Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and David Bowie: Hayley Atwell breaks down her FIRSTS with Virgin Radio

Virgin Radio

7 Jul 2023, 13:37

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One star Hayley Atwell chats about her first crush, impressive first gig and the first time she met co-star Tom Cruise in her FIRSTs with Virgin Radio.

The Marvel star plays M:I newcomer Grace, who initially ends up on the wrong side of Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, before the two have to come together to stop a deadly AI programme from destroying humanity.

Hayley popped into Virgin Radio studios to discuss all things Mission: Impossible on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch, and while at the Top of the Tower, we managed to get Hayley to go through some of her life FIRSTS - including the very A-List crush she had on a certain Hollywood heavyweight...

The first Day on the Mission: Impossible set?

"First day on the set of Mission: Impossible was in Norway, and I was stood on a platform with Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Greg Tarzan Davis and we were watching Tom Cruise motorbike off a cliff without a helmet on. The first time we saw it, we'd seen him go over the cliff and we would listen on headphones to hear 'canopy' which meant the parachute had been deployed and he made it to the ground. We were holding our breaths thinking, 'please don't die Tom, we miss you, we love you,' and also going, 'this is the first day of the movie, would be pretty bad if it ends before it's begun'." 

The first film you saw?

"The first one that I properly paid attention to was E.T, probably on at Christmas one year, it seemed to be, when I was a kid, it was on every Christmas. It was such a cinematic experience, so captivating and it's so vividly stuck in my memory."

The first time you met Tom Cruise? 

""I think it was a screen test for a job I didn't get, but look at me now! It was years ago and I remember he came in, and he was so genuinely kind and approachable and easy. He learnt all the lines and was sat behind the camera giving me just as much as if it was his close-up and I thought, what a cool guy. "

The first gig you went to?

"Aged 7, the Glass Spider Tour, David Bowie, Earls Court. I got a badge!"

Your first crush?

"Brad Pitt, 1993, A River Runs Through It. It was UCI Whiteley's and I took the ticket stub home, stuck it on my wall and then every day after was a new picture of Brad up on my wall. A great love."

The first album you bought?

"First proper album was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."

The first poster on your bedroom wall?

"First poster was Brad Pitt obviously. He was wearing a fisherman's hat with fishing bait in it because he was in A River Runs Through It. I would kiss it before I'd go to bed every night. I remember my mum's friend came over once and she looked at me and she looked at the poster and went: "You kind of look alike so you having a crush on him is quite narcissistic." I remember going 'I'm 11,' and then I was also really embarrassed, and then I was also 'I look like Brad Pitt though, that's amazing.' It was a really mixed emotions with the comment I got, also on top of all the hormonal experiences I was having with being in love with Brad Pitt. It was a very overwhelming time."