‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Star John Ham On The Importance Of Being In ‘Thorn In The Side’

John Ham felt such a need for speed that he accepted the offer. Top Gun: Maverick Invisible vision.

Continuing the legacy of Tony Scott best weapon (1986), Ham plays Vice Admiral Bo “Cyclone” Simpson, who, according to trailers, inadvertently supervises Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) as he prepares a group of TOPGUN alumni for their mission. most dangerous so far. . Ham had known Cruise by chance for years, but from the moment he arrived he understood why Cruise is so loved by his crew.

“When I finally got to the set, I heard applause when someone said, ‘Here it is!’ And I said to myself, ‘Who is this?’ Can not see. And that was Tom Cruise with a big million dollar smile. Then he hugged me tightly and said: Welcome to the show. And I replied, “Thank you.” “It was a really good feeling,” Ham said. the hollywood reporter.

During filming, Cruz would open the door for Ham and show him the first pictures. Dissident, exciting in both processes. However, Ham also remembers a time when he had to politely tell the cruiser that they didn’t have much experimental overlap.

“At some point, [Cruise] He said, ‘John, what do you do for fun? What is your hobby? Rainbow? Do you ride a motorcycle? Do you fly by helicopter? And I said, “No. I’m playing tennis. IM sitting. I walk up the hill with my dog. This is my hobby. “They’re radically less dangerous and adrenaline-pumping, but I find them just as fun,” Hami said with a laugh.

in the last conversation THRHamm also addressed the wide range of roles he has taken on since ᲒAdareulThe series finale in 2015, including its next play. Arrow.

Between going to Maverick and reporting to Iceman, what does your 15-year-old think about all of this?

My 15 year old son exploded, as did my 51 year old son. I’m on both sides of this equation. It was a great experience made more exciting by the fact that he had to be suspended and suspended for two years. The unintended consequence of this is that it created expectations and expectations. Paramount knew they had something really cool. Tom really knew he had something really good. At various points during filming, he would grab me and say, “You have to come see this,” and take me to his trailer to show me ten minutes of raw footage. And I was like, “Oh my God, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

It has an excellent amount of nostalgia while still being available to new audiences.

It’s very strange in the first movie and touches on all these nostalgic elements, but it really stands on its own. The interesting thing about returning to a truly beloved property after so long is that there are two generations of kids who have never seen the original movie. If so, they watched it on cable or something, but they had no experience going to the theater. So this is something completely new for this generation and [Top Gun: Maverick] It will be what was original for its generation.

His character, Cyclone, is obviously the role of Maverick and his toughness is the main ingredient that makes this movie so satisfying. but he is not jaws Older guy or one the difficult Underboss because it is absolutely true that Maverick is reckless. Did you look at him the same way?

This is an excellent observation and I think you are right. There is an adult in the room. He’s not an angry, angry boss and he’s not a skinny guy. [James Tolkan’s Stinger] inside [Top Gun], whose ego writes checks, your body cannot cash. The Cyclone is more in the veins of Tom Scherit, who was really looking for inspiration. First of all, I love Tommy as an actor, but he also fell in love with me in the movie. He has such a fierce loving sensibility, but he also has a perfect line at the end: “I’ll fly with you.” It’s an embarrassing mutual respect and my character has a lot too.

Being has a great responsibility O The boss. My son, the vice admiral, is responsible not only for his life, but also for billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded material. So this is a lesson he’s trying to pass on to Maverick as well. He says, “What are you doing? You shouldn’t be here. You are very talented and you can pass all this wisdom on to someone else and pass it on. Why are you stuck? What’s going on here?” So the really emotional part of the story is seeing how Maverick grows up. You owe a debt of responsibility not just to an ex-boyfriend [Goose] And the family he left behind, but also the next generation. So he’s on many levels.

Your character said this to Maverick as something demeaning, but did Cruz’s reputation precede him at best?

Yes sure. And I don’t think that line [“Your reputation precedes you … It wasn’t a compliment.”] that was Exclusively Humiliating. There are many ways to read this. But when you go to the set of a Tom Cruise movie, you know exactly where Tom Cruise is at all times. This is usually because he’s right in your face, smiling and congratulating you on set. His enthusiasm is incredibly obvious, but also incredibly contagious. It gives energy to the whole. So yes, Tommy advertises as they say.

Since you were a football star at the time, did you kick hard between scenes on stage?

(laughS.) No, I didn’t want everything to be hard and rough. We were covered in fake sweat and tanned, so I came back like a piece of sand.

Cyclone was a Maverick Top Gun graduate a few years later. How many stories did they provide in addition to the movie? How many have you invented for yourself?

Not much, but I have a pretty active imagination. I’ve met a lot of guys who would be in the orbit of a cyclone and run a business with very high-level managerial, executive, and skills. It was enough for me to understand that all these boys came from the same circumstances. Some of them did more than others, some were swept away, some were trapped, and some died. There are many ways to switch these careers, but I met a few guys at Cyclone level and they were all much older than me. (laughsThey said, “If you’re a three-star admiral, you’re not that young.” And I used to say, “Okay, I’m older than I look, but I understand.” (laughs.)

I don’t think anyone is better than you in the contemplation scenes near the windows and you have other excellent -spoiler-free- in this film because Cyclon weighs the options. Was this a scene you marked on your calendar and actually dug up beforehand?

(laughs.) Especially not. I’m not really a “circle” calendar type. Every day of this movie was exciting, but I was so happy when Tom told me, “This is what it’s going to be. You’ll be by the windows, it’s raining and it looks amazing.” He used to say, “I’m doing a good job with the windows, so you can count on me to do that.” So it was wonderful. Again, it was a wonderful experience to be on stage with Tom, one of the biggest movie stars of our generation, so when we finished the scene, it was wonderful to see what it was like to capture that moment forever.

Some of Cruz’s former stars have expressed that when they see him go this far for his art, it makes them want to improve their game in different ways and acquire new skills for the screen. Did you feel it all?

Over the last couple of decades, we’ve socialized here and there at various parties, parties, and more, but at one point, we had a conversation on set. He said, “John, what do you do for fun? What is your hobby? Rainbow? Do you ride a motorcycle? Do you fly by helicopter? And I was saying, “No.” (laughs.) He used to say, “I play tennis. IM sitting. I walk up the hill with my dog. This is my hobby.” They’re radically less dangerous and adrenaline-pumping, but I find them just as fun.

Between the debut of the aircraft carrier Top Gun: Maverick Private plane, have you been on a similar press tour?

This is its own animal, of course. I keep doing it, but I feel like Hollywood is back. It is what it is. That’s what you need to see the Hollywood blockbuster. This is your invitation, come in, take a seat, enjoy the popcorn and have fun for two hours.

Decades later, when you look back on this movie, is it the day you probably remember for the first time?

First day. Easy. I went to the shooting range, which was in the plane’s hangar. There were two parked F-18 Super Hornets and a two-and-a-half-deck American flag. She was there in all the costumes and full clothes. I was kind of lost when I first walked onto the set, but once I finally moved onto the set, I heard applause when someone said, “Here it is!” And I said to myself, ‘Who is this? I can’t see.” And that was Tom Cruise with a big million dollar smile. So he hugged me and said, “Welcome to the show.” And I said, “Thanks.” It was really nice. (laughs.)

It wouldn’t have been a press tour for a Tom Cruise movie without the obligatory cake questions. Are you on the cruise ship cake list right now?

(laughs.) Yes it’s me. A long-awaited cake, of course. I don’t know when this information was published, but I was on it before I even worked on this movie. I don’t know how, but I remember picking it up at one point and thinking, “This might be the best cake I’ve ever had in my life.” And it still delivers, even during a pandemic.

Will you enjoy eating it for many months if you eat it fast?

Keep it up, I’ll say it. It holds up a little and like many cakes it’s also good, a little old fashioned. So we like it. We didn’t get to that.

I always try to find patterns in the choice of actors, but their latest work doesn’t seem to indicate any rhythm or reason. you will appear limit your enthusiasm ANY Pub Like you, but then you score a different animated show. You recently appeared in an EELS music video. Is this race the answer to Don Draper’s eight years of play?

I’ve said this before, but if you wanted to do the same thing over and over, I don’t know why you would become an actor. The fun part of being an actor is doing different things. So yes, there is a short answer to your question. Just fun. Fun to work with Larry David. it’s fun to host Saturday night live stream. It’s fun to make animated elements. Have fun making podcasts for my friends. I’m very, very lucky to be playing in a lot of different scenarios, so to speak, and I have some credibility on both sides of a dramatic and comedic pilot. So I love to do everything. I love it when I’m asked to read the St. Louis Cardinals, or when they want me to read an emotional speech from St. Louis Blues. So I was very lucky to be able to do that and I appreciate it.

Finally, what would you say about your new number? Arrow?

Well, we finished home photography in Rome last summer. It’s a really good movie. We don’t know where it’s going to spread, so I can’t really talk about it. We have a few things, but hopefully people will see it next year and look forward to enjoying it. It is very different from the Chevy Chase version. So if you expect to wear a lot of funny wigs and get a lot of votes, this is probably not a movie for you. But we are very happy to stay true to the books written by Gregory McDonald and have the opportunity, I hope, to do some more. So what’s interesting to me is that I go to the first floor and hope to do a few more and make them look like I find them really fun.

The interview is edited for length and clarity.

Top Gun: Maverick It will hit theaters on May 27..