Fijivillage
9 February, 2026, 1:55 pm
Central - 29°C Rain
9 February, 2026, 1:55 pm Central - 29°C Rain

Top Gun: Maverick – Jennifer Connelly Recalls Stunt Flying with Tom Cruise

Top Gun: Maverick – Jennifer Connelly Recalls Stunt Flying with Tom Cruise

By Vijay Narayan
25/05/2022
[Photo: Paramount Pictures]

Tom Cruise wanted to do barrel rolls. That’s one of the more singular moments Jennifer Connelly can remember about her time on Top Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited sequel to the 1986 classic.

The opportunity to go flying with her legendary co-star had come about because Maverick features one of those classic movie moments.

But in Top Gun: Maverick, they are doing it for real as Cruise’s glorified biplane rises above the weather, and Connelly as his wingman in the backseat looks out in astonishment at the horizon.

Connelly says Cruise did pilot the plane and of course he was also an excellent pilot.

According to the Oscar-winning actress, the pair took off as the sun rose, soaring across the skies for nearly three hours.

Initially, Cruise even pushed to do those barrel rolls with Connelly in the backseat, but unfortunately Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski’s cameras—even from the noses and exteriors of U.S. Navy jets—couldn’t capture the face of Cruise’s passenger when they tested out the sequence with a stuntwoman.

Nonetheless, Cruise was still able to show off some of his flashier aerial moves with his co-star onscreen.

[Source: Den of Greek]

FEATURE NEWS
Naitasiri grandfather seeks Govt help after Back to School Assistance allegedly misused
A concerned grandfather of Nakorovatu Village in Naitasiri is seeking assistance from the government after claiming that his grandchildren are not att...
46 minutes ago
LATEST NEWS
Green Day performs 'Holiday' and 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' at Super Bowl opening
American punk rock band Green Day opened the Super Bowl with a performance of its 2004 hit "Holiday," then "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."Charlie Puth ...
2 hours ago

Punja's application to travel for spinal surgery and disc replacement dismissed
The bail variation application for Thakor Punja, who is seeking to travel to Australia for spinal surgery and disc replacement, has been ...
2 hours ago

Musa focusing on positivity amid online criticism
Internet sensation, Mohammed Muzzamil 'Musa' Hussein says he is focusing only on the good and choosing to ignore the negative comments being made ...
3 hours ago

Watch the inspiring story of Matua School's Dux Reapi Tabuaniviti on fijivillage Straight Talk
From her dad being diagnosed with cancer when she was 14, to financial struggles at home and rejection at school, get ready to watch and hear the ...
5 hours ago

Cruise liner 'Seabourn Quest' makes stopover in Savusavu
Guests and crew aboard the luxury cruise liner 'Seabourn Quest' enjoyed a stopover in Savusavu, where they were warmly welcomed by local ...
6 hours ago



Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH
Minister ready to repay business class air fare for wife as concerns grow about Sports Council deals
I was invited to travel to New Zealand by the Fiji Sports Council for a grassroots 7s tournament in 2024, I travelled business class but it was ...
3 days ago

Barbara Malimali, former Attorney General Graham Leung and lawyers Wylie Clarke and Laurel Vaurasi's counsels made submissions for leave to apply for judicial review of the Commission of Inquiry into Malimali's appointment as FICAC Commissioner
The application for leave for the judicial review has been made by former FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali, former Attorney General Graham Leung ...
3 days ago

Malimali’s legal battle against President, PM and AG
Another legal battle starts today as sacked FICAC Commissioner, Barbara Malimali takes her matter to court against the President, Prime Minister and ...
4 days ago

TOP