“There are a lot of strong female roles coming up more and more.” This summer alone we've seen the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road's Furiosa, a new Sarah Connor, and a hilariously tough Melissa McCarthy in Spy. “I think it’s a very good time to be a woman in film right now,” Ferguson said via phone this week. Watching her in action made me wonder if she’s the missing fourth member of Rihanna’s #BBHMM girl gang. She is smarter than the crew she’s forced to work with. Ilsa regularly opens cans of whoop-ass on anyone who crosses her. She's every bit as skilled as Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and has her own story line, her own battles, and her own special set of skills. (THE SYNDICATE IS REAL, GUYS.) Don’t get it twisted though, unlike some of the MI gals who came before her, Ilsa is no damsel in distress - nor is she a love interest. And now, there’s Rebecca Ferguson, whose performance is among the fiercest of the year.įerguson, the 31-year-old Swedish actress you've seen in Hercules and The White Queen, plays Ilsa, a former British Intelligence special agent working under deep cover in The Syndicate. (A fun game: How many times does someone say, “But that’s exactly what Lane wants!” or deliver a dramatic pronunciation of the word “impossible?”) There’s Ving Rhames, ever the coolest of customers. There’s the clever blend of spy-movie-meets-comedy. There’s a lot to love in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, which hits theaters today. Warning: The following story contains spoilers.

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