Racing superstar Lewis Hamilton recently revealed that he regrets passing on an opportunity to appear in Top Gun: Maverick after initially enthusiastically pursuing a role in the film. Hamilton had befriended Tom Cruise after the actor invited him to visit the set of his 2014 movie Edge of Tomorrow. The two kept in touch, with Cruise sending Hamilton encouraging messages during races. Years before Top Gun: Maverick went into production, Hamilton asked Cruise to cast him in a hypothetical sequel, even if just as a janitor.
When the Top Gun sequel started pre-production, Cruise remembered Hamilton’s request and connected him with director Joseph Kosinski, who offered Hamilton a pilot role. However, due to his busy F1 schedule and lack of acting experience, Hamilton declined the role. He later regretted it after seeing the acclaimed 2022 film starring Cruise, Miles Teller and Glen Powell.
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Lewis Hamilton revealed, “I said, ‘Dude, if you ever do Top Gun 2, I will even be a janitor,’” Hamilton recalled telling Cruise at the time. “’Just let me be in it.’” He added, “Firstly, I hadn’t even had, like, an acting lesson. And I don’t want to be the one that lets this movie down. And then secondly, I just really didn’t have the time to dedicate to it. I remember having to tell Joe and Tom — and it broke my heart. And then I regretted it, naturally, when they show me the movie and it’s: It could’ve been me! Oh, God, I’m still….”
Hamilton explained he didn’t want to let the movie down since he hadn’t taken any acting lessons. He also didn’t have time to properly dedicate to the role. Hamilton said he regretfully had to tell Cruise and Kosinski he couldn’t do the film. He stated, “My point was: Guys, this movie needs to be so authentic. There’s two different fan groups that we have — like, the old originals, who from the day they’re born hearing the Grand Prix music every weekend and watching with their families, to the new generation that just learned about it today through Netflix.”
Hamilton further explained. “I felt my job really has been to try to call BS. ‘This would never happen. This is how it would be. This is how it could happen.’ Just giving them advice about what racing is really about and what, as a racing fan, would appeal and what would not.”
Although Top Gun: Maverick didn’t work out, Hamilton soon got another chance to collaborate with Kosinski on his upcoming F1 film starring Brad Pitt. Hamilton signed on as a producer to help ensure an accurate representation of the racing league. He sees his role as advising on details to appeal to both longtime F1 fans and newcomers learning about the sport through Netflix.
