Before Glen Powell was Hollywood's most sought-after leading man, he spent years missing out on big roles. But when he finally got the call that the role of cocky “Top Gun: Maverick” pilot Hangman was his, he almost turned it down.
The “Hit Man” star lost out on blockbuster roles like Captain America and Han Solo in “Solo,” plus roles in films ranging from “Friday Night Lights” to “Cowboys & Aliens” to “The Longest Ride.” His break should have come when Miles Teller beat him out for the role of Rooster in “Top Gun” and Tom Cruise and director Joe Kosinski offered him the role of Hangman. There was just one problem.
“'If I was editing this movie, I would delete it immediately,” Powell told British GQ. The original version of the character was a terrible pilot who came to Top Gun through nepotism, a storyline that Powell thought did the film a disservice.
Cruise and Kosinski decided to listen to Powell and ended up convinced, rewriting the character based on the actor's notes from “Anyone But You.”
“What we were talking about is how can Hangman contribute to the story and give it the flavor of the original Top Gun that you need.” Powell said.
“I told Tom my piece about what I do and what I do well, and he listened. Tom is a listener. “He listens to the crew members, he listens to his collaborators and he listens to the people.”
And it was a good thing he did: “Top Gun: Maverick” became a box office phenomenon and Powell's career got the boost he had been waiting for for so long.
