Hayley Atwell Talks Tom Cruise's Special Treat That 'Saved Her From Adrenal Fatigue' During Filming
By Afouda Bamidele on July 13, 2023 at 5:00 PM EDT
Hayley Atwell is spilling the tea on how Tom Cruise is not just a hero on screen but behind the scenes as well.
The actress plays Grace in the new "Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One" film alongside the renowned actor's character Ethan Hunt. She shared that he knew just what she needed to get through those death-defying stunts while they were shooting.
Hayley Atwell Reveals What Saved Her From Adrenal Fatigue
On Monday, ET's Nischelle Turner spoke with the 41-year-old at the movie's U.S. premiere in New York City about her time shooting the movie. The "Testament of Youth" star recalled that the most challenging stunt she did was the virtual train carriage scene with the 61-year-old.
She noted that it involved sprinting on an incline and reaching a bar before the carriage went from horizontal to vertical in six seconds. After experiencing the considerable feat, the "Cinderella" actress disclosed that it affected her to the point that she got adrenal fatigue and looked like a zombie. Speaking with the outlet, Atwell explained further saying:
"Tom was like, 'Are you okay?' and I was like, 'I don't even know, Tom, what's going on with me. I don't know.' And he said, 'I know what you need. You need some chocolate,' and I was like, 'Yes I do.'"
The "Captain America: The First Avenger" star revealed that the father-of-three quickly gave her some chocolate, and she felt better in no time. In fact, she felt so good that they were able to do the stunt a few more times.
Atwell also divulged that she trained for her impressive action moves in the latest installment of the popular franchise by running hills in Richmond Park in London. The TV personality noted that she ran so much she remembers all the places she "cried, peed behind a tree, wanted to take a nap and called her mom to say 'I don't think I can do this.'"
The Laurence Olivier Award nominee noted that she also did mobility and injury prevention training to ensure she could do stunts safely and competently. She explained, "So, by the time that I got on set, I could do anything that they ask me to do multiple times, and then add performance into it."
Despite being romantically linked to Cruise a couple of times in the past, The Blast reported in April that Atwell is, in fact, engaged to singer Ned Wolfgang Kelly. The musician shared the news on his Instagram account by posting a picture of the pair lying in bed as the actress flaunted the impressive diamond.
In the caption, the producer wrote, "Lucky me! Arrived in Venice at 10 a.m., around midday, the love of my life and I got engaged in the kitchen of this strange apartment surrounded by ducks, with a bloke outside the window murdering 'My Way' on the accordion."
He continued, "A perfect start to the rest of our lives together. I'd never been interested in getting married… until I met this extraordinary woman. Happy as a clam."
Summer Box Office Trails Last Year's Pace, With Hopes Resting On 'Mission: Impossible'
Despite the somewhat disappointing performance of some high-profile films, there were hopes that "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" would help to boost the box office. The action-packed movie was expected to have a global five-day opening of $250 million, including $90 million domestically and $160 million internationally.
According to Deadline, there was great potential for it due to its Rotten Tomatoes score of 98% certified fresh and the expected "Top Gun: Maverick" halo effect. The last chapter of the franchise catered primarily toward older guys, with 58% of the audience being male and 25% being over 45.
However, it was reported that during testing of the new installment, some under-25 patrons saw it for the first time, even though the series has been out for over two decades. "Dead Reckoning" is Cruise's fourth movie with Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie after 2015's "Rogue Nation" and 2018's "Fallout."
Presales for the movie were well ahead of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" at the same point in time. The reported budget for this film was $291 million, which was challenged by COVID-related start-and-stop production in Italy.
