Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One star Hayley Atwell has revealed how not recording a dialogue scene during her first 100 days on set helped her performance as newcomer Grace.
"I come from the theater and I talk a lot. I’m so used to language," Atwell tells GamesRadar+ and Total Film of her unique experience when filming the action blockbuster.
"Language has always been the first tool that I learned from drama school and understanding the classics and plays… So, coming into a franchise like this and spending 100 days purely about physical behaviour and gesture, I felt like ‘Am I expressing enough?’, because I’m so used to being vocal as my main thing."
It quickly became apparent, however, that the emphasis on body language not only helped Atwell’s understanding of her character, but also her chemistry with lead Tom Cruise.
"What was clear was you’d look at playback and it just felt alive," Atwell explains. "The physical presence had come from the chemistry I’d found with Tom and the preparation I was doing with this incredible, world-class stunt team. So, you feel her energy and feel her emotion without her having to say anything."
Atwell also notes that anyone on-set is invited to watch playback – and can pick the brains of Cruise and director Chris McQuarrie.
"So there is this sense that you’re part of this workshop or masterclass in pure cinematic experience and how they create it," Atwell says. "That, to me, in between takes – that’s where I did all my talking and all my questions. For the camera, I found this new language that was just not having to be vocal."
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is out in cinemas on July 10 in the UK and July 12 in the US. For more on what’s coming out this year, check out our movie release dates calendar and guide to upcoming movies.
