How Mission Impossible’s Hayley Atwell Went From Action Star to Style Star
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This interview was conducted prior to Hollywood’s SAG -AFTRA strike.
In Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One, released earlier this month, Hayley Atwell engages in some pretty intense fight scenes and high-speed car chases. For the action star, who also stars as Peggy Carter in the Marvel universe, that element of thrill-seeking is nothing new. It’s precisely what drew her into the project. She’s not one to shy away from a challenging filming experience, training and all. “The story is a relentless adrenaline ride that captivates the audience,” says Atwell. “That really blew me away.”
Of course, co-starring alongside Tom Cruise and working with director Christopher McQuarrie didn’t hurt. Atwell says she was given carte blanche to explore her character, Grace—a professional, though mysterious, thief. “I appreciated the humanity that I could bring to Grace, given the size of the spectacle,” says Atwell. “To start any movie and be told by the filmmakers that I’m welcomed to have creative choices—and a sense of agency—is very exciting and unusual to hear. It was up to me to bring complexity and contradictory qualities to the character.”
While Atwell spent many months training and preparing for the film’s blockbuster-worthy action sequences, the star has been undergoing a different kind of marathon this month—a fashion marathon. At the film’s many red carpet premieres (before the SAG strike), Atwell has embraced the opportunity to transform from action star to style star. She worked with stylist Rose Forde to cultivate a wardrobe that strikes the right balance between classic, glamorous, and bold. “[Rose] created a whole mood board with references, whether that be a piece of art or a sculpture,” says Atwell. “I loved that it was not just a conversation about the aesthetics or the cut of the dresses; It came from creating a story, and that really appealed to my creativity.”
Together, the pair landed on a wardrobe that was filled with black and gray, with many sprightly pops of color. “We looked at each country that I was going to, and that [influenced] the style and silhouettes,” says Atwell. “We also looked at both young and established designers—we wanted an eclectic mix.” One of her earliest style hits was in Rome, Italy, when the actor wore a plunging black Givenchy gown that channeled Old Hollywood glitz. “The black was a nod to La Dolce Vita: I love how Italians wear black with such strength and elegance,” says Atwell. “I also loved the strings of pearls on the back.”
