John Leguizamo Calls Out ‘Mission: Impossible’ as a Textbook Flop in Fiery Equity Speech

Award show speeches usually stick to the familiar script of thank-yous and tearful shout-outs, but John Leguizamo has never been one to play it safe. The actor and comedian was among the honorees at the Critics Choice Association’s 6th Annual Celebración of Cinema & Television, held on October 2 at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.

The event celebrated Latino and Hispanic talent across film and TV, with honorees including Judy Reyes, Oscar Nuñez, Inde Navarrette and Los Javis. Leguizamo received the Career Achievement Award from director Gregory Nava, a fitting honor for a performer whose one-man show ‘John Leguizamo: Freak’ earned him a historic Emmy win in 1999.

When he took the stage, though, Leguizamo had more on his mind than gratitude. In a speech about failure and second chances, he took a pointed jab at Tom Cruise’s spy franchise, calling ‘Mission: Impossible’ Reckoning a bomb so expensive that it’s taught in business school, as Variety captured from the event.

The jab was really setting up a larger argument about who gets second chances in Hollywood. “When one of us gets to make an Ishtar, a Waterworld, a Mission Impossible Reckoning,” Leguizamo said, naming them as examples of famous Hollywood flops.

He then delivered the line that tied it together. “And if after that flop you still get hired on Tuesday as they do, that’s equity,” the actor explained, framing equity as the second chance rather than the trophy.

Leguizamo also shared advice from his friend, filmmaker Tracy Layman, about being both a light and a mirror that reflects brightness onto others. He described storytelling as his voice, said he refuses to build his happiness on someone else’s misery, and closed with the hope that every Latin child in the country could see themselves on screen.

John Leguizamo calls “Mission: Impossible — Reckoning” a “bomb so expensive they teach it in business school.” via The Critics Choice Association’s 6th Annual Celebración Of Cinema & Television https://t.co/Z7NLXqG8sW

— Variety (@Variety) October 2, 2026

His remarks also carried a message for David Ellison, as Leguizamo urged keeping the film industry rooted in Los Angeles. The speech was emotional throughout, mixing humor with a heartfelt call for opportunity.

Leguizamo didn’t specify which film he meant, and both recent entries fit his description. Netflix Junkie interpreted the remark as a reference to ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’, which carried a gross budget of $291 million and earned $571.1 million worldwide, making it a box office disappointment relative to its cost.

World of Reel reported that the 2023 film lost Paramount well over $200 million during its theatrical run. That underperformance even led the studio to drop the “Part Two” subtitle from its follow-up.

The sequel, ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’, had even more at stake. With an estimated production budget of $300 million to $400 million, it ranks among the most expensive films ever made, and its $598.8 million worldwide total was also considered a disappointment.

Every choice, every mission, has all led to this. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. May 23, 2025. pic.twitter.com/iqnyJGkWRD

— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) April 7, 2025

The math was always tough for that one. If the $400 million figure is accurate, the film would have needed about $1 billion worldwide just to break even, far beyond the franchise-best $791 million earned by 2018’s ‘Fallout’.

Not everyone appreciated the jab. Variety’s clip of the speech quickly racked up more than 1.4 million views on X, and some viewers defended the franchise, with one user pointing out that the film kept hundreds of people employed during the pandemic.

Still, Leguizamo’s larger argument struck a chord with many of those in the room. For a performer accepting a career achievement honor, using the spotlight to question who gets forgiven for expensive mistakes was a classic Leguizamo move.

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