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WALTER SCOTT’S
What was it like to join Tom Cruise and progressing. For those reasons,
and a cast that’s been together for it instantly felt like a collaborative
several films now? I think when you process.
walk into a franchise that’s so estab-
lished already, has worked so well and What is it like to work on the fly with-
is just getting better with each in- out a script? Oh, it’s so liberating. Of
stallment, there’s a feeling of safety. course, the idea of it is terrifying, but I
It’s not like an experimental movie think when you’re working with peo-
and we’re all starting from scratch. ple who lead with [the notion that]
You’re walking into something that everything is just an offering, a
already feels very safe. choice, an idea, there are no good or
bad ideas, there are no stupid ques-
Is it true that director Christopher tions or clever questions. We’re just
McQuarrie saw you in a play and going to play and explore, which for
decided he wanted to work with you? me is the root of creativity.
I met McQ ten years ago when
he came to see me in the West
End in London. He took me
out to dinner and said, “I want
to work with you. What you
can do on that stage, I want to
write it and I want to put it in a
movie, I just don’t know which
one yet.”
HAYLEY
When the screen test came
about, I met with Tom and
they said, “We don’t have a
script or a character. We’re
ATWELL
looking for the actress we
want to work with, who comes
to understand our process of
working, and thinks that it’s a
creative environment that
The Captain America: The First they’re going to thrive in. And then They very much encourage an
Avenger and Howards End star, 41,
FROM LEFT: DAVE BENETT/GETTY IMAGES FOR ANNABEL’S; PARAMOUNT PICTURES
from that place, we will collaborate environment where you can try
joins the seventh �lm in the fran- and create a character together.” things. You try and create an objec-
It was really important to me that tivity where your ego is at the door
chise, Mission: Impossible—Dead my character was not going to be just and you work out: “Did that land,
Reckoning Part One. Atwell stars one thing, that she wasn’t going to be does that belong in the world of this
an archetype of the femme fatale, movie? Do we love it but feel like we
as Grace, a new character who the ice queen, the maiden, the victim, need something different in the se-
gets caught up in Ethan Hunt (Tom the damsel in distress. That she quence of what the story is in the
would have, like we all do, a real range greater context?” You’re coming at it
Cruise) and the IMF team’s search of qualities. From that point of view, I from those more specific questions.
for a terrifying new weapon that felt like I was able to come in and real- So, I always knew that whatever ulti-
ly commit to the new opportunity mately didn’t work was not going to
threatens all of humanity if it falls that they were offering, how they be in the movie.
into the wrong hands. saw the franchise moving forward My background is in theater, where
from page 3
you’re in a rehearsal room for six weeks This is obviously a big story because it’s rally wanted to move.
and you go left, you go right, you go up, going to take two movies to tell. How do At the end of the test, they came and
you go down, you speed up, you slow we begin? There’s an introduction to watched me having learned and pre-
down, you ask lots of questions and you some brilliant new characters: Paris pared a fight sequence. Then Wade went
think you’ve kind of understood the writ- (Pom Klementieff), Degas (Greg Tarzan off with Tom and McQ and said in private,
er’s vision here, or you make a creative Davis) and Jasper Briggs (Shea “This is what I’ve discovered about Hay-
choice and then later on you might go, “It Whigham). And at the same time, it rein- ley. This is how I see her abilities and the
doesn’t really fit in with the final act.” It’s troduces characters that we’ve seen be- speed at which she can learn things and
all about creative exploration. From that fore, without giving away any spoilers. It take direction physically.” And then he
point of view, I didn’t see [not having a feels like it’s a step forward generation- gave a realistic prediction of where he
script] so much as a challenge but more ally in potential new team members or could get me up to with what amount of
very stimulating creatively. adversaries, but it’s still retaining the training.
connection to all the characters that We tested lots of different things and
Tell us a little more aboutyour character, people have come to know and love. And what we found was when I’m given a
Grace. Before we started filming, we it is so ambitious in its scale in terms of prop, I fight faster. That comes from my
were watching lots of movies together the action sequences and the stunts theater background. You can relay so
to have a running commentary of filmic that it had to fit in too. We’re looking for much in the way that you handle a prop
language and a tone we were trying to the stakes to be as high as they possibly about how you think about someone.
create. So, we watched things like Broad- can, so we’re looking at how on a global The way that you’re twiddling a paperclip
cast News, What’s Up, Doc?, The Sting, scale this story has conflict. And so that will determine if you’re hiding a secret or
Paper Moon, heist movies, like the origi- became multiple locations to really span if you plan to use it as a weapon. All this
nal Thomas Crown Affair. We liked the that. stuff. So, using knives became a natural
idea that Grace was really competent, I think because there are new charac- part of my fight sequences.
but she didn’t realize the extent to which ters introduced, it’s giving everyone The other things were doing a backflip
she was out of her depth. their moment to show a change in the off a bridge in Venice or moving back-
We loved the idea of Barbra Strei- arc of their character. So, with Grace, wards off a moving train. Tom is such a
sand’s character in What’s Up, Doc?, who when she arrives in seven, the shift of disciplined athlete. He’s very specific,
is oblivious to the carnage she’s indirect- what she goes through, what she sees, he’s adamant about the health and safe-
ly created behind her. She’s not calculat- how she’s changed by it, decisions that ty protocols on set and making sure that
ing. We thought that for Grace that’s a she makes towards the end of the movie there is a lot of communication and a lot
great, dramatic place to be in because, if and then takes into eight, are hugely dif- of preparation that goes into these
she is unintentionally exasperating ferent. It’s a huge arc. So is the case for stunts so that they are done competent-
Ethan, you can’t be angry at her for it. some of the other characters, too. ly. And not only being able to do it once
You’re like, Oh, my God. This is so frus- or twice, but multiple times from multi-
trating, will she just stand still, will she just Tom is famous for doing his own stunts. ple angles, for multiple takes. And in dif-
trust him, will she just for once do what he How much did that inspire you to follow ferent ways.
says because it’s going to be advanta- suit? I do all my own stunts in the movie. He was very inspiring in that way and
geous to her? The audition part of the screen test was so it meant that I was with a team of
We created this idea that she’s not an for me to work with Wade Eastwood, the world-class trainers and athletes, real
agent but in terms of her character she’s stunt choreographer. I worked with him experts in their fields, from kickboxing
an agent of chaos. From those moments, for about two hours where he was test- champions to Olympic winners. That
you can see that this is not someone ing my natural talent, fitness levels and meant that I had the same discipline and
who’s deliberately trying to pull the rug coordination when it came to unarmed work ethic that I saw he had, which is to
from under his feet, but inadvertently combat. He was also working out where educate yourself on as much as you
does so. And therein lies some of the my natural skills lay, whether I was more want. To look strong, you’ve got to make
comedy, but also some of the stakes get of a wrestler as a fighter or if there was a sure that you understand mobility and
higher for it. So, it creates more sus- particular style of martial arts that he injury prevention, and how the body can
pense. thought would suit the way that I natu- rest and the nutrition it needs to be able
4 | JULY 9, 2023
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to work and live like an athlete. cause it’s such an intense, full-on experi-
So, that was five months of training. I ence. We were in the Arctic recently for
would be taken on a [car] racecourse and eight [Part Two], and as soon as we finish
learn how to drift. Drifting with Tom on the press tour, we’re straight back into
the streets of Rome, you’ve got all these the studio and then we’ll be doing this un-
added pressures of you’re in this beauti- til probably early next year. And because it
ful, ancient city that has cobbled streets, asks all of me, it’s a deep sense of satis-
it’s slightly raining, and there were stunt faction. I think that’s also because in addi-
cars around you, there’s crew around you, tion to what my character is doing in the
there are journalists, and fans out to see movie, Tom and McQ have demystified
Tom. In the middle of that, you have to the moviemaking process by being very
know how to calm your nervous system inclusive about how to make a movie. I’m
down so that you can drift competently, getting a master class in their running
and donut-spin the car around while commentary of moviemaking history,
you’ve got three cameras rigged to the then they’re in the editing suite showing
car—and that you can also take direction me the difference between take one that I
at the same time. did and take 10 that I did. And showing
I knew that I just had to be ready for why they decided that for the sake of the
anything because if I’d arrived on set and story, Grace needed to take a left rather
hadn’t given it 100 percent, then I knew than a right.
because there was no script that I’d be That makes me feel like I’ve been part
writing myself out of the story because I’d of it for such a long time. Yes, I love the-
reached my limit of what I was willing to do ater deeply. It’s such an all-encompassing
FROM TOP: MURRAY CLOSE/GETTY IMAGES; AJ PICS/ALAMY (2); TCD/PROD.DB/ALAMY; PICTORIAL PRESS LTD/ALAMY; TCD/PROD.DB/ALAMY
and try. So, the more I trained, the more I experience. And I do miss the connection
had to offer, the more then they were able with the audience that you feel on a night-
to use in the actual film. Incredible, yeah. I ly basis. It’s a dialogue where the audience
worked really hard for it. Really, really tells you what’s landing and what’s not. I
hard. Loved it. love that. I learn as much about acting
from the audiences as I do watching other
You’re also part of the Marvel Cinematic people’s performances. So, I’ll for sure do
Universe. Do you think there’s more to do more when the opportunity arises.
as Agent Carter? It’s such an extraordi-
nary franchise. In the first Captain Ameri- As you’ve said, you have this master class
ca: The First Avenger, I would never in a now in filmmaking. Any plans to do any-
million years think that you’d be asking me thing with that? I’m in the industry now 17
this question this many years later. Right? years. I’ve worked solidly in that time. It
I think it’s a beloved character, but I would just be natural that as time went on
wouldn’t want to go over any old ground my understanding of other departments
and I wouldn’t want her to have remained was an actual byproduct of being around
the same. I think that if there was an op- them and asking questions. Also, it’s such
portunity to bring her into the world of an exciting time because I’m seeing so
it, she would have to have had a huge many of my colleagues start production
promotion. companies, executive producing material
as well as starring in it. So, yeah, if the
You’ve been working on Mission: Impossi- right project came along and I felt like
ble for four years now. Do you miss get- there was enough for me to really sink my
ting your theater fix? There hasn’t been teeth into in terms of either producing or
enough time to miss anything else be- directing, then I would take it.
The Here’s what’s on our radar this week.
Don’t Miss List Go to Parade.com/entertainment for more.
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who can no long
a reality that is m
The vacation
being everythin
Blandine expect
becomes appare
alie’s very differ
vacationing—an
lead Blandine to
point.
6 | JULY 9, 2023
FULL CIRCLE
(JULY 13 ON MAX)
LAKOTA NATION
After eight seasons on Homeland for which she won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding
VS.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MAX; IFC FILMS; DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY IMAGES FOR TRIBECA FESTIVAL; 20TH CENTURY-FOX/GETTY IMAGES; CBS PHOTO ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
Lead Actress in a Drama and a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Hulu’s Fleishman Is in
Trouble, Claire Danes, 44, returns to television in the six-episode limited series Full Circle. UNITED STATES
The crime drama follows an investigation into the botched kidnapping of Sam’s (Danes) son
that uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present-
day New York City. Even though Danes has been on our radar since her role in My So-Called
Life when she was 15, here are some facts you may not know:
D
exp
thir
hus
Hug
Her acting career began with a guest
cy. T
spot on Law & Order‘s third season pre-
par
miere in 1992.
Cyr
She turned and
down the role of
Rose in Titanic
as she had just
finished working
with Leonardo
DiCaprio on
Romeo + Juliet.
PEEL
‘N’ EAT
GUAJILLO
PRAWNS
JULY 9, 2023 | 9
|
uick quiz: What’s the first thing that pops
into your mind when thinking of Kyra
Sedgwick? Her award-winning role on
The Closer, maybe? One of her great ’90s
movies? Or her 35-year marriage to Kevin
Bacon? Sure, you know her, but to really understand Sedg-
wick is to hear her talk about her mother.
“Oh my God, she’s amazing and unbelievable,” she raves
of Patricia, who’s 91 and still works as a psychotherapist.
Sedgwick then relays an anecdote about how the two
recently had to dash into a New York City subway en route
to a Midtown black-tie gala event because of bad traffic.
“She went downstairs in her sequined shoes and was going
so fast and far ahead of me!” she says. “She’s still going
strong. I can only try to keep up.”
Surely this helps explain Sedgwick’s fiercely headstrong,
can-do attitude—not to mention her inability to stay put
in a state of contentment. (In fact, she literally returned
from a hike in Los Angeles before this Zoom interview.)
The actress could have just leaned in to being the dreamy
love interest (Singles, Phenomenon) or the supportive fam-
ily member (Something to Talk About). But she decided to
take the leap to television to star as ace detective Brenda
Leigh Johnson in TNT’s The Closer in 2005 before many of
her film peers switched mediums. After the last case was
solved, she started to direct episodes of Grace and Frankie,
Ray Donovan and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She recently
directed the indie film, Space Oddity.
Now she’s taking a new turn. A Gen Z one, to be exact.
In the second season of the hit series The Summer I Turned
Pretty (premiering July 14 on Prime Video), Sedgwick
arrives at the sleepy fictional seaside town of Cousins
Beach and “riles some stuff up,” she says. Specifically, her
Aunt Julia character wants to sell the beloved estate that
once belonged to her now-deceased sister—much to the
chagrin of her teen nephews (Christopher Briney, Gavin
Casalegno) and their childhood friend (Lola Tung). “Julia
has some really bad memories of the house and it all comes
to the forefront when she goes back there,” Sedgwick says.
The series is based on the YA romance trilogy by Jenny
Han. That meant the actress was surrounded by talent a de-
cade younger than her own children, Travis, 34, and Sosie,
31. “I had no idea what to expect with these kids,” she says.
“But they were so good and professional and humble and
not on their phones all the time! I couldn’t believe it. We’d
actually talk to each other. It felt so wholesome.”
As for her own summer, the New York City native, 57, is
spending it at the family farm with Bacon—and their pigs,
goats (often the star of videos with Bacon), alpacas and
miniature horses. But first she spoke to Parade.
continued on page 12
JULY 9, 2023 | 11
from page 11
Did you know anything about The Village and was a total late-’70s hippie. Your first role was the soap opera
Summer I Turned Pretty before signing I’d listen to Janis Joplin and Jefferson Another World. Was that slightly
on? You know, I really didn’t. I had Airplane and Bob Dylan. Then my anticlimactic? I was psyched. I only
to get educated in the world according parents would go away for the weekend auditioned because we had a manager
to Jenny Han, and I was blown away. and we’d party. I feel like we were friend who thought it would be fun for
All the choices in the show, from the feral in Manhattan. It’s a wonder I me. I was just 16 but I was treated like
costumes to the director to the ad managed to stay alive, frankly. And it’s a professional and expected to act like
campaign, are her vision. That’s very so funny because when my kids were one. I mean, there is no shame in being
appealing to me. around that age, they’d want to spend on a soap opera. Julianne Moore started
the weekend alone in our on a soap. Morgan Freeman was on my
New York apartment and I soap and we had a bit of an overlap!
was like, “Absolutely not!”
What was your real break? Born on the
The family on your dad’s Fourth of July? Yeah, that’s the break.
side has an illustrious
history that includes
colonist Major General
Robert Sedgwick and model
Edie Sedgwick. Were you
always aware of your roots?
We were very aware of the
In season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Sedg-
Sedgwicks and how impor-
wick plays sister Julia to the beloved Susannah, who
tant they felt they were, if you
passed away. Her arrival in Cousins Beach shakes
know what I mean. But yeah,
things up. Elsie Fisher (left) also joins the cast.
they were amazing. One of
our progenitors signed the
Declaration of Independence
Were your new costars familiar with and another was a general in The Civil It’s an anti-Vietnam drama from 1989
you at all? I don’t think so. War. I think the greatest claim to fame starring Tom Cruise and directed by
is Judge Theodore Sedgwick, who, as Oliver Stone. Does that still rank as
That didn’t freak you out? It didn’t a lawyer, won the freedom of the first your most intense experience? It didn’t
freak me out at all. I don’t mind being slave in North America. Her name was scare me at all. I was like, of course I’m
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the old-timer. I think that’s the reason Elizabeth Freeman and she’s buried in supposed to be here. I found Oliver to
to do something. Why not have a whole the Sedgwick family plot in Stockbridge, be a real straight shooter and I was a
new generation know you? But I never Massachusetts. no-bulls—t New Yorker. Like if you just
think anyone knows me from anything. came right back at him, he wasn’t going
That’s the world I live in. And I do How did you end up in the arts? to mess with you. But what I found ex-
feel incredibly young and like I’m at My mother was so turned on by arts traordinary was how much Tom worked
the beginning of my long and storied and culture and specifically by acting. his ass off. He was an enormous star
career. Maybe that’s a fantasy in my She’d take my brothers and me to the at the time, and you could tell that he
head. theater and say, “Oh my god, wasn’t that knew this was such a unique and special
amazing when this moment happened?” opportunity for him. He went above
You grew up in New York City. What My stepfather was an art dealer, so we and beyond and was lovely to me.
kind of kid were you? I spent a lot of were surrounded by beautiful art. And
time hanging outside playing handball my dad [Henry, a venture capitalist] You nailed the angst of dating in
with my friends until dinnertime on loved to take us to what he called “The Singles, which remains a Gen-X
the stoops of the Upper West Side. By Flickerinos.” He took us to movies way classic. But you were married with two
the time I was 12 or 13, I was going too early in our lives. Like, I saw The kids by the time you were 26! I didn’t
to movies and plays downtown in the Exorcist when I was ten. experience the singles scene at all.
continued on page 14
12 | JULY 9, 2023
ROLE
PLAY
from page 12
It’s so crazy to me to this day that I met Kevin at 21 or whenever
the f—k it was and got married at 22. The only reason I made that
KYRA 411
choice was because I’d fallen for him. But had you told me that it
would have happened, I would have thought you were out of your Favorite Childhood
f—king mind. That wasn’t me. I was fiercely independent. I moved out Movie Kramer vs.
Kramer (1979)
of my family home at 17 and was finally self-sufficient. But I met him
and it was like, of course we have to get married. When I look back on
it, it’s insane.
When you make a movie like that, are you relieved that you never
had to endure being single
in your 20s? That’s funny.
I don’t know if I thought
about it at the time. But
[writer-director] Cameron
Crowe definitely did not
portray dating like it was a
fun thing. You could tell he Last TV show Binge
really f—king hated it. And Beef (Netflix)
he was also married at the
time!
Why did you walk away after seven seasons? It could have gone on Favorite Time of Day
The morning!
forever and I was grateful for the offer to do more. But I fulfilled my
contract and was ready to do other things. I wanted to explore other
roles and produce. And I just didn’t want to play her anymore. The role
was too consuming. Out of a 46-page episodic script, she spoke 42
pages of it! That’s a huge commitment.
14 | JULY 9, 2023
They don’t make shows like The Closer anymore, especially on basic
cable. What’s interesting to me is that now everybody is like, “Oh my god,
procedurals! They’re so great! They’re so homey, like an English muffin!” The
critics dismissed us as a procedural. But everything comes around, right?
There is something comforting about it.
After you wrapped, what did you set out to do? I think I finished when
I was 46. It wasn’t until four years later when I fell in love with directing.
Then it was, OK, all bets are off.
Did it also scare you that you were an actress nearing 50? No. I don’t think
that way. I’m really grateful that I’m a multi-hyphenate because I think that
parts are fewer and far between when you get older, period. There are just
not many great scripts out there. For anybody! To be able to get hired as a
director is fantastic because you get to take all these creative and intense
feelings and channel them into something.
Your son Travis is a musician and daughter Sosie is an actress. Have you
directed her yet? I did in my first movie, Story of a Girl. She’s extraordinary
and very special, and I hope to direct her more. When I sit down to watch
her performances, it’s like I’m watching Joaquin Phoenix because I have no
idea what I’m going to get. That’s so exciting to me.
Did you and Kevin always plan on raising your kids in the city? Yes, and
I’m really glad we did. When I was doing The Closer, there was a family con-
versation of like, “Should we move to L.A.?” And the kids were like, “No, no,
no, no!” They’re just dyed-in-the-wool New Yorkers. It’s hard but you grow
up faster and you see the world in a different way, and that’s a good thing.
Do you two have a lot of showbiz friends? We only have normal friends!
No, Kevin and I don’t have a Rolodex of famous people. We don’t love ac-
tors. Most of my friends I’ve had since I was a teenager.
And you have the goats, of course. They have lots of fans! Oh, it’s a whole
thing. “I haven’t seen you in any movies, but I love your Instagram!” But
they’re great. They run to greet you and say hello when you walk into their
area. They’ve been so socialized. And they don’t even want food because we
don’t feed them! I just pet them.
Kevin told Parade last year that he believes every role will be his last. Do
you feel the same way? Yeah, he does say that. Um, do I feel the same way?
No, I don’t. I don’t take things for granted, but I do feel like I’ll be working
until my 90s like my mom.
So, you feel good about whatever comes next? I’m not a delusional
optimist. I know what’s going on in the world. But I’m super-grateful about
how privileged I am. I’m a f—king lucky person. I get to be alive.
JULY 9, 2023 | 15
Denise, adopted 17-year-old Amina
Dear Marilyn,
I’m 5’7” and weigh 130 pounds. My friend
is 5’ and weighs 175 pounds. When we’re at
the pool, I see that I must tread water to stay
afloat, but she has trouble even keeping her
feet on the bottom because she is so buoyant.
Why are we so different?
—Bob Collins, Fort Myers, Florida
Your friend just isn’t as dense as you are, Bob. If an object (or person) is denser than the
water in question, it will tend to sink. If it’s less dense than the water, it will tend to float.
(It would be easier for both of you to float in saltwater because the dissolved salt makes
the water itself denser.) Your friend likely has more fatty tissue and surface area than
you, which makes her body less dense, so it’s easier for her to float in the pool.
Density is determined by both the mass of the object and its volume. That’s why a
metal ship will have multiple air-filled chambers—so it can have enough volume to float.
If you compressed that same ship into one enormous bowling ball, it would sink like one.
You probably know that our body weight is more than half water. Even our bones are
Numbrix
Complete 1 to 81 so the
®
about one-third water. But did you know that our brains may be more than 75 percent
water? So the next time you want to criticize someone’s intelligence, don’t call him an
airhead. Call him a waterhead. At least you’ll always be right.
numbers follow a horizontal or
vertical path—no diagonals.
MARILYN
AUGUST 14, 20044
What do these words have
1 in common?
—Pete Hughes,
THE MISSING Alexandria, Va.
NUMBERS PROBLEM
JANUARY 4, 2004 bring seek
What are the missing numbers buy teach
in this series? catch think
—K. Key, Moreno Valley, Calif.
fight wreak
441211223???
Find solutions to Marilyn’s puzzles and this week’s Numbrix on the next page!
JULY 9, 2023 | 17
Ask Marilyn
BY MARILYN VOS SAVANT
SOLUTIONS
Numbrix
THE MISSING
NUMBERS PROBLEM ®
E!
FUN & FRE ON AT
YOU R GAME
GET R ADE.COM
GAMES.P A
18 | JULY 9, 2023
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