F1's Lewis Hamilton greatly regrets turning down a role in Top Gun: Maverick. But…he didn't have much of a choice.
The sports sensation in racing chatted with GQ Sports about meeting Tom Cruise and passing on a part of a lifetime in the major blockbuster.
Lewis Hamilton's story of getting an offer to star in Top Gun: Maverick
It all started when Tom Cruise, the star of Maverick, being a racing fan, reached out to Hamilton for an invite to the set of 2014's Edge of Tomorrow. From then, it was off to the races.
“My assistant called me, ‘Tom Cruise has invited you to the set.' I was like, ‘Shoot, yeah! Cancel anything I have!” Hamilton said.
It was after that moment that they developed a friendship. The actor regularly sent messages of encouragement to him before and after races.
“‘Me and the team want to wish you good luck with the race' — that sort of thing,” he added about the messages he'd get from the famous actor.
He then went into detail about a time when he showed Cruise his watch with a Top Gun logo on the back. It was at that time that he hinted he'd love to be in a movie, even if it was not the best role.
“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,'” Hamilton remarked.
Well, it led to Tom putting him in touch with Joseph Kosinski, the film's director. Kosinski offered Hamilton a part as one of the pilots.
However, it wasn't going to work well. When the filming took place, Maverick was in the 2018 title race. Any filming would've required him to be on set during the final months of the racing season.
“Firstly, I hadn't even had, like, an acting lesson,” the driver admits. “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!'”
Obviously, he's still going over it, adding, “Oh, God. I'm still…”
Lewis Hamilton on having to turn down a role in ‘TOP GUN: MAVERICK’:
“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… pic.twitter.com/1X7H5lclLj
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) April 1, 2024
Though that opportunity didn't come to fruition, he had another call with Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer. They were interested in him getting involved with a Formula 1 film. So, he did. It's a movie that stars Brad Pitt as a Formula One driver who comes out of retirement to mentor a team that has a younger driver. Currently, it's untitled, IMBd states.
So, though Lewis Hamilton never appeared in Top Gun: Maverick, he's still a part of movie magic. And there's something to be said about watching the film and knowing that if it would've worked out, that could've been him.
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