Glen Powell may be a popular name today, but before his role in Tom Cruise‘s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, he was not as popular a name in the world of glitz and glamour. During their time together on the sets of the film, Powell and Cruise forged a close friendship. Their bond has seemingly grown to the point where Powell no longer feels the need to be on his best behavior around Cruise.
In a recent interview with British GQ, Powell shared a nerve-wracking experience while the two stars were shooting for the blockbuster film together. Here’s what Powell said about the incident when Tom Cruise almost made him believe that the two of them were nearing their death.
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Glen Powell Recalls Being Scared For His Life As Tom Cruise Flew A Rocket Over London
Speaking during a recent interview about his time with superstar Tom Cruise when they were shooting ‘Top Gun: Maverick‘, Glen Powell revealed that Cruise once flew him from reshoots back to London. At the time, he performed a daring helicopter stunt over the city.
Powell recalled Tom muttering some words of distress which stressed him out as well. “Tom goes ‘oh no, oh no,’ and he starts dropping the helicopter over London,” Powell said, adding that he was scared for his life in the moment.
“Am I about to be the unnamed guy that dies with Tom in a smoking hole in the middle of London?” he recalled as thinking at the time.
Thankfully, Cruise, who has a penchant for some thrilling stunts both on and off screen, had things well under control.
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Tom Cruise Has Become A Mentor Figure For Glen Powell Since Their Time Together In ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
Glen Powell and Tom Cruise’s collaboration on ‘Top Gun: Maverick‘ has extended beyond the screen. Over time, Cruise has become a mentor figure for Powell, who also highly admires Cruise’s deep understanding of filmmaking and his ability to connect with every department on set.
During the same interview, Powell said that he looks at their shared passion for movies as a “love language” that strengthened their bond. “The one thing I feel we’re kindred spirits in is he’s obsessed with movies. That was our love language on set,” Powell said.
“I got to watch a guy who knew every department. He was able to clearly interface with everyone and be so friendly and respectful and be able to communicate that vision,” he added, speaking of Cruise.
Cruise not only starred in but also produced the ‘Top Gun‘ sequel, and has in the process imparted valuable insights to Powell about creating globally successful films. In a December 2022 episode of Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’, Powell mentioned that Cruise advised him to “lean into the douchebaggery of it all,” while making a film.
The advice evidently paid off, as the film grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, placing it among the top 15 highest-grossing films of all time.
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