The F1 star described turning down the role as the ‘most upsetting call’ he’s ever had
Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he had to turn down a role in blockbuster movie Top Gun: Maverick because filming clashed with the Formula 1 season.
The seven-time F1 champion had initially accepted a role in the sequel to Tom Cruise’s classic 1986 film.
Him and Cruise have built up a friendship every since the movie star invited Hamilton to the set of his 2014 sci-fi movie, Edge of Tomorrow.
When he was younger, Hamilton says he wanted to become a fighter pilot after watching Top Gun, and so asked Cruise if he could be involved in the eagerly-anticipated sequel.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, the 37-year-old said: “When I heard the second one was coming out, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I have to ask him.’
“I said, ‘I don’t care what role it is. I’ll even sweep something, be a cleaner in the back’.”
And Cruise, who Hamilton describes as “one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet”, was more than happy to oblige, offering him a role as one of the fighter pilots in the film.
However, when Hamilton realised filming took place during the climax to the F1 season, he had to turn down the role.
He described the call with Cruise to let him know he couldn’t take the role as “the most upsetting call that I think I’ve ever had.”
Top Gun: Maverick has been one of the biggest films of recent years. Released in May, it has become the highest grossing film of 2022 and the highest grossing film of Tom Cruise’s career.
The action blockbuster has received critical acclaim as well, holding a score of 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
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- Tom Cruise apologises for interrupting couple’s date with high-flying Mission Impossible stunt
- Just like in 1986, sales of aviator sunglasses are up because of Top Gun
