“Mission: Impossible” star Vanessa Kirby
“When I kissed Tom Cruise on ‘Fallout’ it was about power”
Vanessa Kirby and Tom Cruise appear together in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
© Paramount Pictures/Christian Black
In an interview, Vanessa Kirby and Marvel star Pom Klementieff talk about strong female characters in the macho genre of action films.
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” will be released in German cinemas on July 13 – and offers the powerful actresses Vanessa Kirby (35), Hayley Atwell (41) and Pom Klementieff (37) have more girl power than ever before in the 27-year history of the spy film series.
In his latest assignment, super agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise, 61) has to deal with a dangerous weapon that threatens the entire globe – and meets a highly dangerous new opponent in Paris, played by Klementieff. Meanwhile, “The Crown” star Kirby returns from the previous “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (2018) and once again embodies the opaque character Alanna Mitsopolis, an arms dealer also known as White Widow, and for Ethan Hunt represents an uncertain ally.
In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the actresses Kirby and Klementieff report on the daring shooting of “Mission: Impossible 7” and strong female characters in the macho genre of action films.
Ms. Kirby, in this Mission: Impossible installment, Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, is surrounded by more powerful female characters than ever before. How meaningful is that for you in a film that falls so squarely into the action genre?
Vanessa Kirby: For me it’s essential. I can still remember how new that felt with the last movie ‘Fallout’. At the time, I thought, This isn’t just about romance. Even when Tom and I kissed in the last part, the scene was about power, not anything sexual. This is really amazing, and even radical.
Action films are traditionally rather macho. But in ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ we have female characters who are clear alphas. But they’re still female and just real women, dirty and scrappy. That puts the film at the forefront of real change, and that’s pretty cool.
According to media reports, you were also on the set when Tom Cruise jumped off a cliff with a motorcycle. Can you describe how you experienced this daring stunt?
Kirby: Oh my god you’re so scared about him and it’s funny because you care about yourself but Tom Cruise isn’t scared at all. It should be the other way around, but that sums up the human Tom Cruise. He’s just completely fearless.
This is also a symbol of what he inspires you to do. Tom Cruise really inspires people. He asks you: What’s your version of this? What are you capable of in your own life and what are your ambitions? It’s not about literally jumping off a cliff on a motorcycle like him. It’s about being brave and fearless.
Ms. Klementieff, in ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ you engage in a tough fistfight with Ethan Hunt in a narrow alley. Did you have to train hard for it?
Pom Klementieff: Oh yeah, I practiced with fight choreographer Wade Eastwood for months, and I studied various martial arts for years before making the film. It was actually a dream of mine to be part of this franchise. Sometimes, instead of training, I just wrote “Mission: Impossible” on my calendar. So I tried to manifest the role and it actually worked.