Top Gun: Maverick took the world by storm last year, as many people basked in the nostalgia of Top Gun and fell in love with this new cast of characters. It was one of the rare theatrical triumphs last year, and audiences were dazzled by the real plane stunt sequences. Tom Cruise was a major reason for the film’s success, as the actor was very specific in how the film got made, pushing to make it the best possible. Jon Hamm recently opened up about his experience working on the film and its success, noting how he was inspired by Cruise’s treatment of the younger actors in the cast.
The Mad Men alum sat down with comedian Bill Maher, to chat about the legacy sequel on the Club Random podcast. The conversation soon turned to Cruise, who called Hamm when he agreed to do the movie. The Emmy winner revealed:
I remember when I said yes to [Top Gun: Maverick] I got a call very soon after that saying, ‘I can’t wait to make this movie with you.’ And I had like, three scenes in this movie, but he still reached out and said you know, ‘I can’t wait to do it.’ … I loved every minute of it.
Maher didn’t seem surprised Hamm got such a gracious phone call, saying that Cruise was a one-of-a-kind talent, who never ignores the details. The 30 Rock vet couldn’t have agreed more as he was emphatic about his experience working with the Jerry Maguire star. He explained how involved Cruise was with the production process, saying:
There was nothing on set that Tom doesn’t want there. And it is what he does so well. He curates an experience that is [perfect]. … The experience was as advertised. You just, you saw it in person, you knew it was going to be magnified on the screen and everything about that experience was – I watched him, because I had my part to play but I wasn’t producing the film, I had nothing to do other than show up, know my lines, look good in a suit.
It’s nice to hear that everything about working on Maverick lived up to Hamm’s expectations. The actor went on to explain how impressed he was with Cruise’s openness to working with younger actors. While veteran movie stars can be dismissive towards younger talent, that didn’t apply to the Jack Reacher star. Hamm talked about Cruise’s openness, and collaborative spirit, detailing:
I watched how he took care of all the younger actors and was very aware that for a lot of them this was their first movie, certainly their first major motion picture, and I was like, ‘Man I’ve definitely seen the other version of that.’ Where it’s like, ‘Fuck you, figure it out or I’ll do something that will kind of take your legs out of you.’ But he’s not that guy.
Being a brand new actor in such a big movie like Top Gun: Maverick must be incredibly daunting. According to Hamm, the Oscar nominee did everything he could to make sure the newbies felt comfortable and adjusted to the new environment.
Cruise’s role as a producer must’ve helped this attitude apply to all aspects of the process too. Establishing such a supportive working environment seemed to be a huge reason Hamm had such a great time working on the movie, and Glen Powell agrees. The “Hangman” actor has previously echoed Hamm’s sentiment, revealing Cruise would often offer him advice to get through the difficult production.
Tom Cruise isn’t the only veteran actor who has taken time to support new performers making their big screen debut. Rina Sawayama recently opened up about how Keanu Reeves was a supportive presence on John Wick 4, making the experience a welcoming one for first-time actors. Tom Hanks also revealed that in Saving Private Ryan, he did his best to prepare the other actors for some of the crazy and intense sequences they were about to shoot. I’m sure actors often remember their first time on a movie set, and having an experienced star there to support them during the process is something they will likely never forget.
You can catch Jon Hamm and Tom Cruise’s performances in Top Gun: Maverick with a Paramount+ subscription. Cruise fans can also watch the actor in his next action-packed adventure, Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1 which hits theaters on July 12. For more information on other films coming to cinemas and streaming in the near future, make sure to consult our 2023 movie schedule.