Rebecca Ferguson first grabbed American audiences’ attention in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. She got even more fans with her performance in The Greatest Showman. Now Rebecca returns to the world of super spies in Mission: Impossible - Fallout, hitting U.S. theaters on July 27. She sat down and talked about the whirlwind experience of filming Mission: Impossible, the film’s strong female characters, and her upcoming role opposite Ewan McGregor.
Screen Rant: So, first of all, your introduction to the audience in Rogue Nation has made you an instant action icon. Now, how have things changed for your character in Fallout?
Rebecca Ferguson: Well, the incident introduction to Fallout was a little bit of a misunderstanding. So, apparently, she's going downhill now, when it comes to this spying-ness [Laughs]]. No, I was just so happy that they first of all asked her to come back to this film and this franchise. Yeah, it's been a rollercoaster.
Screen Rant: Now, I like this film mainly because your character kicks a lot of ass. And we've been seeing this kind of like a trend in Hollywood now with strong female characters in a lot of these action films. How important is it, for you, portraying such a strong female character in this movie?
Rebecca Ferguson: I think Chris made a very good job writing this individual, cool, independent, and vulnerable character. And I think it is great. I keep on saying that strong is a good word, but it also kind of simplifies a human being. Because strength is, means so many different things. And I think what this film has is four fantastic female characters in it. And what I think the word strength, what it means to me for this film, is that they all have a reason to be in this film. And if you take them out, the film actually has holes in it.
Screen Rant: Yeah. Well that's a very good point. Now, Christopher, such an amazing action director. Some of the stuff I was seeing just blew my mind.
Rebecca Ferguson: I know.
Screen Rant: It's incredible.
Rebecca Ferguson: Can you imagine being in his mind?
Screen Rant: I can't and I wouldn't even. I don't think I'd even want to. So, when you have to gear up, because obviously you've done a few projects since this, since the last time you were in the Mission: Impossible world. When you have to gear up knowing that you're coming back to this, what, how was that mindset? How do you just switch on and be like, okay, I know what I'm getting myself into because I did the last one?
Rebecca Ferguson: Well, I think I didn't really find out that I was going to be a part of it until quite close to being a part of it. Everything goes quite quickly in a Mission world.
Screen Rant: As it should.
Rebecca Ferguson: As it should. So, I think it was more a, we’re going on. For me to go, fantastic, where are the locations? Bish, bash, bosh, and then you're in training. And I don't, I think it's now doing the interviews and looking back when you get to retell the stories that you go, oh my God. Yes, I was patting the sheep, drinking a double espresso. I remember with Simon Pegg as someone went, oh my God, look at that. And Tom just fell from a helicopter in this beautiful valley thingy in New Zealand. My God.
Screen Rant: I mean, that's another thing too. The locations we're in, so intense on this. This is, and it's great because the Mission: Impossible, it takes me back to filmmaking where it's not green screen, it’s not green screen effects as much.
Rebecca Ferguson: Thank God.
Screen Rant: I love the practicality it.
Rebecca Ferguson: Yeah.
Screen Rant: So, with being on location, going back to our old school style of filmmaking, how was that for you?
Rebecca Ferguson: It’s the way to make film. And to film with film. It's Chris… I'm not criticizing it any other way of filming because there are so many variations of doing it, but my God, my heart goes into a film like this. When you can do the stunts and the moves in the location, with a storyteller who creates a character for everyone. Even the superstar, Tom Cruise, who's a part of it. Once a character development, it basically has everything. Everything.
Screen Rant: Yeah. Last question. I know that you recently signed on to do this, the Shining sequel with Ewan McGregor. I'm a huge fan. Uh, what can we expect from that and were you a fan?
Rebecca Ferguson: Well, so I can tell you I am very excited. And I think it's, he wrote Dr. Sleep, 2013, so it's quite new. And I think we want to see it as more as a separate continuation. It's not really a continuation of it stands in its own. But the script is so bloody cool.
