Formula One driver, Lewis Hamilton revealed that he had to pass up the opportunity to co-star with Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick.
Hamilton, 37, has previously made minor appearances in Hollywood, including a cameo in Zoolander 2 and lending his voice to Cars 2 and Cars 3, but he nearly landed his dream role.
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As a child, the Brit was a fan of the original Top Gun film, which inspired him to become a fighter pilot. Despite the fact that he ended up on the track rather than in the air.
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Hamilton revealed that he almost had the opportunity to live out his dream on the big screen.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hamilton revealed that he begged his friend Tom Cruise to cast him in the Top Gun sequel.
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 one was coming out, I was like, Oh, my God, I have to ask him, I said, I don’t care what role it is. I’ll even sweep something, be a cleaner in the back.
Lewis Hamilton Cruise reportedly not only said yes, but also told Hamilton that he didn’t have to be a cleaner and that he could be a fighter pilot instead.
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But reality set in when the Mercedes driver realized the filming would take place during the season’s climax.
The 7x World Champion insisted he couldn’t justify foregoing preparation in order to appear on set, claiming he is a ‘perfectionist’.
In what he described as the “most upsetting call he has ever had,” he was forced to contact Cruise and director Joseph Kosinski to decline the role.