We caught up with Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation star Rebecca Ferguson to find out what it was like preparing for her kick-ass role in the film, working with Tom Cruise and why she loves going home to Sweden so much.
The 31-year-old actress, who previously earned a Golden Globe nomination for her turn as Queen Elizabeth in the critically acclaimed BBC series The White Queen, takes on the female lead in the latest instalment of the blockbuster franchise.
She more than holds her own against Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, playing the mysterious and intelligent M16 undercover operative Ilsa who leaves the audience wondering about her true motives.
Read Sinead Brennan's review of the film here.
TEN chatted to Ferguson ahead of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation hitting cinemas on July 30 - check out the interview below.
Christopher McQuarrie said that as soon as you walked into the audition and started talking to Tom Cruise he knew that you got the part, did you realise that?!
It was such a relief because I was a bit nervous meeting him. I was in another production and was filming a difficult part in the desert in Morocco. So I think I was literally on a camel when I was told I got the part. But I flew over to London, arrived at a beautiful house, thought I was going to have a cup of tea, sit down, breathe, stretch. And then boom, there's Tom Cruise. It was like meeting an old friend that I've never known. We did a couple of scenes, he was pushing his head against the camera so I got good angles, like friends would do. He's incredible, so considerate.
What was it like getting prepared for the film?
I knew it was a Mission: Impossible film but I didn't know the breakdown of the action. So when I was given the part and I arrived at Heathrow, I remember the car picking me up and taking me directly to the gym, so I figured 'Ahh that's where we're at!' I did six hours of training six days a week, which was well needed. It was a mixture of pilates, regular training and stunt to get all the small techniques of hand movement to then be able to create the fighting sequences.
Your part is quite mysterious, is it daunting to have to promote a film without saying too much?
I'm quite simple, I like having fun, I've made a movie and I just hope you all enjoy seeing this movie. It's fun for me to explain for people the capacity and the emotion that goes in to those two seconds of film that you will see. There's so much training needed for action movies and a lot of people don't understand the perfection and preciseness, I didn't, it's been school, I've loved it.
How long did it take, all the training and preparing?
We did a month and a half before shooting, it's not much. So it was straight into it. And I think I realised I had it in me, I didn't know. I called my agent a month before and said ' I want to try action, I want to run fast, I want to kick ass is there anything?!' and she said 'Yeah this film called Mission!' and there I was a month later really learning technique about it. it's about creating your own style of fighting as well, so I brought a lot of dance into it.
What’s happened to your life since you took on the role in Mission Impossible?
I actually never think gradually. I'm here, today I woke up excited that I had round tables because I haven't done many, just to meet everyone. I take it step by step. I look forward to going on this tour with Tom and talking about something that I've loved doing.
What do you like about your character?
She's very mysterious. She's very intelligent. I think Ethan Hunt has met his match intellectually, when it comes to the capacity to fight she is equally as trained as him which is a very exciting thing to do as well. Also because she's ruthless, we don't really know where we stand. Can we trust her, can't we trust her? I think it's the mystique in her that I've loved creating as well.
It's such a big scale movie, was there any moment where you thought 'Oh my God I can't believe this I'm so impressed?
Yes, I think it came for me episodically. I was sitting there in a chair and all of a sudden Tom walks on and you're going 'Jesus is this actually happening? I'm just about to do a kick-ass scene with Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg's in it, wow. Ok, back to reality, just do it!'
How did you feel being part of this huge production?
Very grateful. Very humble.
Simon said he and you provided a very healthy continental cynicism on the set of the movie. Did you feel that?
Yeah, myself and Simon Pegg would just kind of kick back, lie on the sofa, have a cup of tea. So yes absolutely.
Do you have a similar sense of humour?
Yes we do. I laughed with him and at him a lot. But Tom as well, when you have Tom and Simon in the same scene I just laughed to bits. They create a dynamic, a team effort that Mission is, and they have their roles in this, and it can be quite intimidating coming in. But they welcome it and I found my place very fast.
For this specific film I never felt like a woman in a group of men. I didn't. I was an agent who trained equally as much as Tom did and whether I was a woman or a man had nothing to do with it. I think not being as strong as Tom meant I had to train double as much to be able to out run him or try to out run him.
Could you talk about Tom as a producer?
This is Tom, this is his baby. Tom produces, Christopher McQuarrie directs and Tom is involved, it's been from the start his child. I don't know how he does it. And also he can cut off and come act with me and he's with me in that moment, but he has a lot of pressure. I don't know how he manages. What he does on the production side he leaves out of the acting side so I don't see Tom as a producer, I see Tom as a colleague, a friend, a co-star and that's all I need to see. And I know the work he does he does triple the amount.
Do you think Tom is the reason why the films are made?
Yes. Mission: Impossible is Tom Cruise. I don't know how he sleeps! He would never take the job away from anybody else, he will be there and will support and help out. His arms are everywhere to help the film move on. It's a big franchise and there are a lot of expectations that come with it.
Was it acting challenge to rely mainly on body language and physicality?
From a training point of view I have never done higher action before and there is so much to it as well, it's not just moving around, it's finding the camera angle, where will you land, where's the good positioning.
What's next for you?
I'm prepping my next film right now with Stephen Frears called Florence Foster Jenkins with Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, so we're jumping from 2015 to 1944 New York, opera life. I'm really excited and Stephen Frears is a wonderful man, very intelligent, intimidating intelligent!
Do you still live in Sweden?
I do. I live in a little fishing village where high heels and make-up is not a daily routine for me. I love it, I love the contrast of the intensity of what this brings and then to kick back and have nature, it's a good contrast. I love these shoes (points to heels) but I love kicking them off and putting on my woollies and just going for a long walk in the woods, it just makes this as well equally as fun.
