The iconic face masks in "Mission: Impossible" may seem far-fetched, but according to a former CIA disguise chief, they're based on real techniques used in spying.
Jonna Mendez, 80, told Radar Online that while much of "Mission: Impossible" is exaggerated, the quick-change face masks are inspired by actual methods used in covert operations.
"The idea of a mask that you could quickly put on, quickly take off, was very real," she said. "We used it with some discretion, but we used it when we needed it and got great results."
According to the outlet, Mendez, who worked undercover internationally for 27 years before becoming the CIA's chief of disguise, once attended a White House meeting disguised so convincingly that she fooled President George H.W. Bush and top government officials, only revealing her true identity when she removed a realistic mask hiding her age, hair color, and facial features.
"No one had any idea until I took it off," she said, adding that although the CIA masks were not built to last long, an agent could easily put one on in as little as 10 seconds, even "in a parking garage without a mirror in the dark."
Mendez is not the only CIA agent to weigh in on the most realistic aspects of Tom Cruise's films. Daring stunts have become a key feature of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise.
In Insider's "How Real Is It?" video series, former CIA agent Andrew Bustamante reviewed the "Mission: Impossible" series for accuracy, highlighting one scene in particular that stood out for its realistic portrayal of a hostage situation.
The scene in question sees Ethan Hunt (Cruise) on the run while the IMF has been disbanded. The villain takes Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) hostage, fitting him with a bomb vest and using him to deliver demands through a contact lens camera. Ethan then offers himself as a hostage to force the villain to disarm the bomb.
Commenting on this, Bustamante explained that the CIA was "very much prepared for bomb threats like this," according to CBR.
"And a big part of the reason is because we've lost officers in bomb threats like this," he said. "We had a tragic incident during the Global War on terror in 2008 where a suicide bomber wearing a suicide vest was let onto a clandestine CIA base and nobody knew he was carrying a bomb. So, he triggered it himself while he was there in a negotiation with the field officers on site."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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