Top Gun: Maverick had an exceptional run at the box office. Made on a budget of under $200 million, the film grossed $692 million in the United States alone. Talking about its total earnings, the film successfully joined the billion-dollar club with $1.4 billion to its name. Top Gun: Maverick stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, and Glen Powell, among others.
So while every person attached to the film is probably thankful for the job, it’s intriguing to wonder what would have happened if even one of them had parted ways from the film. Not only would the cast have looked a bit different, but the actor too would have been pretty disappointed to miss out on such a blockbuster. Actor Miles Teller almost turned down his role in the film and the reason is his humble self.
Top Gun: Maverick Without Miles Teller?
Miles Teller played the role of Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. While the entirety of the film is loved by everyone who has watched it, Teller’s iconic little dance at the beach is one of the most viral moments from the movie. It’s safe to say that the actor brought Rooster to life perfectly and it’s weird imagining someone else in his place, which almost happened.
While Teller has had his fair share of films including, Divergent, That Awkward Moment, and Wardogs, he was never a part of a film as huge as Top Gun: Maverick. This exact fact was the reason why the actor was so hesitant before signing the contract. Teller talked to Cinema Blend about this stating,
“I’ve never been a part of a big movie like that, really, and it’s just I say when you have Jerry Bruckheimer, and you have Tom Cruise, and you also throw in like Christopher McQuarrie and Joe Kosinski and so many different people on that, the quality control is there, and Tom is, he’s spending so much time-he spends so much time before you ever show up.”
In a different interview, this time with Slash Films, Teller stated that he didn’t think he was ready to become a part of a film that will bring a truckload of attention and success to him. Having done smaller films in his career, it was pretty natural for Teller to be a little nervous about acting in a big-scale film.
“I don’t want this to come out the wrong way, but there was a part of me that didn’t know if I wanted to be a part of something that could bring so much attention and success to me.”
Well, we are glad Teller got over his fears and decided to play Rooster in the end. Surely, director Joseph Kosinski was relieved to hear Teller’s “yes” too, as he brought the actor’s photograph to the film’s very first meeting. He had his sight set on him.
Why did Miles Teller Overcome his Hesitance?
Since Teller had a part of him which was telling him to let go of the film, what is it that made the actor accept the role? Well, for starters, Tom Cruise was convinced that Teller would be perfect for the role. As reported by Men’s Health, Cruise even had the script couriered to Teller to Kauai.
However, Cruise had no option but to travel down to Florida when he heard concerns about Teller’s acceptance of the role. Cruise landed on the actor’s doorstep and convinced him to be a part of the movie.
But, this is just one reason why Teller decided to go for it. He told Slash Film that he accepted the role of Rooster because he wanted to bridge the growing gap between the country’s citizens and those who serve in the military.
“You wanna give a voice to these guys…In the wars that we fight now, our military comes from very specific parts of the country and socioeconomic classes. We are losing that connection between civilians and military and our veterans.”
Given the fact that both Teller’s uncle and grandfather had served in the military, we can see where this reasoning is coming from. It’s truly a commendable reason that made him overcome his fears and hesitance and go ahead with the role. He played it to perfection!
Top Gun: Maverick is available to stream on Prime Video.
Source: Slash Film
