Landing the role of Ilsa Faust in Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” proved to be the perfect launchpad for Rebecca Ferguson’s Hollywood career.
Prior to that, she earned her stripes in a few Swedish soap operas and films.
While she was born in Stockholm, she moved to England at 25 and took on her British mother’s surname as her stage name.
After proving her mettle in the “Mission Impossible” franchise, doors started opening and she went on to bag other massive projects – “The Girl on the Train”, “The Greatest Showman”, “Doctor Sleep” and “Men in Black: International”.
At 37, the actress is planting deep footprints in the cut-throat industry.
Going by her comments on her latest movie, “Reminiscence”, she clearly thrives on complex characters, and Mae fits the bill perfectly.
And she reunites with Hugh Jackman, too.
Before unpacking the layers to her character, she shed light on Lisa Joy’s vision for the film. As a writer and producer, Joy also makes her directorial debut with this movie, which stars the inimitable Thandie Newton.
“I remember I had such bad cellphone reception in the house where I lived. And I had to stand on one little spot in the garden and it was fricking cold.
“And I remember just thinking, God, I've been out here for 45 minutes.
“How? Where did the time go? I think for me, the way she described the cinematic view of the film that she wanted to do, how important the characters were, the changes, the subtleties.
“I love the environmental aspects that I don't feel smart or eloquent enough to even describe when it comes to where the world is going to be in 10 or 15 years.
“Just the fact that we believe that Miami is going to be underwater. I love the idea of us being nocturnal, and the world just taking over.
“And the idea of the underworld figures who work night time, would work daytime… Just the world we discussed, and then we lived it with her,” she said.
The premise centres on private investigator Nick Bannister (Jackman), who, in meeting Mae, becomes obsessed with her when she goes missing. In trying to uncover the truth, he is led down a murky path.
She was chuffed to be working alongside Jackman and teased: “ Yes, probably our last, as well. There’s just so much I can take. (laughs) It's too much, really.
“The Thespian that he is, I'm like, ‘Seriously, c'mon, stop singing your lines’. (Laughs) But for me, to be on the receiving end of the film where we had to deep dive into things that were hard and difficult, dark and sexy, and just feeling so wonderful to do it with someone who you are safe with.
“I can do anything, and I'm protected. I can try things out. I can be ridiculous. I can humiliate myself and still be so embraced, and for him, just holding space for me.
“And, hopefully he feels the same about me. It's just knowing that whoever's on the receiving end will help you lift what you're trying to do,” she said.
Ferguson also loved working with Cliff Curtis.
She admitted: “He's different, but in such an incredible way. I can't wait to do another film with him.
“He's terrifying. He's absolutely terrifying. He and Sean Harris (co-star from ‘Mission: Impossible’) in one film, and I'd probably die.
“This dude, he finds something, and he just makes it so real,” she said.
If you thought her role as Rose the Hat in Stephen King’s “Doctor Sleep”, was terrifying, brace yourself for Mae.
Ferguson added: “She's beautiful. She's just a bit complex.”
She continued: “Yeah. I loved it, though. I was going to say it felt like acting. As did Rose the Hat.
“I was just very excited about the different characters here. The idea that as Mae, I am someone in your eyes. I'll be someone else in another person’s… everyone will have a different view.
“All of these different character aspects that she has, and chooses to share, I got to play.
“And it was a gradually generating puzzle to create all of them. And it was laying a subtle puzzle that wasn't too on the nose.”
When it came to singing in the club, the actress shared: “I mean, I think I was so ready for it.
“Doing ‘The Greatest Showman’, they had already found Loren Allred, who was amazing for my voice, because my character was supposed to be the world's best opera singer. I trained.
“And I sang it. And I can sing well, I'm just not her. And I always loved the fact that she did it, and I sang every single take in front of the audience, but that was her voice and no one else's.
“But I remember thinking now and then, ‘Oh, I know I could have done it. Not as good as her, but I really want to do it, to try’.
“So, it was so lovely when Lisa said, ‘Here's your song. Go for it, have fun. She's a bit of a mess, she’s on drugs.
“You can f*** it up a bit if you want to’. And I said, ‘Can we just go with that on everything?’”
Interestingly, she’s currently filming “Mission: Impossible 7” and will be reprising her former character.
“Reminiscence” is currently showing at cinemas, nationwide.