Flickering Myth’s Matt Spencer-Skeen interviews stunt performer Lucy Cork about her career and work on the upcoming Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation…
Matt Spencer-Skeen: So Lucy, we’ve known each other from school days and I remember you were always very sporty, how did this develop into you doing stunts?
Lucy Cork: Well I came from a dance and gymnastic background and used to perform on stage in front of live audiences. I loved the buzz of performing and getting instant feedback from the crowd. Through training in gymnastics and then doing martial arts I met some people in the business and they told me I should think about training to be a stuntwoman, so I worked hard at the required disciplines and here I am!
MSS: I looked at your stunt videos on YouTube and the car stuff you do on there is very impressive! How do you enjoy that newer side of things?
LC: I love the car work and also now doing bike work as well, which is actually how I broke my thumb! The bike and car stunt work is more specialist so I was really enthused about doing that kind of work. Doing a lot of training for that when I’m healed!
MSS: We wish you a speedy recovery! So looking at your credits you’ve done a couple of minor stunt parts before including the recent 24 Series, what was your first job in stunts?
LC: My first job was probably on Casualty, doing odd jobs like small fights and falling over. No one really believes you’re doing this till they see you do it!
MSS: So Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation, is really your first major foray into Hollywood films, how was it getting into such a major franchise?
LC: Was definitely daunting at first, the scope didn’t really sink in until we were first filming for it. We did around 4 months of prep before any shooting and as my first film I really didn’t know what to expect.
MSS: There are some pictures of you from last year in The Daily Mail with Tom Cruise and it didn’t seem like they could tell the difference between you and Rebecca Ferguson in those pictures, what happened there?
LC: I know they just couldn’t get it right! I guess it’s a good thing with me being her stunt double! (Laughs). I mean it was amazing working with such top Hollywood people like Tom and Rebecca on my first real film job.
MSS: What was it like dangling above Vienna Opera House with Tom Cruise? Much interesting chat?
LC: Ooh that’s a good question, mostly just small talk! Also about how crazy how much press and how much of a crowd there was there for him. Obviously I was mostly focussed on the stunt work.
MSS: Did you get much interaction with any of the other stars? Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg or anyone?
LC: I was mostly with Rebecca and Tom with my stunt work, the others were working with different units to us.
MSS: So what other stunts were you part of besides the stunt double work with Rebecca and what we know from the papers?
LC: Well I don’t want to give too much away! I was involved in a few fight scenes, falls and some water based scenes. We spent a lot of time preparing and rehearsing for our stunts.
MSS: Did you get to do a lot on location or more on set?
LC: Fair bit of both, We shot in Vienna, Morocco and the UK.
MSS: So with such a likely big hit under your belt with what previous MI films have done, where do you want to take your career?
LC: Probably stay here for a couple of years, keep training hard and hopefully be able to get a good bit of work in the UK. There are a lot of films being made here right now so it’s a good place to be for my career right now.
MSS: So no LA?
LC: Not yet but hopefully in the future!
MSS: Final question then you can go, what’s your favourite part about being a stunt performer?
LC: I love putting things together, fights creating something that’ll be great on screen for the audience to watch.
MSS: Thanks for your time Lucy, we’ll check back in on you in the future hopefully! Hope the thumb heals up great.
Check out Lucy’s website here.
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