‘I was immensely flattered and excited’

Jennifer Connelly. Pic/AFP

Actor Jennifer Connelly says she had nostalgic memories of watching Tom Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, but she never thought she would be invited to be a part of the iconic film's sequel.

Top Gun: Maverick brings back Cruise as the US aviator Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and also features Connelly among the new set of characters. Recalling her memories of watching the original film, Connelly said what stayed with her were the scenes of F-14 fighter jets flying in the desert and Cruise in his uniform. "The flying blew me away in Top Gun. Another thing that stood out was just Tom Cruise in that jacket and on the motorcycle. It was iconic," the 51-year-old actor said in an interview.

A still from Top Gun: Maverick

Maverick is set over thirty years after the events of the first film and sees Maverick returning to the Top Gun institute and training a group of graduates, including Rooster, the son of his late wingman Goose.

Kelly McGills featured in the Tony Scott-directed original and her on-screen chemistry with Cruise was one of the highlights of the film. McGills, however, is not returning for the sequel and the makers decided to cast Connelly in a new role opposite Cruise. Connelly said she owes the opportunity to feature in the sequel to director Joseph Kosinski, who had earlier worked with her for his 2017 movie Only the Brave.
"I had worked with Joe before and I liked him very much. I was excited that he wanted to work with me again. Then he told me it was about Top Gun and I was immensely flattered and excited. I had never met Tom Cruise before. Just meeting him was exciting and working with him was a great experience," the actor said.

In the film, Connelly essays the role of Penelope "Penny" Benjamin, a bar owner and a single mother, who had a past relationship with Maverick. As an actor, Connelly said that she never looks for roles "who I feel aligned with" as she believes that the most wonderful aspect of cinema is the opportunity to step into the lives of varied characters. For her, Penny is one of those characters. "One of the things that I love about making movies is spending time with characters who have different lives than I have. With Penny, I like how optimistic and warm she is. I think she's a deeply kind person and somebody who wants to be happy and live a good life."

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