When Glen Powell heard about the Top Gun sequel, he knew he had to be a part of it. After all, it was the original Top Gun that inspired him to become an actor in the first place, and now, he had the opportunity to be a part of a movie that he had loved since he was a child. Powell was so determined to be in Top Gun: Maverick that he started preparing months before auditioning.
He headed to Edwards Air Force Base to live with pilots, immersing himself in their lifestyle to better understand what it’s like to be a pilot. This level of preparation resulted in him turning down offers for other movies, as he had his sights set on Top Gun: Maverick and the role of Rooster, the son of Goose, Tom Cruise’s best friend from the original movie. However, Powell was not expecting what came next.
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Miles Teller was cast as Rooster, leaving Powell heartbroken. He recalls feeling like he had delivered his best performance during the audition, but it wasn’t enough. Powell felt like he was in the fetal position for the entire day.
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Despite missing out on the role he wanted, the producers were impressed with Powell’s audition and offered him another role in the movie, which would eventually become Hangman.
Powell was still set on playing Goose’s son and wasn’t sure if he wanted to take a role that was different from what he had wanted. That’s where Tom Cruise came in. Powell met with Cruise again, not expecting to be in the movie.
He was thrilled about the opportunity to speak with his childhood hero but didn’t see the role as a fit. Cruise kept talking to Powell, revealing plans for the character and how he planned to bring him along.
Powell wasn’t sold at first, but after speaking with Christopher McQuarrie, the director of several of Cruise’s Mission Impossible films who was doing rewrites on Maverick, about how Hangman was being rewritten, Powell was finally convinced. He took a leap of faith and joined the movie, and he’ll never forget when he called Cruise to tell him the news.
Reciting a famous line from the original Top Gun, Powell told Cruise, “Tom, man, I’m feeling the need.” Cruise was beyond euphoric and replied, “F*ck yeah!” according to Powell.
“It’s just a great moment when Tom gets excited about anything, and it’s hard not to be excited when Cruise is excited.”
Powell is tight-lipped about his role in Maverick, but one thing is for sure, the first thing anyone asks when they hear he’s in the new Top Gun is whether there’s a beach volleyball scene. The guys are playing football this time, and Powell trained for three months to ensure he’d have a shirtless look as good as possible. The Set It Up actor recalls that in the days leading up to the scene, there was more male insecurity on set than anyone had ever seen and probably more coconut oil than on the set of Magic Mike.
