Rebecca Ferguson reflects on welcoming her first child at 23 with ex who was 22 years older than her

Rebecca Ferguson has given a rare insight into welcoming her first child at 23, with a man 22 years her senior.

The 42-year-old actress – who has appeared in the Dune and Mission: Impossible franchises – had her son Isac in her 20s with then-boyfriend Ludwig Hallberg, a holistic therapist who was then 45.

Yet Rebecca insisted she didn't struggle with their two-decade age gap because she felt very mature.

The Silo star told Harper's Bazaar: 'I was very young, but I started working at 15… I was thrown into the deep end of work, maturity and responsibility.'

However, their romance wasn't meant to be and they separated in 2015 after six years together. 

The following year she met her husband Rory St. Clair Gainer, who is seven years younger than her. The couple tied the knot in 2018 and have seven-year-old daughter Saga.

Rebecca worked on Mission: Impossible during her pregnancy and revealed that she was even happy to do her own stunts at the time because she was inspired by co-star Tom Cruise. 

'I would be fighting, and then I'd run off and vom in a big bag somewhere, have a mint, then run back in,' she recalled.

Of working alongside Tom, Rebecca added: 'He comes with this… purpose. He's a boy who just loves playing, and offers up a safe and professional set. That's a really good balance [of qualities] to make you want to try new things.

'I was scared of heights, but you always have someone to jump in and take over, which means you can push yourself a little bit more – because at the last second you can always go, 'Nope!'

Rebecca achieved international fame primarily through her breakout role as Elizabeth Woodville in the BBC historical drama The White Queen, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

Her performance in the drama led to her starring role as Ilsa Faust in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, which established her as a major action star.

Following Rogue Nation, she reprised her role in Mission: Impossible - Fallout and subsequent sequels, solidifying her status in Hollywood.

She then gained further fame, having starred in major movies such as The Greatest Showman, Doctor Sleep, and Dune.

Now, the actress has joined the star-studded cast of the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, officially titled Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, set for release on Netflix on March 20.

She will join original cast member Cillian Murphy, who portrays the infamous Tommy Shelby, as well as Saltburn star Barry Keoghan and Pulp Fiction star Tim Roth.

Expressing her excitement about taking part in the upcoming movie, Rebecca told the publication: '(It was) a no-brainer. The characters are all guttural and burdened. That’s what I want.'

However, she admitted that there is 'no chance' her character could do a Birmingham accent.

Discussing getting into character for her role, she said: 'There was absolutely no chance I could do a Brummie accent. I would ruin the film.'