an African American. I don’t know whether any black actor has been in an original and four sequels. You know what I’m saying? So, I really have to thank Tom, and I’m glad to be a part of this process.

Why do you think the Mission: Impossible franchise has been so successful?

VR: I really think it’s because of Tom Cruise’s passion and energy, and the fact that he deals with every facet of production. He’s involved with the writers … he has a certain vision … and I think he knows what his audience wants, which I think is a by-product of his being in the business for over thirty years, since he started young as an actor. He really has a grasp of what both American and foreign audiences want to see. So, I give 95 percent of the credit to Tom Cruise.

What was your favorite scene to shoot in Rogue Nation?

VR: The scene where the four of us, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, myself and Tom, are sitting in a bar. It almost looks like just four guys hanging out. But it was really four friends. The simplicity of that scene, which is surrounded by so much action, makes it special to me, especially given the good chemistry among the four of us.

An African-American actor once told me that it is extremely difficult for black males with deep voices and a strong presence to get work. So, how did you manage to succeed in spite of that?

VR: First of all, I don’t agree with that assumption. But here’s how I feel about it. I attended the High School of Performing Arts, and I graduated from the Juilliard School. So, I believe in being trained, just like you have to do with any profession. I find that a lot of aspiring actors never really train, and yet think they can just act. Being a black man with a deep voice is actually more of a plus. I do voiceovers for Arbys, ADT, and other companies. So, I make a lot of money by basically using not only my voice, but also my size, as far as the camera is concerned. But train, go to school and train. Become a craftsman.

Giving your Golden Globe award in 1998 to Jack Lemmon was an amazing demonstration of generosity and respect for another actor.

VR: That was some years ago, but I always tell people: God laid it on my heart. Besides, awards don’t validate me, positively or negatively. It’s like reviews. You can get ten different opinions about the same performance, ranging from great to not so good. So, I don’t really listen to people’s opinions. Instead, I just set a standard for myself. And what I was trying to do with the award was to show my appreciation of Jack Lemmon and, like I said, God laid it on my heart. To me, there’s really no such thing as a best actor, just as there’s no such thing as a best artist. Rembrandt… Van Gogh… Picasso… Who’s the best? You can’t really say. They each have a different style, and you might prefer one to another. But that doesn’t mean any one is the best. So, I don’t ascribe to the whole idea of voting one artist as the best. I think that tends to undermine the purpose of art.

With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you’d like to star in?

VR: Yes, a very old film Sidney Poitier I caught one night. It didn’t do well. It was barely seen. He plays a Christ-like character who returns to the small town where he was raised. You have to check it out.

Will do. How would you describe your work ethic today?

VR: I’m learning to work now, and I’ll use the analogy of working out in the gym. When I was 25 or 30, I worked out one way. Now, at 56, I work out another way. What I think I’ve learned to do is use my energy more wisely. I’m a better actor now in terms of conveying the dramatic arc of a character and my overall intention. Because I’m more seasoned, I know my instrument better. And often, less is more. That’s the major lesson I’ve learned. A lot of young actors expend energy unnecessarily on things that don’t need that much energy.