Glen Powell on Missing Out on ‘Oppenheimer’ and Flying With Tom Cruise

Glen Powell recently shared that he missed out on a role in Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed film, ‘Oppenheimer.’ The ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ star revealed to GQ Magazine that he had his sights set on playing Nobel-winning nuclear physicist Ernest Lawrence, but ultimately, Josh Hartnett landed the part. Despite this setback, Powell remains optimistic and is still in touch with Nolan, confident that they’ll collaborate on a project shortly.

‘Oppenheimer’ has been a massive success, bagging seven Oscars, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ for Nolan, at this year’s ceremony in Los Angeles. The film has also become Nolan’s highest-grossing overseas hit, raking in over $960 million (£757 million) worldwide.

Also Read: Glen Powell Reflects on Tom Cruise’s Six-Hour Filmmaking Tutorial

In the same interview, Powell recounted a memorable and slightly terrifying prank pulled by Tom Cruise during the filming of ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ After some reshoots in London, Cruise pretended to lose control of the helicopter they were in.

“Tom goes, ‘Oh no, oh no,’ and he starts dropping the helicopter over London,” Powell recalled. “I was like, ‘Am I about to be the unnamed guy that dies with Tom in a smoking hole in the middle of London?’”

Although he briefly feared for his life, Powell was in awe of Cruise’s flying skills throughout the production. Cruise, who owns a helicopter and flies actual jets, has left a strong impression on Powell. While Powell is a licensed pilot himself, he modestly noted that his flying experience mainly involves taking friends on cross-country trips to various US cities.