Hayley Atwell just shared a story that’ll make your jaw drop. While chatting on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on May 22, 2025, the 43-year-old actress let slip that she filmed a big fight scene for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning while eight and a half months pregnant. Talk about going all in for a role!
Atwell first won fans over as Grace, the quick-witted thief-turned-IMF agent, in 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. In the latest chapter, The Final Reckoning, which hit theaters on May 23, 2025, she’s back alongside Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, taking on a rogue AI called the Entity. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film’s a thrill ride, packed with stars like Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Angela Bassett, and Nick Offerman. It wowed audiences at its Cannes premiere on May 14, 2025, earning a 7½-minute ovation. But Atwell’s behind-the-scenes reveal is what’s got everyone talking.
On Fallon’s show, she casually dropped the bombshell about the fight scene. “We had to go back and tweak a few things,” she said with a grin. “And in that clip, I’m eight and a half months pregnant.” The crowd went wild, and Fallon was floored, blurting out, “Are you serious?” Atwell explained they needed reshoots to nail the scene, and when the crew offered a stunt double, she wasn’t having it. “I was like, ‘No way! I’ve worked too hard for this. Let me do it,’” she laughed. The team made sure she was safe and comfortable, but still, that’s next-level dedication. Atwell, who welcomed her first kid with partner Ned Wolfgang Kelly in 2024, kept her pregnancy under wraps during filming, making the news even more of a shock.
And that fight scene wasn’t her only wild moment on set. Atwell also filmed in the Arctic, working with sled dogs and even crossing paths with a polar bear, which she called a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience in an Entertainment Weekly interview. She gave props to Tom Cruise for making those unique shoots happen, saying the freezing conditions pushed her to find new strength. Atwell’s no stranger to tough roles—her time as Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and her theater roots helped her handle Mission: Impossible’s intense, ever-changing production style. But doing stunts while nearly ready to give birth? That’s a whole new ballgame.
In The Final Reckoning, Grace grows from a crafty loner to a loyal IMF team member, though some reviews say she’s a bit underused, often stuck delivering plot points or backing up Benji (Simon Pegg) instead of leading the big action moments. Still, Atwell’s performance pops, especially knowing what she was juggling off-screen. Her grit and heart shine through, making her a standout in a franchise known for pushing limits.
Atwell’s story is the kind of thing that makes you cheer. Balancing motherhood with the chaos of a blockbuster action flick, she showed she’s just as unstoppable as Ethan Hunt. Fans can check out her incredible work in theaters now, and that fight scene? It’s not just a highlight—it’s proof that Atwell’s a real-life superhero. Whether this is Ethan’s last mission or not, Atwell’s left a mark on Mission: Impossible that won’t be forgotten.