Glen Powell is not quite ready to confirm his rumored role in “Top Gun 2,” although he will admit that there has been “negotiations” about a “cool idea.”
But what he is in a position to do is fawn over Cruise, especially when it comes to how the “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” star handled the recent audition process for another part in “Top Gun 2,” which Miles Teller ultimately beat Powell to.
First things first, though; what about those “Top Gun 2” rumors?
“I can confirm that we are in negotiations about it,” was Powell’s response. “The deal is not done. But I got to say I got to sit down with the whole crew over there. Tom, Jerry and Joe and it is going to be a hell of a movie. I hope it works out. We’ll see.”
Powell was willing to say that his potential involvement “kind of snuck back up” several weeks after he had been told that he didn’t get the original role he auditioned for.
“It sort of started off as a small, small idea that sort of started gaining traction and mass and it wasn’t really worth entertaining until it became too cool to pass off.”
Powell clearly made a good impression on Cruise, because his possible “Top Gun 2” appearance only manifested because of how much they connected during their first meetings.
“I don’t know how much I am allowed to say about this. But what I will say is that Tom and I definitely hit it off. When we were in the room breaking these things down, like, we really hit it off. We sees stories the same way.”
“We were both very focused and committed to the job, again, as someone who is actually going to put his neck on the line so that we get the take that’s who I am. We vibed in that way.”
But while that was all Powell could say about his probable part in “Top Gun 2” he did talk about losing out to Miles Teller, who will reportedly star as Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards)’s son, Bradley.
Powell “prepared” and“studied” for the audition, telling me, “All I have ever wanted to be is a fighter pilot, and I was so close to getting to work with my hero on a movie I have always wanted to do.”
“Obviously when you don’t get it you’re bummed. But the fact is Tom is such a great guy it is hard to be nothing except gracious, because he is exactly what you hoped it would be.”
“He called me when I didn’t get the role. And gave me a really, really nice phone call. We got to talk through that. We talked for a long time just about the nature of the business and wanting to work together again.”
“He was just like, ‘Dude I want to find something for you.’ I was like, ‘I really appreciate that. You’re my hero and continue to be my hero.’ So it was really, really nice, and a great way to leave it off.”
When Teller was confirmed, Powell took to Twitter to uploaded the following post ...
I’m taking down all the Tom Cruise posters in my bedroom. Maybe, I’ll leave one. Two for symmetry. Okay, the posters are staying. https://t.co/7gCpNLJCcz
— Glen Powell (@glenpowell) July 3, 2018
It immediately went viral, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Powell was trying to tease a potential part with the Tweet, something that the actor instantly denied.
“At that point it was a done deal. At that point there was no hope for me and ‘Top Gun.’ The great thing about sitting down with Tom Cruise is that Tom Cruise is my favorite actor. He is one of the reasons I got into the business. ‘Top Gun’ is one of my all time favorite movies. It is one of the reasons I got into the business.”
“So getting to audition for that movie, meeting Tom, talking about that character for hours, we actually did this test, you know, it was only 3 of us. So to really be in the trenches with Tom, it was just a dream come true that whole process.”
It was at this point that both myself and Powell started to sing Cruise’s praises, especially when it came to the recently released “Mission: Impossible - Fallout,” which Powell called “amazing,” before then instantly reiterating his love for the blockbuster with the additional, “It is amazing.”
“The great thing about Tom is, again, when I say he is exactly what I hoped he would be, it is the rarest thing in Hollywood,” Powell quickly continued.
“Hollywood is smoke and mirrors. But Tom is as nice and attentive and smart and interested as you would hope he would be. And he is also just a child in terms of he is excitable about movies, he loves the job, he wakes up fueled everyday, and in terms of someone who is going to be acting alongside you, he is very giving as an actor, there is no sense of ego about him.”
“And then as far as an action star goes, he is actually doing those stunts that actually appear in the movie. There is no CGI. This guy is literally jumping and running off buildings, motorcycles going through the streets, flying helicopters."
"I have spoken to my buddies that fly helicopters and they are like, ‘I don’t even know how he did that.’ They have no clue. He is an anomaly in Hollywood, and one of the last great movie starts we have, because he is the real deal.”
While we wait for further news on Powell’s appearance in “Top Gun 2,” make sure to check out the stupendously likable actor in “The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society,” which will be uploaded to Netflix on August 10, and you can read more about next week.
