There is a lot in the press these days about behavior on various sets, around productions, and wider in Hollywood. Whether it is the fragile ego of an A-lister shattering in public, a put-upon runner being victimized, or sexual predators stalking the industry, it seems that the kind of thing that would result in a one-way trip to HR in any other workplace has been tolerated for a long time in Hollywood. Not by Rebecca Ferguson, though.
Remember, this town constantly lectures you on everything from climate change to how you should vote. Self-appointed moral arbiters. So every story about terrible behavior raises a wry chuckle. Now the Mission: Impossible and Silo actress has kicked off some fevered speculation online about an unnamed former co-star.
She has been at pains to make it clear she is not talking about Tom Cruise or Hugh Jackman. When she appeared on the Reign With Josh Smith podcast as part of an in-depth interview about Dune Part Two she talked about on-set safety, and not just physical safety. As reported by Variety, when asked if there was a moment she reflected on when she stood up for herself, she told a story about being on set earlier in her career:
“I did a film with an absolute idiot of a co-star – doesn’t matter who it is. I’m going to try not to give this away, but I remember there was a moment, and this human being was being so insecure and angry because this person couldn’t get the scenes out. And I think I was so vulnerable and uncomfortable that I got screamed at.
[But] because this person was number one on the call sheet, there was no safety net for me. So no one had my back. And I would cry walking off set. This person would literally look at me in front of the whole crew and say, ‘You call yourself an actor? This is what I have to work with? What is this?’ And I stood there just breaking. This happens.
I remember the next day and I said walked on, ‘You get off my set’. It’s the first time I’ve ever spoken, I remember being so scared. I looked at this person and ‘You can F off. I’m gonna work towards a tennis ball. I never want to see you again.’
Then I remember the producers came up and said you can’t do this to “number one” and we have to let this person be on set, Ferguson, but I said the person can turn around and I can act to the back of the head… and I did.”
She said she was terrified while all this was going on but realized somebody had to do it. She says she spoke to the director who said to her:
“You’re right. I am not taking care of everyone else. I’m trying to fluff this person because it’s so unstable”
She said things on the production improved immediately from that point onwards. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson then chimed in. He starred with Ferguson on 2014’s Hercules and said:
“Hate seeing this but love seeing her stand up to bulls—. Rebecca was my guardian angel sent from heaven on our set. I love that woman. I’d like to find out who did this.”
Not just a meathead flexing. Johnson has quite a lot of pull in Hollywood so if the name ever comes out, they might find they have a career impact. Now, as a responsible outlet (ha!) we would never indulge in any speculation as that would be unprofessional. You, on the other hand, can find Ferguson’s filmography right here.
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