Miles Teller, star of the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, has opened up about the grueling aviation program designed by Tom Cruise that pushed the entire cast to their physical limits. The actor, who played Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, described the experience as so intense that it left him and his co-stars feeling like young men trapped in aged bodies – a testament to the relentless demands of simulating real Navy fighter pilot life.
Cruise, reprising his iconic role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, insisted on authenticity for the 2022 sequel. Determined to capture the raw thrill of aerial combat, he personally developed a comprehensive months-long training regimen in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and Top Gun instructors. This wasn’t just gym workouts or basic simulations; it was a progressive bootcamp that built tolerance to extreme G-forces, the crushing acceleration experienced in high-performance jets.
The program began with ground school basics, teaching the actors aviation fundamentals as if they were earning real pilot licenses. They started in single-engine Cessna 172s for gentle introductions to takeoff, landing, and basic maneuvers. From there, they graduated to aerobatic planes like the Extra 300 and L-39 Albatros, capable of pulling intense G-forces to mimic the F/A-18 Super Hornets they’d eventually fly.
Co-stars endured underwater survival training, simulating ejections over ocean waters – a Navy requirement involving dunk tanks, disorientation drills, and escape procedures. Many faced nausea, hives from jet fuel exposure, and sheer exhaustion. Teller himself recounted instances of breaking out in full-body rashes and discovering contaminants in his blood after flights. Others admitted to vomiting mid-air but learning to “rally” and continue.
Cruise oversaw every detail, providing personalized nightly feedback and ensuring no one slacked. He even flew multiple sorties daily himself, setting the bar impossibly high. The goal: prepare the cast – including Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, and Greg Tarzan Davis – to operate cameras in the cockpit, deliver lines under 8G pressure, and react authentically without green screens or CGI crutches.
This rigorous preparation paid off spectacularly. The film’s aerial sequences are breathtakingly real, with actors in actual Navy F/A-18s (piloted by professionals for safety) soaring through canyons and dogfights. The result was a visceral immersion that elevated Top Gun: Maverick to one of the highest-grossing films ever, praised for its practical effects and adrenaline-pumping realism.
Teller’s candid revelation highlights Cruise’s legendary work ethic and commitment to pushing boundaries. While the training aged them prematurely in body, it forged unbreakable bonds and delivered performances that felt genuinely high-stakes. For fans, it explains why the sequel soared far beyond the original – because the cast truly felt the need for speed, and the toll it takes.
In an industry increasingly reliant on digital tricks, Cruise’s approach reminds us that sometimes, the most thrilling stories come from real sweat, strain, and sky-high ambition.
