by Between Glen Powell and Tom Cruise, a real bond was created. Last year, the young star of “Top Gun: Maverick” confided in the nature of their friendship, sharing some surprising anecdotes on her famous partner.
It was on the Top Gun set: Maverick that their friendship took shape. Originally, Glen Powell had auditioned to play Rooster, a role finally attributed to Miles Teller. But Tom Cruise, impressed by his performance, offered to play another character: that of Hangman. Powell, who wanted his character to be more than a simple supporting role, wanted to share his ideas with Cruise.
“” “What we were talking about was how Hangman could serve the story and bring the flavor of the original top Gun you need?“, He said during an interview for the cover of GQ UK magazine in 2024.”I said what I had to say to Tom on what I do and what I do well, and he listened. Tom is attentive. He listens to team members, he listens to his collaborators and he hears people.»
Tom Cruise, the joker
Among the craziest memories he keeps of their collaboration, there is the one where Tom Cruise brought him back to London … as a helicopter! At the controls himself, Cruise had fun simulating a breakdown in the middle of theft over the British capital.
He continued: “Tom said, 'Oh no, oh no' and he begins to drop the helicopter over London. I said to myself: 'Am I about to be the anonymous type that dies with Tom in a smoke pit in the middle of London?'»
Paramount pictures France
Another just as striking moment: Tom Cruise To one day invited his young person to a private projection … in a completely empty cinema. For six hours, he watched a video that Cruise had made himself, a kind of personal masterclass on cinema, only intended for his relatives.
“” “He said, 'It's just for my friends'”Explained Powell. “” “[Dans la vidéo, Tom Cruise] said, 'Do we all agree that this is a camera? This is the difference between a silver camera and a digital camera … 'The funniest part is on flying. It was as if he showed all of this piloting school. So he literally said: 'OK, an airplane, that's it. Here's how things are going. Here is how atmospheric pressure works. '»
In addition to these memorable moments, Tom Cruise He also offered precious advice on the profession. For him, a film can only reach a global audience if it transmits universal emotions and if it talks about the anxieties that everyone can recognize.
Glen Powell, at the top
Today, Glen Powell stands out as a rising figure in Hollywood. His role in the romantic comedy anything but you, released in January 2024, seduced the public. He has since returned to the front of the stage with Twisters, the reboot of the 1996 cult catastrophe film, Twister.
Returning with humor on his beginnings, he evokes a failed hearing for the solo film: A Star Wars Story: “I can joke now. [Mais] I missed the last hearing.»
Regarding superheroes, Powell admits that he is no longer really tempted. However, he does not completely exclude the idea of one day embodying Batman, a character who has always fascinated him: “I have always been a Batman fan. I would have a crazy vision of Batman. It would certainly not be the tone of Matt Reeves – It would probably be closer to [Michael] Keaton“He said.
According to him, part of his current success is also due to a change in Hollywood trends. He quotes the examples of Chris Pratt (the guards of the Galaxy) and Chris Hemsworth (Thor), who helped make popular, funny and accessible profiles.
“” “I really have the impression that a large part of Hollywood depends on the actors who are in vogue. What everyone does is end up writing about this thing. All of a sudden, when Robert Pattinson Appears, they say: 'We want the genus Robert Pattinson Maussade.' You see it in each script.»
After the bright success of Chris Pratt In The guards of the galaxyHollywood started paying more attention to clumsy heroes, not just dark and serious characters.
“” “These guys can punch and sell a joke”Said Glen Powell About Pratt and Hemsworth.
We can soon find him in the new Running Man, remake of the film by Paul Michael Glaser from 1985 by Edgar Wright, scheduled for November 5, 2025 on our French screens.
Discover the full article and the portrait of Glen Powell on the GQ UK website.
For nostalgic, Top Gun: Maverick is to be reviewed on Paramount+.
