Lewis Hamilton (L) and Tom Cruise in a still from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, opened up about a missed opportunity in Hollywood. In an interview with GQ, Hamilton revealed his regret for turning down a role in the 2022 blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick alongside Tom Cruise.
Recalling his conversation with Cruise, Hamilton expressed his eagerness to be a part of the iconic franchise, saying, “I will even be a janitor. Just let me be in it.” Cruise, who remembered Hamilton during the casting stage, offered him a role as a pilot.
“Firstly, I hadn’t even had, like, an acting lesson,” Hamilton stated. “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.”
Hamilton expressed his remorse upon seeing the finished film, admitting, “And then I regretted it, naturally, when they show me the movie and it’s: It could’ve been me!”
Despite missing out on Top Gun: Maverick, Hamilton is now collaborating with director Joseph Kosinski on a Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt, where he aims to ensure authenticity in depicting the sport.
“My point was: Guys, this movie needs to be so authentic,” Hamilton asserted. “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.”
