File: Pom Klementieff.
Pom Klementieff joins the Mission: Impossible world as the mysterious Paris.
An associate of Gabriel (Esai Morales), a man who shares a dangerous history with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), Paris is a woman of few words and deadly actions.
She will let nothing – and nobody – get in her way as she pursues her quarry across the globe.
Beginning her career in her native France, Klementieff became beloved by international audiences with her breakout role as Mantis in the Guardians Of The Galaxy series, a part that combined her gifts for comedy and physical action.
A long-time student of multiple martials arts, Klementieff puts all her combat skills to use in Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One as one of Hunt’s mostly dangerous rivals ever.
Egypt Today exclusively interviewed Mission Impossible _ Dead Reckoning's star about her first experience in Mission Impossible world and her collaboration with Tom Cruise and McQ.
1-You’re new to the Mission team. How would you describe your experience ?
“The whole filming experience has been incredible and it is inspiring to work with filmmakers like Tom and McQ. Their vision is so beautiful and cinematic, and the action sequences and locations are stunning. It was a dream of mine to be part of this franchise. Before I was cast in the film, I was training and learning martial arts. When I would block off the training in my calendar, instead of writing in ‘stunt training’ or ‘martial arts class’, I sometimes would write ‘Mission: Impossible’ instead. I did that for fun, but also as a way to manifest the type of movies I want to be a part of.”
2-Why have you wanted to do a Mission: Impossible movie for so long?
“I have always been a huge fan. I was quite young when I saw the first Mission: Impossible movie. I saw it on an old black and white TV. Even though the TV wasn’t working that well, I was mesmerised by the action and Ethan hanging from that wire. The cast included Jean Reno and Emanuelle Beart, and it was the first big Hollywood movie I remember seeing French actors in. It opened the door in my mind that French actors could be in these big American movies, and maybe I could be in a movie like Mission: Impossible one day. I have been wanting to make an action movie for a while now. It is one of the reasons I do martial arts in my spare time. And Mission: Impossible films are amazing examples of great action films. Plus, the females in the film are very strong characters and have their own agency. They are fighters and equals – not just the girlfriend waiting to be saved.”
3-What can you tell us about your character, Paris? She seems like a pretty deadly force.
“Paris works with Esai Morales’ character, Gabriel. She’s a mysterious, enigmatic presence with many layers to her personality. And she’s a fighter. On these movies they develop the fighting styles of each character around each actor’s ability. Because I have been training in martial arts for quite a while, doing things like kickboxing and taekwondo and other disciplines, we came up with a way of fighting that incorporated all of that. So, she has different action abilities.”
4-What was it like to work with Tom Cruise?
“Tom inspires me and challenges me every day. He works so hard and is a very generous human being, both on and off screen. While he is the star of the film, he is very collaborative and always makes sure other characters have their moment to shine.”
5-What’s the process of building your character on a Mission: Impossible movie?
“Unlike other films, the character doesn’t start on the page. It evolves. It can be a scary process because there is nothing on the page at first. Finding Paris was a team effort with all the departments involved. We did a lot of camera tests, trying different variations of hair, make-up and costumes. We played around with how I carried myself and the physicality of the character. As an actor it was fascinating and I am not sure any other filmmakers could pull it off. It was scary at times, but also very freeing as well.”
6-Why is McQ such a great director for these movies?
“McQ is a visionary. He has such a sense of the frame, composition and movement. He works just as hard at the dialogue as the angle and composition of a shot. He can get his actors to convey emotions without speaking and directs us physically in ways that feel organic. Each character in this film is special and he makes everyone strong in their own way. I have learned so much working with him.”
7-Where did you look for inspiration when preparing to play Paris?
“When it came to Paris, I was inspired by watching animals. Weird animals – prehistoric birds, like the shoebill stork. I would watch videos of them when it came to figuring out how she moves. Because this is such a physical role, I also worked out a lot with Sam Eastwood, and did Pilates, to build up my core to prevent injuries. I also learned sword fighting – and I loved it!”
8-What can audiences expect from the biggest Mission: Impossible yet?
“They can expect to be blown away. There are so many really cool action scenes. The fights are stunning. The car chase in Rome is amazing. The tone of the movie is really different. There is something mystical and haunting about it. But it’s also fun, touching and an amazing action film.”
9-What's was your favourite scene to shoot in this movie, and why?
“There are so many amazing scenes in the movie, but my favourite scene to shoot was an action sequence in Venice. We trained for almost a year choreographing the scene. It was intricate to shoot because of how narrow the alleyway is. It meant we had to get creative with movements and camera placement. We played with heights instead of widths, to make the fight scene unique.”
10-What would you say to any other actors who may join the Mission: Impossible franchise in the future? What can they expect from their experience?
“It is one of the most exciting and unique experiences. With Tom and McQ leading, it creates a domino effect with everyone inspiring and complementing each other. And you might get addicted to sky diving.”
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