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In a new interview with GQ dated April 1, 2024, F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton expressed his disappointment in turning down a part in Top Gun: Maverick. The makers of the highly anticipated sequel of the 1986 film, Top Gun, had approached Hamilton with the hopes of casting him as a pilot for the 2022 instalment.
The F1 racer had to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts and Hamilton's doubts about his acting prowess. Detailing the reasons he had to turn down the movie, Hamilton told GQ:
"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!”
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How was Lewis Hamilton offered a role in Top Gun: Maverick?
Opening up to GQ, Hamilton revealed how he was considered for the role of a pilot in Top Gun: Maverick. Recalling how he landed the role, he traced the trajectory to as early as 2014 when Tom Cruise had invited Hamilton to the sets of his upcoming movie Edge of Tomorrow.
Over several years, their association culminated into a friendship, so much so that at some point Hamilton had expressed interest in featuring in the sequel of Top Gun, should there be one. He remembers saying:
"Dude, if you ever do Top Gun 2, I will even be a janitor—just let me be in it."
But, unfortunately when the time came for him to appear in Top Gun: Maverick, the Formula One racer had to turn down the opportunity due to prior engagements.
After missed opportunity in Top Gun: Maverick, Lewis Hamilton will feature in a new F1-centric movie
After failing to collaborate for Top Gun: Maverick, Lewis Hamilton is all set to feature in a new F1 racing-related untitled movie, being made by Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer. The movie will star Brad Pitt in the lead role and will feature Hamilton in an undisclosed role.
Hamilton will not only make an appearance in the movie but has also been helping with the movie-making process. Talking about the same in the GQ interview he recollects one of the initial conversations he had with the movie's makers. He remembers telling Kosinski and Bruckheimer something along the lines of:
"Guys, this movie needs to be so authentic. There’s two different fan groups that we have—like, the old originals, who from the day they’re born hearing the Grand Prix music every weekend and watching with their families, to the new generation that just learned about it today through Netflix."
In the interview Hamilton adds that he took it upon himself to ensure the movie got its facts right. He has been pointing out how:
"... 'this would never happen.’‘This is how it would be.’ ‘This is how it could happen.’ Just giving them advice about what racing is really about and what, as a racing fan, would appeal and what would not.”
Top Gun: Maverick is currently streaming on Netflix.
