Tom Cruise and Monica Barbaro made an appearance on James Corden’s Late Late Show to promote their upcoming film Top Gun: Maverick. Monica then narrated the amusing and rather embarrassing account of her first encounter with Tom. Here are the specifics:
Monica Barbaro’s role in Top Gun: Maverick
American actress, Monica Barbaro.
Although Monica Barbaro was born years before Tom Cruise’s 1986 hit Top Gun, she is at the center of its sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. Barbaro, who plays Phoenix, a female fighter pilot, is part of a new era of naval fighters that includes Miles Teller, Glen Powell, and Manny Jacinto. Barbaro will never forget morphing into her no-nonsense persona, a woman who ascended through the ranks in a male-dominated sector and more than held her own. “It was ten months of filming while going through intense training and flying in jets,” she says, moments before the film’s world premiere in San Diego. “It was unlike anything I’ve ever done, a completely life-changing experience”.
Monica Barbaro’s first meeting with Cruise:
Monica Barbaro and Tom Cruise.
On The Late Late Show with James Corden, Barbaro talked about the first time she met Tom Cruise on the set of “Top Gun: Maverick.” She admitted that she isn’t generally the kind to get star-struck around celebs. “We were all standing in the hallway, being cool. He [Tom] walks down the hallway, and suddenly, I couldn’t feel my legs,” she remarked laughing. “[Tom] shakes my hands, looks deep into my eyes, and I just forgot my name,” Monica said, narrating the amusing incident. Tom politely reacted to the praises by adding that when he first met Monica, he thought she was really cool and poised.
Monica’s experience with Tom Cruise:
Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick.
Working with cinematic icon Cruise, who was engaged in every phase of the production, was very rewarding for Monica. She obtained a lot of understanding about Cruise’s filmmaking approach through watching him, and while his films are famed for their pioneering stunts and use of technology, the actor turns to Old Hollywood for ideas. “I remember a day when Tom Cruise was explaining a detail he had changed and why he changed it,” says Barbaro. “Offhandedly, he said, ‘Well I was watching Casablanca last night,” and I realized how his practice of constantly studying great historical films informs all of his creative decisions. Every day on set, we discussed the importance of making this a timeless film”.
