When most people fall seriously ill on a remote tropical island, their immediate thought would be to contact medical services. For acclaimed actress Rebecca Ferguson, however, the solution involved reaching for her phone and dialling one of Hollywood's most famous action stars.
An Unconventional Emergency Call
The Swedish-born performer, best known for her roles in the Mission: Impossible franchise and the Dune films, found herself in a distressing predicament while visiting the Maldives. Struck down by what she initially feared was "a big worm" but was actually a severe case of gastroenteritis, Ferguson realised she needed urgent assistance to leave the island.
"I called him once when I was in the Maldives when I had a really bad stomach," Ferguson disclosed in a recent interview with The Independent. "I was like, 'Can I get a helicopter?' It was quite a funny thing."
From Co-Stars to Crisis Contacts
The idea to contact Cruise reportedly came from Ferguson's husband, Rory St Clair Gainer, who suggested the Hollywood icon could arrange aerial transport. Ferguson and Cruise developed a strong professional relationship while working together across multiple Mission: Impossible instalments, where she portrayed the formidable MI6 agent Ilsa Faust.
Ferguson first appeared alongside Cruise in 2015's Rogue Nation, subsequently reprising her role in Fallout (2018) and Dead Reckoning (2023). Their on-screen chemistry evidently translated into genuine off-screen camaraderie that extended to emergency situations.
Ferguson's Expanding Career Portfolio
Beyond her work in the action franchise, the 42-year-old actress has built an impressive filmography that includes both parts of Denis Villeneuve's Dune adaptation, Doctor Sleep, and the Netflix political thriller A House of Dynamite. Since 2023, she has starred in the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Silo, portraying a character living in a vast underground city whose inhabitants believe the outside world is uninhabitable.
Cruise's Reputation Among Co-Stars
Ferguson isn't the only Mission: Impossible cast member to speak positively about Cruise's character. Hannah Waddingham, who appeared in the 2025 film The Final Reckoning, recently defended the actor during a television appearance, describing him as "one of the loveliest and encouraging, positive and inspiring human beings I have ever met."
Waddingham recalled spending "five intense days" with Cruise on a fighter carrier during filming, an experience that left her with unwavering admiration for the star despite his occasional controversial media appearances and association with Scientology.
New Project Release
Ferguson's revelation comes as she promotes her latest film Mercy, a thriller co-starring Chris Pratt that premiered on 23 January. The full interview featuring both Ferguson and Pratt was scheduled for release the following day, offering further insights into their working relationship and career perspectives.
This unusual anecdote highlights how professional relationships in Hollywood can sometimes extend beyond film sets to provide unexpected solutions during personal emergencies, demonstrating that even A-list celebrities face ordinary travel mishaps requiring extraordinary solutions.
