Making a name for herself as she co-stars alongside Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” the lovely Paula Patton put her beauty on full display for the cover of the December 2011/January 2012 issue of Complex.
The 36-year-old brunette beauty sizzles in a Thierry Le Gouès shot spread lining the magazine’s pages while talking about topics including her first encounter with Cruise, as well as her newfound sense of confidence.
With a behind-the-scenes video available above, highlights from Miss Patton’s interview are as follows. For more, be sure to visit Complex!
On whether her first meeting with Tom Cruise was intimidating:
“No, actually. He made me feel comfortable; he was so kind. At first I felt like I shouldn’t waste my time, because I just didn’t see how they’d actually cast me. I didn’t think of myself being hired to be in this. Then they kept calling, so I figured, ‘OK, I have nothing to lose. It would be cool to be a spy. [Laughs.] And it’d be amazing to work with Tom. If they’re calling, there has to be a reason—you have to have more faith in yourself.’ So they called and said that they wanted me to do a chemistry read with Tom, and it was like no screen test I’d ever done before. I had my trailer, and the test was on a big soundstage in Paramount. It felt very ‘old Hollywood.’ It was very exciting. I had to learn how to disarm a gun a little bit—or at least be able to fake it—that same day!”
On her dual nature:
“I want to be peaceful, but I have a lot of violent rage inside of me. Mission: Impossible was great for helping me get some of that out without really hurting anyone.”
On whether she’s game to be Hollywood’s next female action hero:
“Hell yeah. I’d love to do more action films. I was always athletic as a child, so for me it’s fun to run and jump and get physical. I love all of that. It would be amazing to keep kicking ass in other films, or in more Mission: Impossible films—whatever comes my way. I’m just open to wherever life takes me. I try to put up light guardrails in my life, and leave room for things to come my way and surprise me. If you’re too rigid in your quest for something, you might not see the other amazing possibilities that are thrown at you.”
On what brought about her newfound sense of confidence:
“Being honest with yourself as you get older, and after you live life longer. I’m more comfortable with my flaws now, and with that, you start to feel more confident. When you’re trying to hide all of your flaws, and you’re embarrassed by them, it can be so uncomfortable—very, very uncomfortable. You don’t know who you’re supposed to be. I just hit a certain point when I started to think, ‘You know what? These are my flaws, and I’m OK with them.’ I love me! I’m doing the best I can with what I have. I’m not afraid to say that anymore. I feel comfortable in my own skin now.”
Photo Credit: Thierry Le Gouès for Complex
