Hayley Atwell, actrice britannique

The mission may be impossible, but her roles are unforgettable !

Hayley Atwell is a British and American actress whose film career began in 2007. Atwell quickly rose to prominence with enticing dramatic performances and strong female leads. Ranging from action to fantasy, Atwell often provides scene-stealing performances on both the big screen and the small screen.

Before starring alongside Tom Cruise in Mission : Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Atwell made a name for herself in both summer blockbusters and period dramas. From Christopher Robin to Captain America : The Winter Soldier, here are Hayley Atwell’s 10 best movies.

10 Jimi : All Is by My Side (2013)
Andre Benjamin and Hayley Atwell walking in front of a police officer in Jimi : All Is by My Side

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 65%

In 1966, James Hendrix (Andre Benjamin) leaves New York for London in hopes of growing his music career. Once in London, James changes his name to Jimi and succeeds in his goal, meeting other musicians and romantic partners along the way.

Hayley Atwell appeared in the film as Kathy Etchingham, an English writer who became known in the 1960s due to her relationship with Hendrix. Released in 2013, Jimi : All Is By My Side received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the film’s leads, including Benjamin and Atwell.

9 Christopher Robin (2018)
Ewan McGregor talking to Winnie the Pooh who is standing on a table with his arm out in Christopher Robin movie

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 72%

Years after their adventures, a now-grown Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) receives a surprise visit from his old childhood friend, Winnie-the-Pooh. Reunited, the two embark on a journey to find their friends and help Christopher rediscover the joy of life.

Released in 2018, Christopher Robin received praise from critics who applauded the film’s sweet tone and performances by the leads. In the film, Atwell plays Evelyn Robin, Christopher’s wife who fears his devotion to work is taking a toll on him and that he is missing valuable time with their young daughter.

8 Avengers : Age of Ultron (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 76%

After Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) fail to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, the Avengers must battle the ruthless robot. Working together to save lives and stop Ultron from becoming more powerful, the team struggles to survive.

Atwell reprises her role as Peggy Carter in a vision caused by Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlett Witch. Released in 2015, Avengers : Age of Ultron received positive reviews from critics who praised the film’s performances while criticizing the plot.

7 Captain America : The First Avenger (2011)
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers and Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 80%

After being rejected from the US military, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is recruited to take a dose of "Super Soldier serum" and transformed into the ideal soldier. With his newfound power, good-natured Rogers recruits fellow soldiers to take down Hydra, an evil organization led by the ruthless Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

Serving as Atwell’s MCU debut, Atwell’s Peggy Carter was a strong and loyal ally to Evans’ Rogers and left a big impression on both critics and audiences. While elements of Captain America : The First Avenger were criticized, the performances by both Evans and Atwell were praised.

6 Cinderella
Lily James as Cinderella walking down a set of stairs in Cinderella.

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 83%

After her father unexpectedly dies, Ella (Lily James) finds herself mistreated by her cruel stepmother (Cate Blanchett), who refuses to let her go to a palace ball. Ella receives help in an unexpected place when a kindly beggar provides a magic touch to help her achieve her dreams.

Released by Disney in 2015, Cinderella was a live-action remake by Disney that received positive reviews from critics. Critics praised the film’s director, Kenneth Branagh, and his reimagining of the animated Disney classic. In the film, Atwell plays Ella’s mother, who teaches her young daughter to believe in the existence of magic.

5 Ant-Man (2015)
Scott Lang aka Ant-Man stands in his suit in a laboratory.

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 83%

After being released from prison, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is recruited by Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to take on the mantle of Ant-Man. Lang’s first task as Pym’s protégé is to take down Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), a former protégé of Pym, who forced him out of his company.

Atwell returned to her role as Peggy Carter in a small role at the beginning of Ant-Man. The appearance gave audiences insights into what Peggy had been doing following the events of Captain America and her ABC television series, Agent Carter. Critics praised the film and Paul Rudd’s performance as Scott Lang.

4 Testament of Youth (2014)
Vera leaning her head on Edward’s shoulder in Testament of Youth

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 84%

In 1914, Vera Brittain (Alicia Vikander) dreams of becoming a writer and marrying the man she loves, but her plans are changed after Britain declares war and all her friends and loved ones enlist to serve. Giving up her dreams of becoming a writer, Vera joins the war effort as a nurse.

Released in 2014, Testament of Youth was adapted from Vera Brittain’s World War I memoir of the same name. The film received praise from critics, who cited the film’s performances and cinematography as highlights. In the film, Atwell has a minor role as Hope, a fellow nurse during the war.

3 Blinded by the Light

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 89%

Javed Khan (Viveik Kalra), a Pakistani teen living in England, experiences racism from his peers and pressure from his father to assimilate. As an escape, Javed writes poetry and is introduced to the music of Bruce Springsteen, who forever changes his life and helps him find a way to escape his feelings of hopelessness.

In Blinded by the Light, Atwell appears as Ms. Clay, Javed Kahn’s teacher who is inspired by his poems and helps him get an internship at a newspaper. The film was released in 2019 and received praise, with critics highlighting the film’s feel-good story and use of music as its strongest qualities.

2 Captain America : The Winter Soldier (2014)
Captain America, Black Widow, Nick Fury, Bucky Barnes in Captain America : The Winter Soldier

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 90%

Following the events of The Avengers, Steve Rogers lives in Washington D.C. and tries to adjust to all the changes that happened while he was frozen. After an attack on S.H.I.E.L.D., Rogers, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) struggle to expose a conspiracy and find themselves battling an unexpected enemy.

Captain America : The Winter Soldier was released in 2014 to critical acclaim. Critics praised the film for its tone and action, highlighting many of its performances. While her role was small in the film, Atwell’s performance as an older Peggy provided a somber conclusion to the events of the first Captain America film.

1 Mission : Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One
Haley Atwell and Tom Cruise in Mission : Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 96%

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team must race around the world to stop a weapon that threatens humanity from falling into the wrong hands. After being confronted by a mysterious enemy, Hunt is forced to put the mission first, even at the risk of losing his team.

Mission : Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One was released in 2023 and has received critical acclaim, becoming one of the highest-rated Mission : Impossible films in franchise history. The film has been praised for its action and story, with critics also praising the performances of the ensemble. In the film, Atwell stars as Grace, a burglar who becomes Ethan Hunt’s newest ally.

Source : Collider du 16/07/2023 par Austin Binder