Apart from the aviators of the Air Force and Navy’s fighter jets, Formula One is the only sport where the athletes experience match-level speeds daily in training and on the track. Therefore, Tom Cruise had the genius idea of bringing Lewis Hamilton, one of the biggest names in the sport, on board for his 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick.
This was an opportunity of a lifetime that anyone would’ve taken up in a heartbeat, especially when it came from a Hollywood icon. Despite this, Hamilton had to decline the offer as he wasn’t a well-trained actor, which is why he didn’t want the film to suffer because of him. But naturally, he also regretted making that decision as he wished he was better suited to be a part of the project.
Lewis Hamilton Had To Regretfully Decline The Offer To Be A Part Of Top Gun: Maverick
It’s not every day that a premier athlete from the world of sports is given the chance to be a part of a major motion picture in Hollywood, but when that athlete is Formula One legend Lewis Hamilton, you cannot go wrong with him since he commands prestige and attention of fans of the sport.
And what better fitting role for the racing prodigy than being a fighter jet pilot in the iconic Top Gun series latest film Top Gun: Maverick alongside Hollywood icon Tom Cruise.
In a past interview profile with GQ Sports, the 7-time World Grand Prix Champion revealed that he once was in conversation with the Mission: Impossible star, where he talked about wanting to be in a second Top Gun film if it ever came to fruition. But when it did, he was approached for the role of one of the pilots, he had to decline the offer due to a sense of responsibility and scheduling issues.
He claimed that his reason for rejecting the role was the fact that he never had an acting lesson, which made him an amateur, and amidst such amazing talent he didn’t want to be the film’s only loose link. Along with that, since the shoot was taking place in 2018 when he was gunning for the world title, he had no time to dedicate even weeks to the shoot. He said:
“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. 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!”
Naturally, when Hamilton witnessed the final product for himself, he wished he was in the film, but also knew that he had done the responsible thing in the end.
How Top Gun: Maverick Became a Blockbuster
Despite the film’s release almost 35 years after the first one, Top Gun: Maverick managed to become the biggest blockbuster of 2022 when only a few believed in its promise.
One of the big reasons behind the success of the film stems from the dedication of the cast to make the environment as realistic as possible to immerse the audience in the world of fighter jets, for which they had to go through military-level training. Also, the legacy and reputation Cruise built through the original film for the film and himself played a huge role in drawing crowds to cinemas.
Finally, the story was not sidelined as it was tackled in a well-executed manner, completely enveloping the film into a package the fans went crazy for.
Top Gun: Maverick, streaming on Paramount+.
