Paula Patton's mom taught her ladylike walk!

Paula Patton has her mother to thank for being Tom Cruise‘s perfect match in the new Mission: Impossible movie.

The 35-year-old actress who’s married to singer Robin Thicke beat scores of hopefuls to play Tom’s love interest in upcoming blockbuster and it was all thanks to her own special pushy parent.

“I am a very athletic woman but luckily my mom managed to teach me how to walk like a lady,” explains Paula.

“She was like, ‘Don’t walk like a duck. What are you doing?’ With all those soccer practices and track practice, she was like, ‘Put your feet together and get it together, lady.’ Because of that I was able to do all my own stunts and be able to play the more feminine side of my character.”