If you thought Lewis Hamilton’s ambitions were only about dominating the Formula One world, think again. Not only is Stevenage-born a master behind the wheel of a racing car, but he also aspires to conquer the silver screen.
During a recent GQ interview, the seven-time Formula One World Drivers’ Championship winner (joint-record) expressed a desire to focus on “film and fashion” after retiring from racing. And it now appears that his dream of co-starring in Top Gun 3 with Tom Cruise, who made his name as the hotshot pilot Maverick in the first Top Gun flick, may come true.
Note that Formula One legend was earlier approached by Cruise to play a fighter pilot in the 2022 action drama flick, helmed by Joseph Kosinski. However, due to his demanding F1 schedule, Hamilton decided not to accept the coveted role.
Lewis Hamilton’s Post-Retirement Plans in ‘Film and Fashion’?
A number of Lewis Hamilton’s well-known friends who have already retired from competitive racing have reportedly offered him advice as he mulls over his post-race plans. In the yearly Creativity Issue of GQ, he said:
“I’d spoken to so many amazing athletes, from Boris Becker to Serena Williams, even Michael Jordan. Talking to greats that I’ve met along the way, who are retired – or some that are still in competition – and the fear of what’s next, the lack of preparation for what’s next.”
Following his retirement from racing, Hamilton plans to concentrate on “film and fashion”. Taking into account that after his racing career, he would “drop the mic and be happy”. To quote him:
“But it just got my mind thinking about: ‘Okay, when I stop, how do I avoid that?’ And so I got serious about finding other things that I was passionate about… Because when I stop, I’m gonna drop the mic and be happy.”
The 39-year-old continued by saying that although he has many interests, he needs to focus, so he has chosen to concentrate on film and fashion. He is also planning to launch a luxury brand company to compete with LVMH, which is home to brands like Givenchy, Christian Dior, and Tiffany Co.
Hamilton explained:
“The difficult thing is I want to do everything. I’m very ambitious. But I understand that you can’t do—actually, I take that back because I don’t believe in the word can’t…Obviously, I’ve done that in racing. There’s not enough time to master all of these different things …I think it’s gonna be film and fashion … Honestly, one of my dreams is I have thought about creating my own diverse LVMH.”
Growing up, Hamilton admitted, he was a movie buff. He attributed a large portion of his Formula 1 career to mystical interactions with those involved in the industry. According to him, this story begins with Tom Cruise, just like many great Hollywood stories do.
Top Gun Dreams: Why Lewis Hamilton Said No to Tom Cruise?
One night at dinner, Lewis Hamilton showed Tom Cruise his watch, which had the Top Gun logo on the back. The former shared during his chat with GQ:
“I said, ‘Dude, if you ever do Top Gun 2…’—which had not been spoken of, there was no story yet—‘I will even be a janitor—just let me be in it.’ ”
Director Joseph Kosinski reached out to Hamilton after Cruise helped make Top Gun: Maverick a reality, offering him a role as one of the movie’s pilots. Sadly, he was compelled to decline due to his Formula One duties:
“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.”
Even now, Hamilton regrets passing up the incredible chance to appear in the Top Gun movies:
“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….”
Although fans of Hamilton might be disappointed that he was unable to fly with Cruise in Top Gun 2, they will still get to witness some of his fast-paced racing world being brought to life in the upcoming Brad Pitt-starring F1 film.
But could Hamilton’s dream of starring alongside Cruise actually come true? It is not impossible, given that both men are at the pinnacle of their professions. In fact, the former’s recent retirement plans lead us to believe that the two working together on a project like Top Gun 3 is not as farfetched as it appears.
Since Top Gun 3’s specifics are still being kept under wraps, no release date has been announced.
Meanwhile, you can stream Top Gun: Maverick on Amazon Prime Video.
