During the aforementioned Rome Rush, Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise are handcuffed together, leading to a frantic chase scene where car doors aren’t needed. The two seats swap during the jaw-dropping sequence, letting Grace take charge and making Hunt wince at every bump and nudge from the other vehicles. Describing the storyline, Atwell explained, “somewhere that, metaphorically and literally, Tom would never want to be is in the passenger seat if someone else is, you know, behind the wheel.
Onlookers shared their amazement at Atwell’s abilities after his 20-minute driving session was met with enthusiastic applause from the crew. It wasn’t until she sat down with director Christopher McQuarrie that she realized the magnitude of her accomplishment. “Afterwards, McQ took me to lunch and he was like, ‘Tom just put his life in your hands right now’.”