Tom Cruise Pranked 'Top Gun: Maverick' Costar Glen Powell by Pretending Their Helicopter Was Crashing

According to Glen Powell, Tom Cruise was equal parts mischievous and strict while filming Top Gun: Maverick.

In a new interview, the Scream Queens alum talked about his experience working with the movie icon, revealing he once pranked Powell by pretending their helicopter was about to crash.

"Tom goes ‘oh no, oh no,’ and he starts dropping the helicopter over London," the Anyone But You Lead, 35, recalled of the father-of-three, 61, piloting. "I was like, ‘Am I about to be the unnamed guy that dies with Tom in a smoking hole in the middle of London?’"

Cruise also subjected his costar to endless studying, having Powell sit in a movie theater alone to watch a 6-hour "film school" production he put together.

"He said, ‘This is just for my friends,'” Powell revealed of what the Mission: Impossible star told him.

In the project, "[Cruise] is like: ‘Do we all agree that this is what a camera is? This is the difference between a film camera and a digital camera…’ The funniest part is on flying. It was like he put together this entire flight school. So he would literally go ‘OK, this is what a plane is. Here’s how things fly. Here’s how air pressure works.’"

Powell was more than appreciative to receive the star's advice.

"The one thing I feel we’re kindred spirits in is he’s obsessed with movies," shared Powell. "That was our love language on set. I got to watch a guy who knew every department. He was able to clearly interface with everyone, and be so friendly and respectful and be able to communicate that vision."

Powell was so inspired by Cruise's talents that he obtained his helicopter piloting license in 2021 — however, he wouldn't consider himself a pro at flying.

"I thought I could be Tom Cruise. He has a helicopter and he’s flying actual jets. If I have to pop over to New York or Texas, in this SR-22, it’ll take me forever," the Hit Man star confessed.

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Top Gun: Maverick, which hit theaters in 2022, went on to be a smash hit at the box office, grossing nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. While Powell is obviously enjoying his success, he still feels he has more to achieve.

"I’ve got a bingo board of roles I want to play. Twister was on there. Top Gun was on there," he stated.

British GQ spoke to Powell.