"It was really scary and challenging"- When Vanessa Kirby opened up about working in Mission Impossible

At this stage, Vanessa Kirby has pretty much done it all, and is now all set to become a big part of the iconic MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), where she will star in the role of Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. However, coming from a background in theatre, Kirby had to travel a lot to reach where she stands today.

This is something Vanessa Kirby discussed with The Talks in an interview from 2020. She spoke with respect to her role in the Mission Impossible franchise, where she had to step out of her comfort zone and act in a way she had not before. Discussing this, she also cited the physical limitations she faced and how she overcame them.

Vanessa Kirby elaborated:

"Well, with Mission Impossible and these other action films… I come from stage acting, so I had no idea even how to even do that world. It was really scary and challenging. And I like to do things that frighten me. Mission Impossible, especially, really did change me. It taught me about discipline and stamina, it taught me the physicality of what is required for different roles. The training really requires you to step up and push yourself. It’s like switching on a different switch."

She further elaborated on how she felt about challenging roles and acting, in general.

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"I realized early on that acting is about thoughts"- Vanessa Kirby shares her take on acting

For an actor to be as successful as Vanessa Kirby, they would always require a mixture of talent and grit. For Kirby, her ability to take on challenges head-on as well as her process of acting play a big part in handing her the present success she enjoys in the industry.

After explaining how she found her role in Mission Impossible challenging, Kirby explained how she also enjoyed the process. She told The Talks:

"I really like pushing past my limits in that way — I love it. When I read something and go, “Uh, I don’t know how I am going to do this,” then I know I should do it. I don’t think it feels as challenging when you read a script and go, “I know exactly how I am going to do this.”"

Apart from this, the way she approaches acting is also quite unique and it helps her embody characters in the way she does.

She elaborated on her process:

"I realized early on that acting is about thoughts. Especially on camera, if you think the character’s thoughts, the camera can read it. So it’s about trusting in that process....That is simply it. If you think like that, you are likely to enter into a room differently, you are likely to talk about things differently or share yourself with people in a different way. And hopefully it’s what you see on camera."

This has indeed worked great for Vanessa Kirby, who made waves with her roles in films like Pieces of a Woman (2020) and Napoleon (2023). She has also acted in the acclaimed Netflix show The Crown, playing the role of Princess Margaret.

Kirby will soon be seen in the hotly-anticipated The Fantastic Four: First Steps. She is also set to appear in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is also set to premiere in May 2025.