'Top Gun: Maverick' Star Glen Powell Almost Didn't Make It into the Film
Yesterday, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, actor Glen Powell opened up about the grueling process it took for him to land a role in the new Top Gun: Maverick.
While the actor had lost the part he initially auditioned for to fellow thespian Miles Teller, Powell later scored the role after speaking on the phone with star Tom Cruise.
"No movie star calls the guy that doesn't get the role. Movie stars typically want the glory without the nitty-gritty of having to break people's hearts."
For the up-and-coming actor, having any role in Top Gun: Maverick, even a small one, was a dream come true. After receiving an initial call where he was notified that he had lost the role of Rooster, the onscreen son of Goose, to Teller, Powell said that he was despondent - lying on the ground in a fetal position.
However, despite this outcome, Cruise called Powell, praising his audition, and the actor accepted another role after speaking with Cruise over a series of calls.
He received the role of Hangman, who, according to THR, is "a foil-turned-friend not dissimilar to Val Kilmer's Iceman in the 1986 original."
On how he felt after receiving the unexpected role, Powell said:
"You could spend an entire career playing great roles in movies that leave no mark on people. To be a part of great movies, to even just have a smaller part, is a much more worthy quest."
Powell is potentially best well-known for a number of smaller roles, including a guest spot on NCIS, an apearance in Scream Queens, a role in The Expendables 3, a larger part in the awards-garnering film Hidden Figures.
All of this led to the actor starring in Set It Up, a well-liked Netflix rom-com. We're looking forward to seeing Powell take on his dream job with his role in Top Gun: Maverick.
Top Gun: Maverick takes flight into theaters today - but if you haven't gotten tickets yet, good luck!
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