Tom Cruise’s Powerful Mantra That Helped Hayley Atwell Conquer Her Nerves

Hayley Atwell may be known to Marvel fans as Peggy Carter and to Mission: Impossible audiences as the enigmatic Grace, but even seasoned stars like her can struggle with social anxiety. Recently, Atwell opened up about how a simple piece of advice from Tom Cruise helped her overcome those moments of fear and self-doubt.

Appearing on the Reign With Josh Smith podcast, Atwell, now 42, reflected on her long career and the nervousness that still creeps in, particularly in social situations. “Social anxiety is something a lot of people talk about these days, and many experience it at some point,” Atwell shared. “For me, it manifests as overthinking. If you walk into a room and feel the anxieties coming, it makes me want to retreat into myself. I start questioning—‘Do I look weird? Do I seem awkward?’ And then I retreat into myself.”

The turning point, Atwell said, came when she began working with Cruise on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Cruise’s approach was as straightforward as it was impactful. “Tom said, ‘Try looking out. Look around the room and find the thing that’s making you feel insecure,’” Atwell recalled. Instead of letting those anxious feelings linger and build, he encouraged her to pinpoint their source—whether it was someone who reminded her of a past critic, a former boss, or even a bully. “If I look at it long enough, I can identify what it actually is,” Atwell explained. “Maybe I’m feeling jealous, lonely, or intimidated by someone’s confidence. But once I name it, the vague sense of unease disappears. That’s when I actually have the power to do something about it.”

Cruise’s guidance boiled down to a simple mantra: “If you’re scared of something, just keep looking at it, and it will often give you information about what to do to overcome it.” For Atwell, the advice proved transformative. By confronting her fears head-on, she could not only manage her social anxiety but also build a healthier relationship with the pressures of her career.

Atwell’s collaboration with Cruise in Mission: Impossible also underscored her admiration for him. In a past interview with The Guardian, she described Cruise as “very kind, very professional,” noting that working with him was unlike any other experience. “When I started, I was aware of the rarefied air around him—there’s no one like him,” she said. “Actors aren’t made like him anymore. He’s a one-man studio, and because of that, I felt like I could try new things without fear of failure.”

While Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One may not have achieved blockbuster status at the box office, the professional and personal growth Atwell experienced working alongside Cruise will likely have a lasting impact. His simple yet effective advice reminds us all that sometimes the best way to conquer fear is to face it directly and learn from it.