Rebecca Ferguson Revealed She Got Calls From Confused Costars After Her Comments About The “Idiot” Who “Screamed” At Her On Set Prompted A Viral Search

“I got phone calls from amazing costars who I’ve worked with going, ‘You understand what you’ve done, right?’”

By
Ellen Durney
by Ellen Durney

BuzzFeed Staff

Rebecca Ferguson shared her thoughts on the chaotic reaction to her viral revelation about a former costar who “screamed” at her.

Closeup of Rebecca Ferguson on the red carpet
Bryan Bedder / Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

In case you need reminding, while promoting Dune: Part Two in February, Rebecca shared in an interview that she once refused to work with an “absolute idiot of a costar” after they verbally abused her on a movie set.

Closeup of Rebecca Ferguson
Reign With Josh Smith / YouTube / Via youtu.be

“I think I was so vulnerable and uncomfortable that I got screamed at,” she said on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast on February 27, revealing that the unnamed actor was “being so insecure and angry” because they “couldn’t get the scenes out.”


Despite yelling at her “in front of the whole crew,” Rebecca said producers excused the actor’s behavior because they were “number one on a call sheet.”


“I stood there just breaking,” she said. “There was no safety net for me, so no one had my back. And I would cry walking off set.”

Rebecca didn’t name the actor or share anything about the movie they were working on at the time. However, she did say that the abuse became so difficult to deal with that she eventually took a stand and informed the film’s producers that she could no longer work with the costar in question.

Closeup of Rebecca Ferguson
Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

“I looked at this person, and I said, ‘You can F off. I’m gonna work toward a tennis ball. I never want to see you again,’” she recalled.


“And then I remember the producers came up and said, ‘You can’t do this to number one. We have to let this person be on set,’” she remembered. “And I said, ‘The person can turn around and I can act to the back of the head.’ And I did. I was so scared.”

After Rebecca specified that she wasn’t referring to past costars Tom Cruise or Hugh Jackman, the internet launched into a full-scale investigation to try and figure out who the story was about — prompting some of Rebecca’s former colleagues, like Emily Blunt and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, to speak out.

Closeup of Rebecca Ferguson and Tom Cruise being interviewed on the red carpet
Gareth Cattermole / Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

On X, Dwayne recalled their fun working together on the Hercules film in 2014, saying: “Rebecca was my guardian angel sent from heaven on our set. I love that woman. I’d like to find out who did this.”


Meanwhile, a representative for Emily — who worked alongside Rebecca on The Girl on the Train in 2016 — said in a statement that the two actors are good friends and “there’s nothing but love between them.”


Fans also attempted to rule out the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal and Ewan McGregor by unearthing video footage of Rebecca seemingly enjoying their company while promoting their movies together.

Amidst the speculation online, Rebecca remained silent. However, she’s now opened up about the behind-the-scenes fallout in a new interview, clarifying that she “was not expecting” such a huge reaction online.

Closeup of Rebecca Ferguson
Eamonn M. Mccormack / Eamonn M. McCormack / Getty Images for Warner Bros

“I kind of enjoyed the grab,” she said when asked about the viral guessing game on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show this week. “But what I realized even at the age that I am now…it doesn’t matter.”

Looking back on her decision to tell the story, Rebecca said that it felt like the perfect response to the question she’d been asked at the time — which was about a moment in her career she felt most proud of using her voice for change.

Closeup of Rebecca Ferguson
Marc Piasecki / Getty Images

“I was excited about the question,” she said. “Because the point was: Is there a point in your career where you were treated in a way where you changed your decision on — this is how I formulated it in myself — where you want change, or you will not accept it? ... And it was such a clear moment for me working with this person.”

Closeup of Rebecca Ferguson
Mike Marsland / Mike Marsland / WireImage

“I am me,” she said. “I definitely think, but I’m much more open. I also know where my boundaries are.”

While she was happy to share the story, Rebecca said that “the point of the interview wasn’t about finding the person,” prompting her to reveal that she was contacted by several concerned colleagues who’d gotten caught up in the viral search for the “idiot” costar.

Closeup of Rebecca Ferguson
Rich Polk / Deadline via Getty Images

“I got phone calls from amazing costars who I’ve worked with going, ‘You understand what you’ve done, right?’” she said. “And I was like, ‘Oh my God. No, I didn’t think.’”

Despite this, Rebecca made it clear that she had zero regrets over the frenzy she caused, saying simply: “I don’t really care.”

Closeup of Rebecca Ferguson
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis / Corbis via Getty Images

“I mean, it’s not my responsibility, to be honest,” she said. “You know, ‘You’re great, but my story is my story, and if you’re a good person, then don’t worry about it.’”

You can watch the full clip of Rebecca’s recent appearance on The Jess Cagle Show here.

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