"I felt very alone": this sci-fi film with Tom Cruise was the worst experience for this actress

Behind this sci-fi blockbuster starring Tom Cruise lies a far less glamorous experience for one of its lead actresses, who recalls an isolating shoot and one of the worst memories of her career.

In the sci-fi film Oblivion, directed by Joseph Kosinski, British actress Andrea Riseborough shared the screen with Tom Cruise. However, despite the scale of the project and its colossal budget, the experience did not leave a positive memory for the actress, who even described it as one of the worst of her career.

When asked years later about her most unpleasant professional experience, she did not hesitate to mention this film, even summarizing her feelings with a particularly striking comparison: “Either shredding duck in a Chinese restaurant, or on Oblivion.”

A phrase that directly illustrates the gap she felt between her expectations and the reality of the shoot.

An impressive blockbuster but a complicated shoot

Released in 2013, Oblivion offered a meticulously crafted sci-fi universe, supported by ambitious sets and large-scale visual effects. The film told the story of Jack Harper, a technician responsible for maintaining drones on a ravaged Earth, whose mission takes a turn when he uncovers a hidden truth about his past and the war that devastated the planet.

Despite this visual ambition, Andrea Riseborough, who plays Vika, Tom Cruise's character's partner, experienced the shoot as a difficult experience, marked by a work environment she deemed cold and isolating.

Universal Pictures

Isolation and discomfort on set

In hindsight, the actress mentioned several factors explaining her discomfort during production. One of the main points concerns the overall atmosphere of the shoot, which she describes as not conducive to exchanges and collaboration.

She notably expressed a feeling of isolation, exacerbated by the film's heavy technical dimension and the lack of female presence around her. Added to this were tensions related to how her character was utilized in the narrative, particularly after script rewrites that altered her role in the story.

She also denounced a form of very intrusive scrutiny regarding her physical appearance during production, an aspect that deeply affected her, thus confiding to the Times (via Film News): “There was a lot of discussion about the size of my body: too big or too small, not muscular enough or long enough. I can almost laugh about it today, but at the time, I felt very alone.”

A character altered by rewrites

Initially, the role of Vika Olsen, Jack Harper's companion and communication partner, was supposed to have a more developed place in the story. However, the various revisions of the script gradually reduced her narrative importance, confining her more to an expositional function than to a true dramatic engine.

This shift, combined with the production environment, contributed to making the experience even more frustrating for the actress.

Universal Pictures

A screenwriter also disappointed with the project

The discomfort surrounding Oblivion was not limited to the actors. The original screenwriter William Monahan also expressed his disappointment with the multiple rewrites of the script.

He notably stated: “It was extremely different. I had written something that I thought was very good, maybe a classic of science fiction, which, I imagine, got the green light for the film, then the subsequent screenwriters turned it into cannon fodder, despite Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, and Olga Kurylenko, whom I adore all.”

According to him, these successive modifications profoundly transformed the initial project.

A career relaunched and acclaimed by critics

Despite this difficult experience, Andrea Riseborough has pursued a rich and recognized career. She later starred in several notable films such as Birdman, The Death of Stalin, and Possessor. Her performance in To Leslie even earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, solidifying her talent among the profession. She also appeared in Amsterdam alongside Christian Bale and Margot Robbie, as well as in Asteroid City directed by Wes Anderson.

Momentum Pictures

While Oblivion remains for her a significant and challenging experience, the trajectory of her career presents a much more positive path. Between critical acclaim and prestigious collaborations, Andrea Riseborough has managed to bounce back and establish herself as one of the most respected British actresses of her generation.

As for Oblivion, it remains available on VOD.