What Hannah Waddingham's First Meeting With Tom Cruise Was Like

As an actor, not only do you get to work with all kinds of living legends — you get to meet them under the most unusual and memorable of circumstances. This has been the case for Hannah Waddingham, who has evolved into a TV mainstay with roles on shows like "Ted Lasso" and "Sex Education." Another film Waddingham stars in is the eighth "Mission: Impossible" film, which put her in close quarters with none other than Tom Cruise — quite literally, as they were crammed onto a rather small set throughout the duration of filming.

At the time of writing, little has been disclosed about Waddingham's role in the next installment of the franchise, which will likely pick up where "Mission: Impossible 7" left off by following international spy Ethan Hunt (Cruise) as he reckons with an artificial intelligence system known as "the Entity." Yet we now know that Waddingham and Cruise share a fair amount of screen time, presumably getting into some heavy situations together. Read on to hear Waddingham's revelations about working with one of today's most iconic action heroes.

Speaking to Business Insider at the premiere of her theatrical blockbuster "The Fall Guy" in March 2024, Waddingham was happy to open up about the eighth "Mission: Impossible" film, which she had just wrapped. She was effusive with praise about Cruise, with whom she forged a bond when they were isolated on a ship together with the rest of the cast and crew. 

"We were stuck on the George H.W. Bush fighter carrier for five days," she said. She noted that the whole time, they were "literally" face to face because they were shooting in such cramped spaces. "That was my first meeting with him," the actor added.

Waddingham and Cruise have stayed in touch since filming. In fact, Cruise even sent her one of the delicious coconut cakes he has delivered to his friends and costars each holiday season — an honor that might be more coveted than any award in the industry. 

The Business Insider interview isn't the only time Hannah Waddingham has given Tom Cruise a shout-out publicly. Appearing as a guest star on James Martin's "Saturday Morning," a British cooking show, in December 2023, she applauded his hardworking nature as well as his willingness to be a team player. 

"Lovely, lovely," she responded when Martin asked her what working with him was like. Martin chimed in, revealing that he's also met Cruise:  "[He's] fantastic."

"I have to say, I've got a real problem with anyone that goes at him now," Waddingham added transparently. But that wasn't the end of her rave about the action star.  "He is, without doubt, one of the most lovely, encouraging, positive [and] inspiring human beings I have ever met. Isn't he gorgeous?" she said. We're thrilled to see how their rapport translates to the big screen in 2025.