Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible co-star has opened up about the unpredictable experience of working with the Hollywood star on set.
Rebecca Ferguson, 41, branded the 63-year-old movie legend a ‘man-child in a good way’ – while revealing just how chaotic filming could be.
In a new interview, the Dune star described the production process as both thrilling and frustrating.
‘You don’t have scripts and have no idea where it’s going to go,’ she admitted, explaining how the lack of structure made each day on set a guessing game.
‘You train for a stunt scene for months and all of a sudden they cut it,’ she added, reflecting on the constant changes that shaped the blockbuster franchise.
Despite the challenges, Ferguson made it clear that Cruise’s boundless energy kept everyone entertained, as she told The Times.
(Picture: Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via ZUMA Pre)
‘[Cruise is] a man-child in a good way,’ she said. ‘I often joke that there’s someone with a tranquilliser gun and a net looking for him.’
Her anecdotes painted a picture of a high-energy environment – one where Cruise’s enthusiasm sometimes got in the way of timing.
As Ferguson recalled: ‘It’s frustrating because you’re ready to shoot and the sun’s going down. Tom goes: “What are we waiting for?” and I go: “You!” And he laughs and goes, “F***, I’m sorry.”‘
Ferguson joined the Mission: Impossible series in 2015 as the formidable agent Ilsa Faust, a role that quickly became a fan favourite.
However, her character met a dramatic end in Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), a decision the actress supported.
‘There was nothing more to do with Ilsa,’ she said, adding that it felt like the right moment to move on.
Since stepping away from the franchise, Ferguson has been exploring new creative opportunities – including a recent collaboration with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight on the film The Immortal Man.
It wasn’t until later that she discovered Knight had also been hired to write the next James Bond movie.
‘I would have been pushing to play the baddie,’ she admitted. ‘We haven’t had a female Bond villain.’
The idea of playing 007’s next big adversary has clearly stuck with her, and she’s already mentioned it to Dune director Denis Villeneuve, who is set to direct the next Bond instalment.
‘I already said that to Denis – ‘Female Bond villain, b****!’” she laughed. ‘He was like: ‘Oh la la.’
Although Ferguson is a fan of the Bond franchise, she’s also been honest about its shortcomings.
‘I love the Bonds, most of them,’ she said, ‘but I often found that they weren’t very good at writing for women.’
Still, she’s optimistic about the future under Knight’s pen, praising his ability to create layered female characters. ‘He wrote Maria for Angelina Jolie – he’s written loads of good female roles,’ she added.
From unpredictable shoots with Tom Cruise to her ambitions of becoming Bond’s next nemesis, it is certain that Ferguson will not be far from our screens in these upcoming blockbusters.
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