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You can consider Hannah Waddingham a Tom Cruise convert.
After losing his way with both his movies — things were looking shaky after Knight and Day and Rock of Ages — and his personal life (Scientology, et al.) a decade or so ago, Cruise has circled the wagons in recent years to, once again, become one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars, while also seeming to sway the public back on his side.
One of the main factors behind Cruise’s renaissance has been the sheer excellence of the recent Mission: Impossible entries, particularly the last three, which were all directed by his creative partner Christopher McQuarrie.
The next film in the franchise, Mission: Impossible 8, is set to feature the former Ted Lasso star, who gushed about how much she adores TC in a recent interview.
“I have to say, I have a real problem with anybody that goes at [Tom Cruise] now,” Waddingham said on a recent episode of the ITV series James Martin’s Saturday Morning.
“Having met him and having spent five days intensely…He is without doubt one of the loveliest and encouraging, positive and inspiring human beings I have ever met. Isn’t he gorgeous? I have no time for anyone saying anything about him.”
Waddingham, whose character has not been revealed, filmed scenes with Cruise for five days aboard an active United States Navy aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush (fun fact: my brother-in-law was actually serving on that ship when it happened).
It certainly makes sense that Mission: Impossible 8 — which will reportedly be shedding the Dead Reckoning Part Two subtitle now that it’s been delayed to 2025 — will seemingly be taking place out on the high seas given that Dead Reckoning Part One both began and ended by focusing on a submarine.
Waddingham will next be seen in the Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt-staring action-comedy The Fall Guy in May. As for Mission: Impossible 8, that’s scheduled to hit theaters on May 23, 2025.