Mission: Impossible III’s Keri Russell Recalls Shooting ‘Epic Gun Battle Scene’ With Tom Cruise, Including His Suggestion On What To Do If Her Hair Caught On Fire

Mission: Impossible III’s Keri Russell Recalls Shooting ‘Epic Gun Battle Scene’ With Tom Cruise, Including His Suggestion On What To Do If Her Hair Caught On Fire

As a gamer who grew up with a remote control in one hand and popcorn in the other, I’ve always been a fan of the adrenaline-pumping action that the Mission: Impossible series delivers. Keri Russell, an actress whose performances I’ve admired since her days on Felicity, made a splash in the third installment of this franchise with her epic gun battle scene alongside the legendary Tom Cruise.


Four years following the conclusion of the TV show “Felicity”, Keri Russell marked her entry into blockbuster films with “Mission: Impossible III”, where she portrayed Lindsey Farris. Despite having a limited role in this particular “Mission: Impossible” film, Russell had the opportunity to perform alongside Tom Cruise, the franchise’s main character, in an action scene that she described as “epic gun battle”. In a recent interview, she reminisced about being part of this high-octane sequence and even shared the advice Cruise offered when her hair might catch fire during filming.

In a recent interview with Variety, Russell played a game where she tried to guess lines from her popular roles. This chat took place a few weeks before she reappears as Kate Wyler in The Diplomat Season 2. Although she couldn’t recall that the phrase “I’m out! How many rounds you got?” was from Mission: Impossible III, she vividly remembered the process of filming the gun scene from the 2006 action movie, which she then described as follows:

A thrilling shootout sequence, wow! Incredible. You see, Tom Cruise often performs his own stunts, so I figured I should too. For instance, leaping from an exploding building onto the moving roof of a car. And he said, ‘In case we land and your hair catches fire, just flick it out.’ Can you believe that? I have much more hair than him.

It’s the thought of Tom Cruise looking out for Keri Russell that counts, but yeah, it would have been a lot harder for her to shake the flames off her long hair compared to if he had to deal with them on his much shorter hairstyle. But it wasn’t just advice that Cruise had to offer shooting while shooting Mission: Impossible III with Russell. There’s a moment in the sequence when Ethan Hunt tosses Lindsey Farris a gun, and Cruise pushed for a take where Russell would actually catch the firearm rather than have it be handled through CGI. The actress explained:

I believed that moment was approaching when Tom should look at me, and then, in a slow-motion scene, he would pretend to toss a gun towards me, which I’d catch, followed by him making gunshot sounds, creating a cool, badass effect. However, J.J. suggested that instead of throwing the gun, they would add a CGI element, asking me to only make a specific hand gesture. Tom insisted I could handle it, but I admitted I couldn’t. So, we gave it a try, and surprisingly, I managed it! It was an amazing experience.

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In the sequel to the popular “Mission: Impossible” franchise, titled “Mission: Impossible III”, Keri Russell joined forces with director J.J. Abrams again. Previously, they had worked together on “Felicity” and later collaborated on “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019. Despite not matching the commercial success of the first two “Mission: Impossible” films, “III” garnered generally positive reviews. Unfortunately, Lindsey Farris did not become a regular ally to Ethan Hunt, as she was killed off soon after her debut by an explosive device planted in her head.

As we anticipate further news about “Mission: Impossible 8” in 2025, don’t forget that you can stream all of the franchise’s previous movies with a Paramount+ membership. For those eagerly waiting for more of Keri Russell, season 2 of her show “The Diplomat” will be available on Netflix starting October 31, and it has already been confirmed that there will be a season 3!

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2024-10-18 03:38