Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One welcomes a number of new faces to the fold, including Hayley Atwell. The fan-favorite actress plays the role of the elusive Grace in the film, and the trailers suggest that she’s really going to shake things up for Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt. In actuality, Atwell and Cruise seem to have gotten along well and, at one point during production, romance rumors swirled around the two. The assertions ultimately proved to be untrue and, now, Atwell is opening up about that past chatter. She even shared the advice that Cruise gave her about it while they were on the set.
The romance reports span back to 2020, during which the two friends were photographed attending Wimbledon the July of that year. Paparazzi also captured multiple snapshots of them on set. By fall 2021, it was alleged that Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell had broken up, despite the fact that neither of them had confirmed any sort of relationship up to that point. One would imagine that such chatter can weigh on a person, and that seems to have been the case for Atwell. She firmly shut down the rumors while also posing a question:
I would be like, ‘Ooh, there’s some weird rumors, and it feels base, it feels a little dirty, it feels grubby, it’s not what I’m about. Why are things being assumed or projected onto me about my relationship with my work colleague and boss?...
The 41-year-old actress explained to The Independent that she actually views both her co-star and director Christopher McQuarrie as “sort of two uncles.” The star does present a very fair point that ideas can be projected onto people and, in the context of Hollywood, that happens frequently with actresses. All in all, she found the speculation particularly “upsetting” because:
… it’s involving people in my actual life, my personal life, who have to be on the receiving end of that. It becomes invasive.
Thankfully, for Hayley Atwell, she had a source of support on set in the form of Tom Cruise. The 61-year-old star has been at the center of countless rumors over the years, so he surely knows how to contend with outside chatter. With that, he was able to give Atwell some very invaluable advice in regard to conducting one’s self:
When I’ve talked to him about it, he’d be like. You know exactly who you are. You know what you’re about. And that is the only thing that matters. It doesn’t matter what people think of you, if you are in integrity with yourself, if you know what your value system is.
Those are wise words, for sure. As long as you know yourself and what you’re about, nothing else matters. That’s surely guidance that many of us can use. No, we’re not A-list actors or public figures like the M:I co-stars. However, it rarely ever hurts to stay true to yourself and your morals when navigating your professional and personal lives.
Tom Cruise also gave more keen advice to Hayley Atwell, though that feedback was in regard to stunt work. When Atwell was pondering how to stay “safe” on set, Cruise said “don’t be safe, be competent.” And ultimately, the Captain America: The First Avenger alum found that to be a “great mantra.” The pair seem to have been successful in their endeavors and had fun doing them, based on Atwell’s sweet BTS photos. Atwell seems to have liked the stunt work and had to do her fair share. One particularly thrilling sequence even sees her handcuffed to Cruise.
Based on what they’ve been through production-wise (and continue to do on Dead Reckoning Part Two), it’s easy to see why Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise have become friends. Atwell’s latest comments are likely to put any relationship rumors to rest for good. One would also think that she finds comfort in the fact that the record has been set straight.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opens in theaters on July 12 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
