Vanessa Kirby on bringing “The White Widow” to life in “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One”

When actor Vanessa Kirby reprised her role as Alanna Mitsopolis, widely recognized as the White Widow in “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” she focused her portrayal of the White Widow to be a powerful and dangerous international arms dealer, adding an electrifying dynamic to the film. 

“I wanted to just try and capture the essence of what she had done,” Kirby said.   

Her character is known to have a quiet, yet menacing look and aura surrounding her which Kirby said was a challenge to learn. 

“I would never have thought about myself to be somebody that sort of so in charge of this really dark, you know, hugely powerful organization, but to do it with lightness and play,” she said. 

She performs stunts throughout the movie with Tom Cruise, who plays protagonist Ethan Hunt, and also performs his own stunts in the “Mission: Impossible” series. 

The film hits theaters today. It is a production of Paramount Pictures, a division of CBS News’ parent company. Its highly-anticipated release follows a four-year gap since the release of the previous installment, “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.”    

To express gratitude to the audiences and embracing their enthusiasm for the franchise, Cruise and other members of the cast recently visited movie theaters across multiple cities. Kirby said this speaks to their bond, which got stronger as the cast and crew filmed together during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We were a little family in our bubble for it now to be out there in the world is really thrilling. I think everybody is so fantastic and and I’m very proud to be a part of it,” Kirby said.  

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” hits U.S. theaters on Wednesday, July 12. Deadline calls it “Hollywood action filmmaking at its peak” and The Hollywood Reporter praises director Christopher McQuarrie’s ability to keep “his audience glued to every moment.” Re-watch all the movies in the famous franchise starring Tom Cruise now on Paramount+ ahead of the new stunt-filled installment.