Rebecca Ferguson opens up about the struggles of fame

Rebecca Ferguson admits that navigating fame isn’t always glamorous. 

The 42-year-old actress, known for her roles in Mission: Impossible, Dune, and The Greatest Showman, revealed she finds it “harrowing and weird” when she isn’t recognized, calling silent red carpets a strange experience.

“I think a lot of people wouldn’t verbalise it, because not being recognised and yet working is one of the most incredible things – but it’s also quite harrowing and weird, because there is an ego-boost to being recognised,” Ferguson told Harper’s Bazaar. 

“Sometimes I have moments where I go, ‘Why do I not have paparazzi? Why am I not having to be smuggled out the back exit?’ The older I get, the more I think, ‘God, I’m grateful.’ But then you have to deal with walking down a red carpet and it goes silent because you’re not Timothée [Chalamet] or Zendaya.”

Ferguson also discussed her uneasy relationship with social media. She said she started her Instagram account five years ago but struggled with the push-and-pull of posting private moments while craving recognition. 

“I’ve been playing with it, posting private images, hating when I did, but loving the recognition, then hating that I’m loving the recognition — that constant, bloody juxtaposition,” she said.

The actress admitted that premieres and award shows are uncomfortable for her. “I’m not good at sitting and socialising with other celebrities, scurrying on the surface of conversation. I get anxious,” she said.

Despite these challenges, Ferguson said she’s now more selective about the projects she takes on, prioritizing enjoyable sets and respectful environments. 

“I like to have a good time on set, and I like it when people treat the team well. I have no interest in someone walking over people, or sitting with signs going ‘Don’t talk to me,’ or whatever silly nonsense,” she explained.

She also shared her thoughts on leadership dynamics on set. “If everyone keeps treating the No 1 as a bloody king or a princess, you’re already putting them on a pedestal, rather than seeing all of this as a creative collaboration … F***! God, I get so annoyed by it,” Ferguson said.