In a new interview, the actress portraying Penny Benjamin in the long-awaited sequel admits that she is grateful to know that her character 'was all about the water.'
- Jun 4, 2022
AceShowbiz - Jennifer Connelly was relieved her "Top Gun: Maverick" character was "all about the water." In a new interview, the actress revealed why she's "glad" she didn't have a lot of "hot-shot pilot" scenes.
The 51-year-old actress portrays Penny Benjamin in the long-awaited sequel and because she's afraid of flying, she was grateful that she didn't have a lot of scenes up in the sky. She told Australia's Who magazine, "It's something I have dealt with to some degree, but I have to admit I was initially glad to know my character was all about the water and not some hot-shot pilot."
However, Jennifer did have to face her fears in one particularly "intense" scene with Tom Cruise, who plays her love interest Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. She added, "Of course, once we were on set, I found out there was going to be a moment with me and Tom in a plane together."
"I didn't want to mention my fear of flying, which is probably how I ended up to aerobatics in a P-51 Mustang piloted by Tom Cruise. That was pretty intense!" Jennifer recalled. "Tom asked if I'd ever done any aerobatic flying. I said, 'No… am I going to?' He said, 'We're just going to do some easy rolls' and ignited the engine. Flames burst out, which evidently is normal, but I certainly wasn't expecting that."
And Jennifer shared another particularly memorable scene with the action star, who famously loves to do his own stunts. She said, "Riding on the back of a motorcycle with Tom was quite something and the sailing scenes we shot around San Francisco are something I will never forget."
The movie marked the first time Jennifer has worked with Tom and she recently described her co-star as "exceptional." She said, "I had never even met Tom Cruise before. He's so exceptional. Spending time with him, you understand how someone has been such a movie star for so many years. It was clear to me what the franchise means to him, (producer) Jerry Bruckheimer and the audiences who love the film so much."
