Inside Rebecca Ferguson And Tom Cruise's Relationship

Top Gun actor Tom Cruise has been keeping his love life private after two wildly public marriages to top actresses, and who could blame him? Cruise's split from his second wife Nicole Kidman was so contentious that, even years later, he banned her from attending their son Connor's wedding. Cruise's infamous breakup with third wife Katie Holmes left him blindsided and devastated, opening up to German TV network ProSieben about the "tragicomedy" of his relationships (via Insider). "To be 50 and to have experiences and to think you have a grip on everything... and then it hits you: This is it, what life can do to you," he told the channel.

Despite the slew of romantic setbacks, Cruise has been linked to other Hollywood actresses following his 2012 divorce from Holmes, including his Mission: Impossible co-star Rebecca Ferguson. The Swedish bombshell was a surprise pick to star opposite Ethan Hunt (Cruise) in 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and 2018's Mission: Impossible – Fallout, generating rumors that Cruise hand-picked her for the role over better known actresses.

So, who is the up-and-comer that appears to have snagged Cruise's attention? Here's a look inside Rebecca Ferguson and Tom Cruise's relationship.

According to National Enquirer (via Radar Online), insiders revealed in 2014 that Rebecca Ferguson first caught Tom Cruise's eye in the Starz period drama The White Queen, largely because of her resemblance to Cruise's long-ago love, Nicole Kidman.

"She looked just like Nicole with her pale complexion and tousled reddish-blonde hair," a source told the outlet. "Even her sex scene was just like one Nicole did years ago." Cruise was immediately captivated. The insider claimed that Cruise felt Ferguson was "just like a young Nicole, but even more beautiful."

It's no surprise, therefore, that Cruise employed the same tactic with Ferguson that he did with Kidman: hand-picking her to star across him in his films! While many actresses reportedly jockeyed for a role in the Mission: Impossible franchise, it was Ferguson who landed the coveted spot. A friend of Cruise's told Radar that she was an unexpected choice. "There were better known actresses in line for the role, but Tom said he thought she'd be perfect," the pal clarified.

Looks like Tom Cruise hit the nail on the head by selecting Rebecca Ferguson to play his love interest, Agent Ilsa Faust because the pair shares electric chemistry on set. "There's been a real spark between them and Tom's been giving Rebecca his full attention," a source told National Enquirer (via Radar Online). Inquisitr suggested that at the time of filming, Cruise, who'd been "flirting nonstop" with Ferguson, was looking to upgrade their working relationship to a personal one.

For her part, Ferguson shied away from any romance rumors, instead choosing to focus on the pair's onscreen counterparts. Describing Ilsa Faust to SyFy in 2018, Ferguson said, "She's so fierce and independent, she doesn't have time for it [a relationship]. There's a bond between them that goes beyond love or attraction or sensuality. It's platonic, but it's caring. They're absolutely devoted to one another."

It's notable that Ethan Hunt and Ilsa Faust's relationship in the Mission: Impossible franchise, while dramatically charged, is powered by mutual fascination and respect. We may have to wait and see whether real life imitates art, as Ferguson and Cruise were just spotted in November 2020 on the set of the next installment of the Mission: Impossible films. At the time of this writing, they have yet to confirm a relationship; in fact, Cruise has not confirmed a relationship since his last divorce, according to Distractify.