Tom Cruise has once again pushed the boundaries of daring stunts in the upcoming seventh installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Dead Reckoning Part One.
With the film set to hit cinemas next week, audiences are in for a jaw-dropping experience as Cruise takes on his most audacious stunt to date—riding a motorbike off a cliff.
Joining Cruise in the movie is a talented ensemble cast, including Hayley Atwell, who plays the enigmatic pickpocket, Grace.
Despite being aware of Cruise’s reputation for performing incredible stunts, Atwell still found herself surprised by his demeanor during their time working together.
In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Atwell shared her significant astonishment, saying, “The thing that surprised me more than anything else is how easy he wears it all. I remember we went over for dinner at his [place] and he comes out and he’s like, ‘Hey, guys, how you doing?’ Sits down, we’re chatting about the film, chatting about our day, what we’ve been up to.”
Atwell continued, recounting a conversation where Cruise casually mentioned his day, saying, “‘Yeah, it was good, it was really nice actually, I had a lovely time. I did like 29 skydives I think today.'”
She marveled at how effortlessly he spoke about such incredible feats and how relaxed and comfortable he appeared.
The 41-year-old attributed Cruise’s ease to his disciplined approach to accomplishing these stunts while maintaining a fearless and relaxed mindset.
“And the ease with which he said that! And also I’m sat there going, you look like a man that’s had a lovely day at the beach, you are so relaxed and comfortable in your own skin. And you’ve just done that! And I think it’s because he’s so disciplined in what he knows that he has to do in order to accomplish these stunts.”
While Atwell’s character may not be skydiving in the film, she underwent an intensive five-month training process to prepare for her role. The training began during the screen test with stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood, where they assessed her physical abilities and determined her style if she were to join the franchise.
By the time she stepped onto the set, Atwell had undergone rigorous training in drifting, sleight-of-hand tricks, unarmed combat, fight choreography, and working with knives and guns to develop her character’s unique physical behavior and gestures.
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“And so by the time I went onto set, I had five months of drifting, sleight-of-hand tricks, unarmed combat, fight choreography, working with knives, working with guns to see what my style would be.”
With the Mission: Impossible franchise being well-established and the team having worked together for several films, Atwell appreciated the seamless coordination and efficiency of the production.
“It’s such a well-oiled machine, it knows exactly what it is!” she exclaimed.