Paramount

Hayley Atwell was fighting for two in one "Mission: Impossible" scene

By Chris Morgan | Last updated May 26, 2025 11:32 AM ET

"Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" is presumably the last movie in the series. As such, the movie was full of callbacks, tie-ins, and actors from throughout the series. Hayley Atwell was a fine addition to the cast in what is now called "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning" sans the "Part One." She wasn't as involved in the action in "The Final Reckoning," but she was still involved, and it's pretty remarkable that was the case. Atwell evidently filmed one fight scene while she was over eight months pregnant.

As Atwell explained, one particular fight scene had some pickups to shoot, which is not unusual, but the thing about pregnancy is that as you approach giving birth you get more and more pregnant, and pregnancy tends to make doing stuff like, say, shooting fight scenes for blockbuster movies more difficult.

The actress indicated that the production offered to sub in a stunt double, to which Atwell replied, "No, I’ve worked too hard, let me do it!" That wasn't the only bit of physical testing that she underwent while filming "The Final Reckoning," as she also learned to dogsled in Arctic Norway.

Hey, if Tom Cruise is going to hang off the sides of planes and keep the cameras rolling even after jacking up his ankle doing a stunt, why not shoot a fight scene when you're on the precipice of giving birth?

(h/t The Hollywood Reporter)

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

More must-reads: