Rebecca Ferguson Breaks Silence Again: The Real Story Behind Her On-Set Clash
The Mission: Impossible star reflects on the infamous confrontation that left her in tears, admitting her own flaws and the lessons she learned about standing up to Hollywood bullies.
Rebecca Ferguson has once again opened up about her widely discussed on-set clash with a top-billed co-star — and this time, she’s adding a new layer of honesty. In a new interview with The Times, the Mission: Impossible and Dune actress revisited her viral comments from last year, where she revealed she was screamed at by an unnamed co-star during a film shoot. The experience, she said, pushed her to finally stand up for herself — even if it meant refusing to shoot scenes with the person again.
Ferguson revealed that she still hasn’t heard from the actor since her comments went public — and she doesn’t care. She added that several others who had worked with the same person “also had a terrible time.” Yet, Ferguson admitted that the situation wasn’t black and white. “It was complex,” she said, acknowledging that she “was not blameless.” She even confessed, “I will shove someone under a bus in front of an entire crew to make a point. I don’t applaud my own behavior in that. It’s a tricky world — when you stand up for yourself, you risk being replaced.”
The actress originally shared her story in early 2024, recalling how the co-star, listed as “number one on the call sheet,” often belittled her in front of the entire crew. “They looked at me and said, ‘You call yourself an actor? This is what I have to work with?’ I would walk off set crying,” she said. Feeling cornered and humiliated, Ferguson finally confronted the person, demanding they “get off my set” and vowing never to work with them again. When producers told her that wasn’t possible, she insisted on acting only toward the back of the co-star’s head — and that’s how they finished the shoot.
After her revelation went viral, speculation ran wild online about who the “idiot co-star” might be. Ferguson later clarified that it wasn’t Tom Cruise, Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson, or Emily Blunt — all of whom she has worked with and continues to share positive relationships. Johnson even posted publicly defending her, calling her “a guardian angel” and praising her for standing up to bad behavior.
Looking back now, Ferguson says she doesn’t regret speaking out — but she recognizes the situation’s complexity. “It’s easy to blame bullies,” she explained, “but sometimes people act out of insecurity. As we grow older, we understand that better.” Despite that empathy, she stands by her decision to speak up and believes no one should feel unsafe or powerless on set.
In the same interview, Ferguson also praised her Mission: Impossible co-star Tom Cruise, describing him as “a man-child in a good way” and “an unstoppable force of energy” on set. She joked that sometimes “there’s someone with a tranquilizer gun and a net looking for him” because of how fast he moves between takes.
Ferguson will next be seen in Netflix’s upcoming thriller A House of Dynamite, where she plays a woman caught in a high-stakes psychological game — her first major role since Dune: Part Two.
