We were truly robbed; Lewis Hamilton almost appeared in Top Gun: Maverick alongside Tom Cruise. But the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time sadly had to turn down a role as a fighter pilot. Here’s why…
Sir Lewis Hamilton, the winner of seven World Drivers’ Championship titles, recently told Vanity Fair that he considers himself friends with Cruise and so, he asked (or rather begged) the actor if he could appear in the box office hit Top Gun: Maverick.
“Basically I’m a friend of Tom… Cruise. One of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. He invited me to his set years ago when he was doing Edge of Tomorrow, and then we just built a friendship over time. So when I heard the second [Top Gun] was coming out, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I have to ask him.’
Lewis Hamilton
“I said, ‘I don’t care what role it is. I’ll even sweep something, be a cleaner in the back.’”
Hamilton revealed the reason he was so desperate to be involved with the Top Gun sequel – in any capacity – was because he loved the original film as a child. And of course, Cruise said yes and told Hamilton he could definitely appear as a fighter pilot in Top Gun: Maverick.
However, Hamilton realised that filming for the Top Gun sequel was taking place at the same time as the Formula 1 finale of that year, and so because Hamilton’s a self-proclaimed “perfectionist” he had to turn down the fighter pilot role to instead prepare and focus on racing for Mercedes.
Hamilton was clearly disappointed that the schedules clashed as he described the phone call between him, Cruise and Top Gun: Maverick’s director Joseph Kosinski when he let them know he wouldn’t be able to play a fighter pilot in the film as:
“The most upsetting call that I think I’ve ever had…”
Lewis Hamilton
Luckily, Hamilton is working with Kosinski on another project; he’s acting as a consultant for Kosinski’s upcoming Formula 1 movie that will star Brad Pitt. And hopefully, Hamilton will get the chance to work with Cruise in the not-too-distant future – maybe Hamilton could appear in Top Gun 3 (if it happens)?
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