Hannah Waddingham Fiercely Defends Tom Cruise After Working With Him

After spending five days “mucking” with Cruise on the next Mission Impossible movie, the Ted Lasso actress says she has “a real problem” with anyone who criticizes him.

The Ted Lasso star recently shared her experience working with Cruise on the eighth installment of the Mission Impossible franchise — and she came away with only the deepest respect for him.

Divulging her experience during a Christmas episode of the British cooking show James Martin’s Saturday Morning, Waddingham revealed: “I have to say, I have a real problem with anybody that goes at [Cruise] now.”

“Having met him and spent five days intensely, on [a U.S. aircraft carrier during filming]… Five days, no fineries, all of us mucking in for five days,” she said of her time on set of the film, “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,” she added.

It is still unclear what role the actress has in the Christopher McQuarrie directed film, which had it’s release date pushed back from next summer to May 2025 due to the delays from the Hollywood strike.

While fellow Mission Impossible actress Hayley Atwell seemed to echo Waddingham’s sentiments in a chat with People last summer.

“[Cruise’s] reputation precedes him with actresses in that he makes them feel very safe, very seen, really respected,” Atwell told the publication. “He loves people to thrive, he loves intelligent women. He wants people to engage and be part of this process. And so when I read with him on the screen test, it already felt like we were workshopping it.”

However, when it came to dating rumors Atwell had a different take entirely — which you can read here.