Not everyone finds themselves being offered the opportunity of a lifetime days after making a potentially deprecating tweet about losing out on a role. Glen Powell recalls the moment when he invoked the reigning king of Hollywood, Tom Cruise himself, survived to tell the story and is happy that things turned out the right way in the end because if not, Top Gun: Maverick would have deprived the audience of an incredible Hangman.
Glen Powell Jokes His Way Into the Role of Hangman
By profession, Glen Powell is not a comedian, although he might as well be one given how he almost waltzed his way into the role of Hangman in Top Gun 2 after originally auditioning for the role of Rooster. Although the latter part went to Miles Teller (who did the part justice), Powell’s part in the film was in no way limited in its potential. In a way, the camaraderie between Teller and Powell’s characters in the film was almost reminiscent of the iconic bond between Top Gun’s Iceman and Maverick.
But all of it would have been for naught if the Set It Up actor hadn’t taken his loss in a good stride. After losing out on the role of Rooster, Powell tweeted about taking down all the Tom Cruise posters in his bedroom. In an interview with Variety, he later wondered if the tweet might have had anything to grab Tom Cruise’s attention and helped him secure a part in the franchise:
“That moment was when I had a sense of humor about it before I got really sad about it. […] It was a few days after the audition and I felt really good about it and Joe Kosinski called and said, “Hey you know we’re going with Miles.” I was like, “Okay, you guys will make a great movie. I appreciate the opportunity.” […]
So within an hour the press had gotten a hold of Miles’ casting and it was everywhere. So I made a joke, I said, “I’ll just say something silly and funny.” Then the sadness hit the next day, so I’m really glad I got that tweet out before that.
In hindsight it’s weird when you think back on what little things you were unaware of if that changed the course of your life. I didn’t even think about it at the time but you never know. I’m really glad I tweeted it, whether it got me the job or not!”
As Powell claims, in hindsight, the tweet may have played a part in securing the role of Hangman in the $1.4B sequel alongside Tom Cruise. But given how versatile the actor has been in recent years in the industry, his incredible talent paired with his investment in the film and his ambition for the part may have caught Cruise’s eye more than his viral tweet did.
Glen Powell is a Worthy Hangman to Miles Teller’s Rooster
In a lot of ways, Top Gun: Maverick invokes every aspect of what made the original 1986 Tony Scott classic so ingenious. The themes of friendship, camaraderie, love, sacrifice, and teamwork were all prevalent in the sequel, not to mention the brilliant cinematography and Tom Cruise’s original F-18 stunts. But despite the film being an ode to Cruise’s Maverick, he does not hog the spotlight but rather makes way for the next generation to step in.
This next generation is comprised of a unique roster of characters with Miles Teller’s Rooster, a legacy child, and Glen Powell’s Iceman alongside Monica Barbaro’s Phoenix. The resemblance that the relationship between Powell’s Hangman and Teller’s Rooster reflects that of Iceman and Maverick may well lay the foundation for another follow-up sequel to Top Gun 2 or a spin-off sometime in the foreseeable future.
Top Gun: Maverick is available for streaming on Paramount+
Source: Variety
