Glen Powell got the worldwide fame he so rightly deserved after starring in Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Although, not the role that he had in mind, Powell shined as the egoistic Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin in the movie.
It wasn’t the role of Hangman that the Hidden Figures actor was excited about, but the role of Rooster which was eventually portrayed by Miles Teller. Following this rejection, Glen Powell recalled a saying that veteran actor Denzel Washington had once told him when he was 17.
When Glen Powell Almost Lost Top Gun: Maverick
Before the auditions for Top Gun: Maverick began, Glen Powell had already gone to Edwards Air Force Base, California, to learn how to live like a pilot. Sitting with officers and observing them daily, Powell wanted the role of Rooster quite desperately.
Talking about the audition process, Glen Powell had received the news that the role of Rooster had gone to Miles Teller. Being disappointed, the actor later revealed how he felt about his auditions and what went wrong.
“I felt like I really delivered, and when I didn’t get it, I was absolutely heartbroken. I got the news on July 3rd, and on July 4th, which is pretty much my favorite holiday—I’m a very patriotic dude from a very patriotic family—I was basically in the fetal position the entire day.”
After losing the role of Rooster, Glen Powell met with Tom Cruise to discuss the role of Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin. Powell originally did not want to do the role but remembered his conversation with Denzel Washington. The Equalizer actor had helped Powell out when he had moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17.
“This race, Hollywood, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You’re running your own race. Don’t look in the other lanes. It doesn’t matter how fast somebody else is going, where they’re going, or if they look better doing it. It doesn’t matter.”
Denzel Washington had said the above words to the Devotion actor which helped the actor make the decision. Following the role of Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell received much acclaim and praise for his acting skills and has been fan cast for several Marvel and DC roles.
Why Did Glen Powell Want To Be In Top Gun: Maverick So Badly?
Top Gun, the original movie was released in 1986. During his childhood, The Dark Knight Rises actor and his father would watch the movie as it became a favorite of theirs. The movie and Tom Cruise are what made Glen Powell turn his attention to the field of acting.
Taking their flights to new heights, Tom Cruise starrer Top Gun: Maverick almost touched the $1.5 billion mark at the global box office. The movie was lauded as one of the best sequels out there and Glen Powell got special attention and praise for his role in the movie.
Top Gun: Maverick is currently available to stream on Paramount+.
Source: Men’s Health
