Rebecca Ferguson has revealed how she had to overcome her fear of heights and enclosed spaces for her action-packed role in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

The Swedish actress makes her action debut in the fifth instalment of the franchise as agent Ilsa Faust, opposite Tom Cruise, who reprises his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt.

Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson
Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson (Chris Pizzello/Invision)

“Working on the stunts was a trip. I have claustrophobia and vertigo, but somehow, they got me to throw myself off high buildings and strap myself in underwater. I had to just do it and so I did,” she said.

Rebecca, best known for playing Elizabeth Woodville in period drama The White Queen, only had a few weeks of training before filming on MI5 began.

“The training was very detailed and specific. It was six hours a day and six days a week of stunt rehearsals, learning the specifics of hitting, ducking, jumping and moving,” she said.

“At the same time, I was looking to find Ilsa’s own personal way of moving and fighting. I came to think of her as a lot like a cat, someone who kind of claws herself into anyone who attacks her.

“She uses pure body momentum to take down much more massive guys. During the training, we found this robust, raw, animalistic style of fighting for her that is really cool – and unlike any man you’ve seen.”

Her natural abilities won the approval of her co-star Tom, who said: “Rebecca had never done this type of action before, but luckily she’s a natural athlete.

“She herself didn’t realise how good she would be at it until the training began. When we were working together, I kept telling her, ‘Look, you’re really talented at this.’ It’s true. Her hand-eye coordination, the way she moves, it’s instinctively powerful.”

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation opens in UK cinemas on July 30.