Russell speaks out on Cruise, 'M:I3'

by Bryan Koronkiewicz
Friday, April 28, 2006

Since her four-year stint as everyone's favorite college co-ed ended in 2002, Keri Russell has been keeping a relatively low profile. Fans may have caught glimpses of her in "We Were Soldiers" and "The Upside of Anger," or most recently in last year's television miniseries "Into the West." But more or less, the former "Felicity" star has been in the periphery of the public's eye.

That's all about to change. Starring in the first blockbuster of the summer season, "Mission: Impossible III," Russell will be back in front of audiences May 5. But is the world ready for an ass-kicking Felicity? In a recent interview with The Badger Herald, Russell tried to shed light on the issue.

Many wonder why the petite and polite-mannered actress would be attracted to an action movie like "Mission: Impossible III" - seemingly a complete 180 from anything she has ever done. The answer lies in the man behind both the camera and the script, J.J. Abrams. Nowadays he is known as the creator of the hit shows "Lost" and "Alias." But beforehand Abrams's baby was "Felicity," his first TV series. It was their work together on the show that made Russell want to collaborate again.

In retrospect she finds it quite humorous that she would constantly joke with Abrams on the set of "Felicity," always telling him, "I want to be a spy. No one would ever suspect me. They all think I'm innocent and sweet." Now Abrams is making her dream a reality.

When discussing his writing or directing style, Russell had nothing but praise for Abrams. "He's exactly the same. His process is exactly the same," Russell said. "He makes things constantly fun and includes people. It's part of his genius."

After "Felicity" ended, Russell actually turned down offers from Abrams to do work on "Alias," unlike many of her former cast mates. When asked what was different this time, she responded, "Timing. I didn't want to do anything. I wanted a break to be a kid again."

Russell explained her disappearance from the limelight further by stating, "It was necessary. I knew it was time to work again when I got interested in stories again." And in a very down-to-earth manner, she posited the simple answer, "People get sick of seeing you."

And if there were one person that knows what she means, it would be her co-star. The media buzz surrounding Tom Cruise has been relentless this past year, but Russell kept it simple, only saying, "His personal life is his personal life." She explained how she thoroughly enjoyed working with the veteran actor and noted, "We were like brother and sister on the set."

But her focus was quickly shifted back to the upcoming film, as her excitement about the project was ceaseless. Russell described how she has what she calls a "cringe factor." When watching any of her movies for the first time, she is very critical of herself - hence the cringing. However, the screening of "Mission: Impossible III" was different. Instead of critiquing, her reaction was pure amazement. Russell's only response was, "I can't believe I'm in it."

As for what viewers should expect from her, Russell was light on the specifics. She casually alluded to a certain scene, about which she could not reveal anything. But she did announce proudly, "All I can say is that I feel like a badass."

That inability to spill the beans, in true Abrams fashion, has left the actual storyline of the film shrouded in mystery. Fortunately, Russell was able to fill in some of the details. She plays an agent in training to become part of the IMF, the team of elite spies led by Ethan Hunt (Cruise). Her character gets sent out on a mission, but something goes awry. The plot then revolves around whether Hunt will get the rookie agent out of her predicament.

Although her comments on the plot were brief, there was one thing she could not stop talking about - the stunts. This time around, Cruise was adamant that he do all of his own. That left not much of an option for Russell, as most of hers were in tandem with the leading actor. But she didn't seem fazed by it at all, remarking, "That's why you want to do a movie like this."

In fact, the stunt-work ended up being her most memorable experience from shooting. She went on to recount a story about how a stunt coordinator prepped her once, imitating the quick-fire speech, "If your hair catches on fire, don't let go of the van because you will fall off." Although it sounds intense, she was constantly positive, noting how she jokingly thought before the stunt, "Should I call anyone?"

Yet despite possible locks a flambeau, Russell conceded that the training segments proved most difficult. Besides learning the intricate art of Filipino stick fighting, she also had to be able to assemble a machine gun blindfolded in less than 30 seconds. In a voice that was half-proud, half-coy, she added, "My best time was 13 seconds, by the way."

As for the future, Russell was vague about what was in store for her. When asked if she would do another installment of "Mission: Impossible," she responded with an enthusiastic, "Of course I would!" However, the former Mickey Mouse Club star was certain of one thing - she is not going to follow in the footsteps of other former Mouseketeers, asserting, "For the love of God, I'm not going to sing!"