Rebecca Ferguson reveals she struggled with ‘terrible’ secret fear of heights while filming high-flying Mission: Impossible scenes with ‘inspirational’ Tom Cruise
Rebecca Ferguson admits she still hasn’t overcome her fear of heights, despite starring alongside daredevil Tom Cruise in the stunt-heavy Mission: Impossible franchise.
Ferguson appeared repeatedly as rejected MI6 agent Ilsa Faust in the long-running franchise, but despite working closely with Cruise, she struggled to share his boundless enthusiasm for some of the more challenging action scenes.
Speaking to ITV show Loose Women on Thursday, the 40-year-old actress revealed that an ongoing battle with fear of heights hampered some of her pivotal on-screen moments – including a thrilling scene atop the Vienna State Opera.
She said: ‘I’m afraid of heights and it was horrible. The problem with Mission is that you don’t know you’re going to do it until you’re about to do it.
‘Tom is an inspiring person. Since he has a lot of energy and I’m working on something that he produces, I think he’s basically the big boss.
Rebecca Ferguson admits she still hasn’t overcome her fear of heights, despite starring alongside daredevil Tom Cruise in the stunt-heavy Mission: Impossible franchise
‘I’m not saying he’s different, but that’s the Tom I know, which means he’s there first, he’s on top of it, he knows everything, he laughs and jokes.
“But if someone feels uncomfortable or if there’s a moment where they don’t understand, they’ll stop things and make sure you’re clear about what you’re doing.”
After starring in Mission: Impossible films Rogue Nation and Fallout, she reprized her role as Faust for the third time in Dead Reckoning – Part One.
Speaking to Town & Country about the film and its $290 million budget ahead of its 2022 release, she said:
“I can tell you that it is an explosive, dynamic film with incredible stunts that you have never seen before,” she said.
Ferguson was forced to confront her fear of heights while working with Cruise, who admitted to keeping her dizziness a secret on set.
“She never told me, or anyone else, that she was uncomfortable with heights,” he recalls.
“She trained for it and did it. She went to work on it. That’s Rebekah. She knew it was the right sequence, and she knew she could trust me, and I could trust her. It’s a beautiful moment.’
Speaking to ITV show Loose Women on Thursday, the actress revealed that an ongoing battle with dizziness hampered some of her crucial on-screen moments.
‘I’m afraid of heights and it was horrible. The problem with Mission is that you don’t know until you’re about to do it that you’re going to do it,” she explained.
The actress jumps through the air in an action scene from the 2015 film Mission: Impossible
In the Mission Impossible franchise, Cruise plays protagonist Ethan Hunt, a highly skilled field agent and operative of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF), a secret government agency that carries out dangerous, high-stakes missions.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is the seventh installment in the film series and was first released in 1996.
The film’s world premiere took place on Rome’s Spanish Steps last month and will be released in the United States on June 12.
The direct sequel, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, is scheduled for release in June 2024.
Ferguson was forced to confront her fear of heights while working with Cruise, who admitted she kept her dizziness a secret on set