Rebecca Ferguson
Rebecca Louisa Ferguson Sundström (born 19 October 1983) is a Swedish actress.[1][2][3] She began her acting career with the Swedish soap opera Nya tider (1999–2000) and went on to star in the slasher film Drowning Ghost (2004). She came to international prominence with her portrayal of Elizabeth Woodville in the British television miniseries The White Queen (2013), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film.
Rebecca Ferguson | |
|---|---|
Ferguson in 2018 | |
| Born | Rebecca Louisa Ferguson Sundström 19 October 1983[1] Stockholm, Sweden |
| Alma mater | Adolf Fredrik's Music School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse | Rory (m. 2018) |
| Partner | Ludwig Hallberg (2005–2015) |
| Children | 2 |
Ferguson starred as MI6 agent Ilsa Faust in the action spy film Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) and its sequel Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), both with Tom Cruise. She played Jenny Lind in the musical film The Greatest Showman (2017), starred in the horror films Life (2017) and Doctor Sleep (2019), and had supporting parts in the comedy-drama Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), the mystery thriller The Girl on the Train (2016), and the science fiction films Men in Black: International (2019) and Dune (2021).
Early life
Ferguson was born in Stockholm and grew up in the Vasastan district in central Stockholm.[1] Her mother, Rosemary Ferguson, is English,[4][5] and moved from Britain to Sweden at the age of 25.[4] Her father is Swedish.[6] Her maternal grandmother is Northern Irish,[5] and her maternal grandfather is Scottish.[5] Ferguson took her mother's surname as her stage name.[7] Her mother helped ABBA translate the lyrics from their 1974 album Waterloo into English[8] and also appeared on the sleeve of the band's 1975 self-titled album.[9]
She attended an English-medium school in Sweden and was raised bilingual, speaking Swedish and English.[10] Ferguson attended the Adolf Fredrik's Music School in Stockholm and graduated in 1999.[11]
From the age of 13, she worked as a model and appeared in magazines and on television commercials for cosmetic, apparel, and jewellery advertisements.[12] Ferguson has danced from a very early age; she danced ballet, tap-dancing, jazz, street funk and tango. She taught Argentine tango at a dance company in Lund, Sweden for a few years[13] while she continued her work on several short art film projects.[14] Unsure if she wanted to act, Ferguson had other jobs, such as working at a daycare centre, as a nanny, at a jewellery shop, at a shoe shop and at a Korean restaurant.[15]
Career
Ferguson came to prominence as upper-class girl Anna Gripenhielm in the Swedish soap opera Nya tider (1999–2000).[15] She went on to later play Chrissy Eriksson in the Swedish-American soap Ocean Ave. (2002). Swedish director Richard Hobert spotted her at the Simrishamn town market in 2011, which led to her starring in his film A One-way Trip to Antibes.[16] She appeared in the horror film Drowning Ghost (2004) and the 2013 film VI alongside Gustaf Skarsgård.[17][18]
In August 2012, it was announced Ferguson had been cast to play Elizabeth Woodville in the ten-part BBC historical television drama The White Queen (2013),[19] based on Philippa Gregory's The Cousins' War novels about the women of the Wars of the Roses.[20] Ferguson's performance in The White Queen was met with critical praise,[21] and earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film.[22]
In 2015, Ferguson played Ilsa Faust, the female lead in the fifth Mission: Impossible film, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, for which she received critical acclaim.[23][24][25][26] Tom Cruise handpicked Ferguson to star opposite him in the film after watching her in The White Queen.[27][28] She reprised her role in the sixth Mission: Impossible film, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, in 2018. It is Ferguson's biggest commercial success to date.[29] She played the dual roles of Katya and Lauren in the Cold War espionage thriller directed by Shamim Sarif, Despite the Falling Snow (2016), opposite Sam Reid and Charles Dance.[30] For her performance in the film, she won the Best Actress award at the 2016 Prague Independent Film Festival.[31] Later that same year, Ferguson appeared in Stephen Frears's Florence Foster Jenkins alongside Meryl Streep,[32] and Tate Taylor's thriller book adaptation The Girl on the Train.[33]
In 2017, Ferguson played the female lead in Daniel Espinosa's sci-fi horror Life, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds,[34] co-starred in Tomas Alfredson's crime thriller The Snowman, alongside Michael Fassbender and Charlotte Gainsbourg,[35] and starred as Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind in the musical film The Greatest Showman, with Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams.[36]
In 2019, Ferguson had several major film roles, including co-starring in Doctor Sleep, the adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name.[37] She played Lady Jessica in Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Dune, released in 2021.[38]
Personal life
In 2007, Ferguson gave birth to a son with her boyfriend Ludwig Hallberg. After her soap opera success and the birth of her son, she moved with her boyfriend to Simrishamn, on the Swedish southeast coast. The couple separated in April 2015.[39]
Since 2016, Ferguson has been in a relationship with a man called Rory. In mid-2018, she gave birth to her daughter, fathered by Rory,[40][41] whom she married at the turn of the year.[40] They have a house in Richmond, southwest London, owing to its proximity to Pinewood and Shepperton studios.[42]
Filmography
| Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Drowning Ghost | Amanda | [43] | |
| 2010 | Lennart | Home care personnel | Short film | [44] |
| Puls | Linda | Short film | ||
| 2011 | Irresistible | Woman | Short film | |
| A One-Way Trip to Antibes | Maria | [45] | ||
| 2013 | VI | Linda | ||
| 2014 | Hercules | Ergenia | [46] | |
| 2015 | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Ilsa Faust | [26] | |
| 2016 | Despite the Falling Snow | Katya / Lauren | [47] | |
| Florence Foster Jenkins | Kathleen Weatherley | [48] | ||
| The Girl on the Train | Anna Watson | [49] | ||
| 2017 | The Greatest Showman | Jenny Lind | [50] | |
| Life | Miranda North | [51] | ||
| The Snowman | Katrine Bratt | [52] | ||
| 2018 | Little Match Girl | Mother | Short film | [53] |
| Mission: Impossible – Fallout | Ilsa Faust | [54] | ||
| 2019 | Doctor Sleep | Rose the Hat | [55] | |
| The Kid Who Would Be King | Morgana | [56] | ||
| Men in Black: International | Riza Stavros | [57] | ||
| 2020 | Cold Night | Jenny Sorensen | 2008 film released in 2020 | |
| 2021 | Reminiscence | Mae | [58] | |
| Dune | Lady Jessica | [59] | ||
| 2023 | Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Ilsa Faust | Completed | [60] |
| Dune: Part Two | Lady Jessica | Post-production | [61] | |
| 2024 | Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two | Ilsa Faust | Post-production | [62] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | Nya tider | Anna Gripenhielm | 54 episodes | |
| 2002 | Ocean Ave. | Chrissy Eriksson | Episode: "#1.5" | |
| 2008 | Wallander | Louise Fredman | Episode: "Sidetracked" | [63] |
| 2013 | The Inspector and the Sea | Jasmine Larsson | Episode: "Der Wolf im Schafspelz" | |
| The White Queen | Elizabeth Woodville | Main role (miniseries) | [46] | |
| The Vatican | Olivia Borghese | Television film | [46] | |
| 2014 | The Red Tent | Dinah | Main role (miniseries) | [64] |
| 2023 | Silo | Juliette | Main role | [65] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Stockholm International Film Festival | Rising Star Award | A One-way Trip to Antibes | Nominated | [66] |
| 2013 | Stockholm International Film Festival | Rising Star Award | VI | Nominated | [11] |
| 2014 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | The White Queen | Nominated | [22] |
| 2015 | Hamptons International Film Festival | Breakthrough Performer | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Won | [67] |
| 2016 | Buffalo International Film Festival | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Despite the Falling Snow | Won | [68] |
| California Independent Film Festival | Best Actress | Despite the Falling Snow | Won | [69] | |
| Critics' Choice Awards | Best Actress in an Action Movie | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Nominated | [70] | |
| Empire Awards | Best Female Newcomer | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Nominated | [71] | |
| Online Film & Television Association | Best Breakthrough Performance: Female | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Nominated | [72] | |
| Prague Independent Film Festival | Best Actress | Despite the Falling Snow | Won | [73] | |
| 2019 | Fright Meter Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Doctor Sleep | Won | [74] |
| Seattle Film Critics Society | Villain of the Year | Doctor Sleep | Nominated | [75] | |
| Utah Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actress | Doctor Sleep | Runner-up | [76] | |
| Women Film Critics Circle | Best Actress | Doctor Sleep | Nominated | [77] | |
| 2020 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Doctor Sleep | Won | [78] |
| 2021 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress | Doctor Sleep | Nominated | [79] |
| Sunset Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Dune | Runner-up | [80] | |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards | Best Actress | Dune | Nominated | [80] | |
| 2022 | Göteborg Film Festival | Nordic Honorary Dragon Award | Won | [81] | |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie | Dune | Won | [82] |
References
- ^ a b c "Rebecca Ferguson News & Biography". Empire. from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ Sigander, Miranda (13 December 2013). . Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ (in Swedish). Slitz. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010.
- ^ a b Clark, Caren (12 June 2013). . What's on TV. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013.
- ^ a b c Scanlon, Anne Marie (9 October 2017). "Snowman star melts our hearts". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ Farley, Christopher John (19 October 2013). "The White Queen Finale Is Just the Start for Star Rebecca Ferguson". Speakeasy. from the original on 20 October 2013.
- ^ Clarke, Donald (14 October 2017). "Rebecca Ferguson: 'Here I was, legs wrapped around Tom Cruise'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ Mackenzie, Steven (7 April 2016). "Rebecca Ferguson: "We're all battling things in modern life"". The Big Issue.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson's Surprising Connection To ABBA! | The Graham Norton Show". Facebook. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Interview Extra – Rebecca Ferguson, The White Queen". TV Choice Magazine. 11 June 2013. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ a b . Stockholm Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ "Meet Mission Impossible's Rebecca Ferguson". Look. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Interview – Rebecca Ferguson for Mission Impossible Rogue Nation". Irish Examiner. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Det är kul att spela någon som är elak hela filmen igenom". Dagens Nyheter. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ a b "Rebecca Ferguson: 'Not being recognised suits me'". The Guardian. 13 October 2019.
- ^ Rebecca Ferguson och Tara fixar hårsvallen! (27 September 2011). "Rebecca Ferguson hälsade på! – P3 Populär". Sveriges Radio. Sverigesradio.se. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson". Actors in Scandinavia. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ "Skarsgård jobbar helt naken – gratis | Nöjesbladet | Aftonbladet". Aftonbladet.se. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ "Starz Orders Historical Drama Based on Philippa Gregory's Cousins of War Book Trilogy". Hollywood Reporter. 9 April 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ "Media Centre – The White Queen, a new ten-part drama for BBC One". BBC. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
- ^ a b "Golden Globes 2014: The complete list of nominees and winners". Los Angeles Times. 12 January 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ "Meet Rebecca Ferguson, the Scene-Stealing Star of Mission Impossible". TIME. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ "After Mission: Impossible, Rebecca Ferguson's Impossible Calm Amid a Whirlwind Mission". The New York Times. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ Fleming, Mike (9 July 2014). "Mission: Impossible 5 Female Lead Goes To Rebecca Ferguson". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ a b Terrero, Nina (31 July 2015). "Meet Rebecca Ferguson, the beautiful scene-stealer in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Jefferies, Mark (10 July 2014). . Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 11 July 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ Longsdorf, Amy (30 July 2015). "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation brings Rebecca Ferguson to new heights". The Delaware County Daily Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ . Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson spies hard in the Despite The Falling Snow trailer". Empire. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "A trio of awards for Despite The Falling Snow". Enlightenment Productions. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson Cast In Florence Foster Jenkins Opposite Meryl Streep". Deadline Hollywood. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson To Star In The Girl On The Train". Deadline Hollywood. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson to Star in Skydance's Sci-fi Pic Life". Variety. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Michael Fassbender's The Snowman Circles Rebecca Ferguson". Variety. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ Fierberg, Ruthie (19 December 2017). "How Actor Rebecca Ferguson Uses a Pop Song to Bring Life to an Opera Star in Greatest Showman". Playbill.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (28 June 2018). "Rebecca Ferguson Joins Ewan McGregor in The Shining Sequel". Variety. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- ^ Kit, Borys (5 September 2018). "Rebecca Ferguson in Talks to Star in Denis Villeneuve's Dune". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson om separationsryktet: "Den frågan skippar vi"". Hant.se (in Swedish). 4 September 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Rebecca Ferguson is Married!". ExtraTV. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- ^ "Svenska Hollywoodstjärnan Rebecca Ferguson har fött en dotter i hemlighet". Hant.se (in Swedish). 28 May 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson: "Jag lever i två olika världar"". Moviezine (in Swedish). 8 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ Gunning, Cathal (2 January 2022). "All Rebecca Ferguson HorrorMovies, Ranked". Screen Rant. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ "LENNART (2010)". YouTube. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ "A One-Way Trip to Anitbes (2011)". MUBI. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ a b c Radish, Christina (16 August 2013). "Rebecca Ferguson Talks THE WHITE QUEEN, Fighting for the Role, Telling the Story from the Female Perspective, THE VATICAN, HERCULES, and More". Colldier. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (14 April 2016). "Despite the Falling Snow review – creaky cold-war thriller in cold-tea sepia". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Hammond, Pete (8 August 2015). "'Florence Foster Jenkins' Review: Meryl Streep Turns Bad Singing Into High Art". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Biedenharn, Isabella (5 October 2016). "The Girl on the Train: Rebecca Ferguson on Anna". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Tyler, Adrienne (28 August 2020). "Greatest Showman: Who Sings "Never Enough" (Why It's Not Rebecca Ferguson)". Screen Rant. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Weintraub, Steve (24 March 2017). "'Life' Director Daniel Espinosa on Why They Shot with Only One Camera and No Second Unit". Collider. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Loughrey, Clarisse (13 October 2017). "Rebecca Ferguson interview: on The Snowman, Mission: Impossible, and the mystique of Scandi noir". The Independent. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ "LITTLE MATCH GIRL – TEASER". Vimeo. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Gilbey, Ryan (19 July 2018). "Rebecca Ferguson on Misson: Impossible – 'Tom makes films for the audience. I do it for myself and the ride'". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Machado, Yolanda (6 November 2019). "Doctor Sleep Star Rebecca Ferguson Brings Stephen King's Most Terrifying Villain to Life". GQ. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Travis, Ben (4 October 2018). "The Kid Who Would Be King – Exclusive Image Reveals Rebecca Ferguson's Villain Morgana". Empire. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Motes, Jax (14 July 2019). "Foreign 'Men In Black: International' Posters Show Off Rebecca Ferguson And The Other Aliens". ScienceFiction.com. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (18 August 2021). "'Reminiscence' Review: Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson in a Sci-Fi Noir Love Story That's Déjà Vu All Over Again". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Abraham, Raphael (8 October 2021). "Dune star Rebecca Ferguson: 'It's about human connection'". Archived from the original on 8 October 2021.
- ^ Stokes, Katie (7 August 2021). "Rebecca Ferguson Wraps Mission: Impossible 7 Filming With Tom Cruise". Screen Rant. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Villeneuve, Denis (17 November 2021). "Rebecca Ferguson Shares Her Dune 2 Checklist with Denis Villeneuve". Interview. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
- ^ Malhotra, Rahul (24 March 2022). "'Mission Impossible: 8' Begins Filming, as Budget For 'M:I 7' Hits Nearly $300 Million". Collider. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
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- ^ "The Red Tent". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (20 May 2021). "Rebecca Ferguson to Star in Series Adaptation of Hugh Howey Novel 'Wool' at Apple". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ "Svenska skådespelartalanger nominerade till L'Oréal Paris Rising Star". Cision (in Swedish). 19 October 2011.
- ^ "Variety and Hamptons International Film Festival Host 10 Actors to Watch Brunch". Variety. Penske Business Media, LLC. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
- ^ "2016 BNFF Award Winners". Buffalo Niagara Film Festival. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "2016 CAIFF Slate Award Winners". California Independent Film Festival. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
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- ^ "20th Annual Film Awards (2015)". Online Film & Television Association. 26 May 2020.
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- ^ "2019 Fright Meter Award Winners". Fright Meter Awards. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "The Irishman Leads the 2019 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". seattlefilmcritics.com. 9 December 2019.
- ^ "Utah Film Critics Association 2019 Awards Winners". KUTV. 23 December 2019.
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- ^ . Fangoria. 11 February 2020. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^ "Saturn Awards Nominations: Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker, Tenet, Walking Dead, Outlander Lead List". Deadline. 4 March 2021.
- ^ a b Sunset Circle Awards [@SunsetAwards] (2 December 2021). "Best Supporting Actress, Runner-up: Rebecca Ferguson, #Dune #SCAwards t.co/FZnDz5MxLn" (Tweet). from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Rebecca Ferguson to receive Nordic Honorary Dragon Award 2022". 11 January 2022.
- ^ "Winners Announced for the 2nd Annual Critics Choice Super Awards". Critics Choice Association. 17 March 2022.
External links
- Rebecca Ferguson at IMDb
- Rebecca Ferguson at the Swedish Film Database
- Rebecca Ferguson at Rotten Tomatoes