It took Tom Cruise only five days to make Hannah Waddingham one of his staunch supporters

Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham is set to play a role in Tom Cruise’s upcoming Mission: Impossible movie. While her role in the movie is not yet disclosed, it appears Cruise has won over the heart of Waddingham. The Game of Thrones actress is ready to tell off anyone who has a problem with the Top Gun actor.

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Following the end of the successful three-season run of Ted Lasso, Waddingham has landed several opportunities, including Mission: Impossible 8. She will be starring alongside Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy. She will also voice a role in The Garfield Movie.

Hannah Waddingham Will Defend Tom Cruise Against His Critics

Hannah Waddingham in Ted Lasso

During her appearance on the Christmas episode of James Martin’s Saturday Morning, Hannah Waddingham was asked about her experience working with Tom Cruise. The Sex Education actress only filmed for five days in the movie until now, but it was enough for her to understand the Jack Reacher actor. Waddingham shared that Cruise was one of the loveliest human beings she had ever met.

Also, calling him encouraging, positive, inspiring, and gorgeous, Waddingham added that she is ready to defend Cruise against his critics. The Winter Ridge actress shared on the show (via The Independent):

“I have to say, I have a real problem with anybody that goes at [Tom Cruise] now. Having met him and having spent five days intensely…He is without doubt one of the loveliest and encouraging, positive, and inspiring human beings I have ever met. Isn’t he gorgeous? I have no time for anyone saying anything about him.”

Waddingham’s involvement in the project was announced in March, and her first sequence was shot on the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier. While she described her five days of filming on the carrier as “intense”, Waddingham was all too familiar with the world. She shared with SiriusXM that she spent her childhood on boats with her father, who was in the river police.

She even reassured Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie, saying, “I’ve got this down. Don’t worry. I’m used to brushing my teeth in a tiny little cabin.” Waddingham confirmed that she will return to the Mission: Impossible 8 set once production restarts, to film an important scene.

Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 8 Faces Delayed Release

Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

While initial plans were to film the seventh and eighth movies back-to-back, plans changed in February 2021. Production for the eighth film began in 2022 before the release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. However, the production came to a standstill due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes. This has also resulted in a delay in the film’s release, originally set for June 28, 2024.

Paramount Pictures announced the new release date as May 23, 2025. The film aims to sort out some of the issues with its previous installment. Despite getting positive reviews, Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 could only gross $567 million. The film faced competition from the Barbenheimer phenomenon, and it could hardly feature on IMAX screens as Oppenheimer took away most of the premium screens.

However, the new film will get three weeks of exclusive IMAX screenings. While fans await the eighth installment, they can now enjoy the other MI films by streaming them on Paramount+.