Hannah Waddingham reflects on how her "Mission: Impossible" character echoes personal family history

CBS News

23-05-2025

The latest "Mission: Impossible" film includes an extravaganza of exotic locations, elaborate action sequences and is a cautionary tale about artificial intelligence.
British actor Hannah Waddingham, known for her role on the hit show "Ted Lasso," plays an admiral on a U.S. Navy ship in "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning."
Starring alongside Tom Cruise, Waddingham said they filmed their scenes on a real aircraft carrier, the USS George HW Bush, with 4,500 service members on board.
"They were gorgeous. Just thousands of people just loving that we were all there, but all of us so humbled by being around them," she said. "As someone who comes from a nautical background, it was really a phenomenal moment."
Waddingham said her character in the movie echoes her family history.
"My grandfather, who we still have, he's 108, was in the Royal Navy," she said. "He's the fifth oldest man in the United Kingdom, medals up the wazoo. … It's another reason why I wanted to do it."
Waddingham also comes from a family of opera singers and her four-octave range stole the show at last year's Olivier Awards in London. Before moving into television and film, she spent decades on the stage.
"If I had walked the red carpet at Cannes when I was 24, I think I would have lost my tiny mind. I don't shy away from the fact that I'm 50 and I've well and truly been around the block," Waddingham said.
Hannah Waddingham departs after attending the "Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning" red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 14, 2025 in Cannes, France.
Karwai Tang
She is often cast in commanding roles, from "Sex Education" to "Game of Thrones" and "Ted Lasso," where she won an Emmy for her performance as businesswoman Rebecca Welton.
"I purposely take roles that are strong, kind of peripherally, but actually when you peel into the layers, there are softnesses, there's self-doubt. Just because you're 6 ft. doesn't mean you're not squishy or self-doubting or anything inside," she said, adding that she's true to herself and knows herself better than ever.
"In a moment where you're not feeling that confident, like being on this job, being on 'Mission Impossible', they are all so kind and welcoming – it's very easy to have imposter syndrome. You could easily go, 'Oh, I shouldn't be here.' … You just have to choose. You have to choose to be positive," Waddingham said.
"Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning" is distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is part of CBS' parent company, Paramount Global. The film hit theaters on Friday, May 23.