Tramell Tillman and Tom Cruise on May 18, 2025.
From the mysterious halls of Lumon Industries to the high-stakes world of espionage, Tramell Tillman is making major moves. Best known for playing Milchick in the mind-bending series Severance, the 39-year-old actor is now taking on a completely new challenge—starring alongside Tom Cruise in the latest Mission: Impossible film.
Tillman plays Captain Bledsoe in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, hitting theaters on May 23. His character commands a top-secret U.S. submarine and becomes a key player in Ethan Hunt’s battle against a rogue artificial intelligence known only as “the Entity.”
At the movie’s New York City premiere on May 18, Tillman couldn’t hide his excitement—or his nerves—about working with Cruise.
“So primarily I worked with Tom Cruise,” Tillman shared with a laugh, “and I was just hoping I didn’t mess it up.” He added that Cruise made the experience unforgettable: “Tom is such a wonderful scene partner. He really creates a safe, supportive space on set. It was a delight.”
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As for how he landed the role? Director Christopher McQuarrie happened to be a fan of Severance and reached out for a Zoom chat. “He told me there was a role for me in the film,” Tillman told Entertainment Weekly. “I asked, ‘So, what’s next?’ And he said, ‘If you want it, it’s yours.’”
Tillman didn’t waste a second. “I closed my laptop, jumped up and down, ran around my apartment, then called my team like, ‘We have to make this work!’” he recalled. At the time, he was just about to start filming season 2 of Severance.
Now, with Mission: Impossible about to drop, Tillman is already looking ahead. He’s gearing up for the third season of Severance, plus two new films—Variance Code and Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, the latter starring Mahershala Ali. While he’s tight-lipped on details, Tillman hints it’s “a powerful, moving, and touching story.”
From sci-fi mind games to saving the world with Tom Cruise, Tillman is clearly just getting started—and we’re here for it.
