Kurt Russell recently revealed how he helped Tom Cruise go from playing a pilot in movies to becoming a real one. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Russell shared that he mentored Cruise after the huge success of the 1986 film Top Gun, noticing Cruise’s sincere desire to truly learn how to fly.
Although Kurt Russell doesn’t fly anymore, he was a pilot for more than thirty years, flying many different kinds of aircraft. He remembers that after the first movie, he and Tom Cruise connected because Cruise wanted to learn to fly himself. They spent time flying together in Russell’s plane, and once Russell saw how dedicated Cruise was, he did everything he could to help him become a pilot.
Tom Cruise finally got his pilot’s license with some extra guidance from the late director Sydney Pollack, who gave him flying lessons while they were making the movie The Firm. Since then, Cruise has become well-known for his love of flying and has even done his own stunts in the air for films like American Made (2017) and the hugely successful Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
Russell, clearly impressed after seeing the sequel, complimented Cruise’s abilities, saying he’s a remarkably skilled pilot. He also loved how the filmmakers brought the character back after so many years, describing the sequel as fantastic.
Even though Russell Wilson isn’t actively playing football right now, his new Super Bowl commercial for Michelob ULTRA still has that exciting, energetic feel. The ad shows Wilson as a famous ski instructor teaching a beginner, played by Lewis Pullman—the actor from Maverick. It was directed by Joseph Kosinski, who also directed the Top Gun sequel.
Despite bringing together so many people from the Maverick team, Wilson jokingly dismissed any talk of appearing in a Top Gun 3 movie. However, he did share his admiration for Kosinski’s recent work on the racing film F1.
He spoke highly of working with Pullman, praising him as a great collaborator who was open to trying new things during filming. He explained that the commercial centers around a character’s growth from an inexperienced person to a hero, and Pullman portrayed this change flawlessly in their single day of shooting.
It’s a tradition in Hollywood for experienced actors to help those starting out, and it seems that cycle continues. Just as Russell and Pollack once guided Tom Cruise, Cruise apparently helped his Top Gun: Maverick co-star, Glen Powell, learn to fly. Powell mentioned in a 2020 social media post that Cruise not only paid for his private pilot’s license, but also gave him an iPad already filled with flight school lessons to help him prepare.
Kurt Russell continues to be a popular actor on TV and streaming platforms. He’s currently in the second season of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, reuniting with his son, Wyatt Russell, to play Lee Shaw. Plus, he’s joining the cast of the new Yellowstone spin-off, The Madison, as a main character alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, and fans are excited to see his performance.
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2026-02-02 20:44