Glen Powell Celebrates His Passion For Aviation and Producing ‘The Blue Angels’
Glen Powell, renowned for his roles in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, ‘Anyone But You’, and ‘Hitman, is not only a celebrated actor but also a licensed pilot and producer. In a recent interview with Discussing Film, Powell shared his profound love for aviation and his experience working as a producer on the newly released documentary ‘The Blue Angels.’
Powell’s fascination with aviation began in his childhood, but it was his roles in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Devotion’ that deepened this passion. “After ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Devotion’, I never looked at the sky in the same way,” Powell revealed. “Anytime a plane flies over, I wonder about who is flying it, its destination, and what it is.”
He credited Tom Cruise for intensifying his love for aviation, stating, “It’s impossible to be around Tom Cruise and not fall in love with aviation. That experience was one of the most incredible in my entire life. I got to live on naval bases and be around the best pilots in the world. When you’re around the best of the best, it’s infectious.”
Powell’s journey to producing ‘The Blue Angels’ began with a conversation with Brian Ferguson, the liaison between the Top Gun Institute and the ‘Top Gun’ movie. Ferguson introduced Powell to Boss Wooldridge, who was planning a documentary on the Blue Angels. Powell’s enthusiasm and connections within the aviation community helped bring the project to fruition.
The involvement of J.J. Abrams added a new dimension to the documentary. Powell explained, “When we involved J.J. Abrams, this project cracked open in a way that the audience would find it a thrilling experience.”
Powell’s role as a producer for ‘The Blue Angels’ allowed him to explore the extraordinary feats of the Blue Angels pilots. “I think the really cool part about this documentary is you are really getting a sense that what these planes are doing is absolutely extraordinary. It’s incredible. It almost feels like it defies physics,” Powell said.
He emphasized the human side of the documentary, noting that the emotional and personal aspects of the pilots’ training make the film universal. “It’s not just awe, but it’s also emotion. That’s something that I try to keep consistent in anything I do,” he added.
‘The Blue Angels’ documentary, directed by Paul Crowder, focuses on the elite U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilots. It premiered in IMAX theatres on 17th May and was released on Amazon Prime Video on 23rd May 2024. Powell expressed his excitement about the film, saying, “I feel so lucky to be a part of the Naval community, and I think audiences will catch the same bug once they see this doc.”
-Gayathri. J
