EXCLUSIVE
Russian superstar Vladimir Mashkov has been cast alongside Tom Cruise in Paramount's fourth "Mission: Impossible" movie, the studio has confirmed to TheWrap.
Mashkov will play a Russian agent in Brad Bird's big-budget sequel, which also stars franchise newcomers Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton, as well as returning cast members Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg.
Mashkov is best known for playing a villain in 2001's Owen Wilson-Gene Hackman action movie "Behind Enemy Lines." He starred opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh in Sergey Bodrov's 2001 crime drama "The Quickie," and has also appeared in the Robert De Niro thriller "15 Minutes" and on ABC's "Alias."
In 1998, Mashkov earned international acclaim for his performance in "The Thief," which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. He was named Best Actor at the Nika Awards (Russia's equivalent of the Oscars) the same year, and was nominated twice for that award in 1994.
Mashkov is also a writer and director whose 2004 drama, "Papa" (aka "Daddy"), won the Audience Award at the Moscow International Film Festival.
Mashkov next stars in "The Edge," a post-WWII drama that is Russia's submission for Best Foreign Language Film at this year's Academy Awards.
The latest "Mission" movie will be a globe-trotting adventure, as production is scheduled to take place in Prague, Dubai and Vancouver, with cameras starting to roll later this year.
David Ellison's Skydance Productions will co-finance the film with Paramount. Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec wrote the script, and Cruise will produce with J.J. Abrams.
Mashkov is represented by Thruline Entertainment.
