Why Rose The Hat From Doctor Sleep Looks So Familiar
Stephen King's psychological horror masterpiece The Shining is unique in many ways, one of which is having a protagonist who eventually becomes the story's villain. Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson in the Stanley Kubrick film adaptation) is a flawed man transformed into a terrifying monster thanks to both his personal demons and some literal ones. In the sequel novel and subsequent film adaptation, Doctor Sleep, the antagonist has a role that's a bit more conventional, but no less terrifying.
Rose the Hat is a stunningly beautiful woman with questionable taste in fashion and an intense hunger for the life force (or steam, as she calls it) of people with psychic abilities. She's the leader of a cult called the True Knot that has existed for centuries, prolonging their lives by hunting down people with the shining and feeding off their steam. Rose's lack of humanity and strong supernatural powers make her a formidable antagonist for a grown-up Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) and his ward, Abra (Kyliegh Curran).
In the film adaptation of Doctor Sleep, Rose the Hat is played by Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson. Whether or not that name rings a bell, it's very likely that you've seen her pop up in a scene-stealing part in any number of TV and film productions over the last few years. Here are some of the most notable roles of her career.
Rebecca Ferguson went to war on The White Queen
After making a career for herself in Sweden's film and TV industries, Ferguson landed a breakthrough starring role in the English-speaking market when she was cast as the lead in the BBC One miniseries The White Queen. The series, adapted from a Philippa Gregory novel of the same name, is set during the British historic period now known as the Wars of the Roses and centers the perspective of Elizabeth Woodville (Ferguson), who was Queen consort of England in the 15th century.
It wasn't just the juicy part that had Ferguson invested in her character. As she told Collider, the female-centric take on historical fiction was also a huge draw for her. "I think it's fascinating to tell a story that has been told before, but from the female perspective," Ferguson said. "We're breaking in a new ground, in a different way. Three strong women are fighting the same battles, wanting a throne and wanting power because of safety for their children and for their own safety."
The series aired on Starz in the US, and Ferguson was nominated in the category of Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film at the 2014 Golden Globes.
The Mission: Impossible franchise provided Rebecca Ferguson with a role to die for
When Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation came out in 2015, some were likely wondering how the fifth installment of Tom Cruise's bombastic spy thriller franchise would keep things fresh. As it turns out, the film had a particularly sharp ace up its sleeve by the name of Rebecca Ferguson. The actress joined the franchise as Ilsa Faust, an undercover operative who helps Ethan Hunt (Cruise) out of a jam, but keeps her cards close to her chest.
Critics lavished praise on the film, with many singling out Ferguson's performance as a highlight. Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times said that Ferguson, "brings a bit of unexpected maturity and substance to the role of the inscrutable Ilsa Faust, an individual who is fully Hunt's equal, and then some."
Over at The New Yorker, Anthony Lane went even further, saying, "Of the many heists and grabs that litter the movie, none is as blatant as the deft, irrepressible manner in which Ferguson, displaying a light smile and a brisk way with a knife, steals the show."
Meanwhile, Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post called Ferguson, "the film's true and most memorable revelation," before going on to say, "Ferguson manages to be sexy, strong, complicated and enigmatic ... It may not entail hanging off the side of a moving airplane, but it's a pretty gutsy and admirable stunt nonetheless, free of vanity and brimming with the secure, unfussy confidence of a true star."
Ferguson reprised her role in the equally lauded follow-up, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and has already confirmed that she'll be in the currently untitled seventh film the franchise (via SlashFilm).
Rebecca Ferguson went off and joined the circus in The Greatest Showman
Ferguson followed up her Mission: Impossible stints with a success of another kind. She had a supporting role in the Hugh Jackman-starring P.T. Barnum musical The Greatest Showman. While the movie was met with a divided reception from critics, it was a hit with audiences. Not only did it make nearly half a billion dollars at the global box office, but the film's soundtrack went to #1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and iTunes charts (via Deadline).
Ferguson played the famous 19th-century opera singer Jenny Lind in the film, but left the vocals of her character's song, "Never Enough," to The Voice alum Loren Allred. It's not just the singing that Ferguson was apprehensive about, either — the actress admitted to The Guardian that before filming the movie, she might have been in the same camp as the film's naysayers. "I never liked musicals before," she said. "I always wanted to slap the actors whenever they started singing. Seeing it from the other side changed me."
At the time of writing, there's still no word regarding whether Rebecca Ferguson will be in The Greatest Showman 2. Regardless of whether she joins the sequel, we'll no doubt be seeing this versatile actress in many other exciting roles in the future.