The “absolute emotional rollercoaster” that gave Rebecca Ferguson her breakthrough role
There have been many great actors to have come from the land of Sweden, and Rebecca Ferguson is very much one of them.
Born in Stockholm, Ferguson got her big break when she landed a part on the soap opera Nya tider, in which she appeared 54 times. She continued to find work in Scandinavia, both in film and TV, but it would be in the United Kingdom where she made her first big splash.
Ferguson was cast as Elizabeth Woodville in the BBC adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s novel, The White Queen. Her performance as the wife of England’s King Edward IV went largely unnoticed in the UK, but the show was a big hit in the United States. It even earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe, which is somehow still her only recognition from a major awards body.
Taking the leap from the relatively small world of Swedish television to a multi-million-pound series on one of the biggest channels in the world was a daunting task. According to Ferguson herself in an interview with Seenit, she felt this pressure as early as her first audition alongside future co-star Max Irons.
“It was an absolute emotional rollercoaster,” she said. “I walked in with all my nerves but we just clicked and it was amazing chemistry between us straight away.”
After waiting and waiting, she decided to clear her head by going for a seven-hour hike. “When I came back from my walk I had around 15 missed calls and texts from my agent saying ‘Where are you – we need to fly you to London tomorrow,’” she revealed. “So I jumped on a plane.”
Airing in 2013 on BBC One, The White Queen takes place during one of the most turbulent times in British history – The Wars of the Roses. Ferguson’s character, Elizabeth Woodville, was initially married to a minor knight, but became a national figure when she was chosen by the reigning king, Edward IV, as his bride. She had ten children with Edward, two of whom would become the infamous ‘Princes in the Tower’. Woodville has been played by a number of famous actors over the years, from Annette Bening to Keeley Hawes to Barbara O’Neil.
It wouldn’t take long after The White Queen aired for Ferguson’s career to really kick into high gear. She made her first Hollywood movie, Hercules, the following year and, one year after that, she made her debut as Ilsa Faust in the Mission: Impossible franchise. She would appear in three of the high-octane blockbusters before meeting a sticky end in Dead Reckoning – Part One. Since then, she’s also appeared in the Dune series, the Shining prequel Doctor Sleep, and countless other high-profile projects.
One of the great things about acting is that you never know what job will lead you to the promised land. From a TV show that barely made a dent in its native land to becoming one of the most sought-after and respected actors of her time, Ferguson’s journey has been an unexpected pleasure.
