Tom Cruise tells LBC he's 'emotional' to be back at premiere of Top Gun: Maverick
19 May 2022, 19:22 | Updated: 19 May 2022, 19:45
Actor Tom Cruise told LBC he is "emotional" to be back on the red carpet for the premiere of the "beautiful" film Top Gun: Maverick.
Speaking live to LBC News on the red carpet for the premiere of his new film Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise said: "I am feeling emotional. I am feeling emotional to be back here.
"When we were going through it, Amanda and all of us were all talking with the studio and I just said 'we're going to do this premiere. It's going to happen. This is going to happen'
"Everyone had to do back-ups, so we kept planning. So, I am emotional for us all.
"And, not that I've ever taken anything for granted before, but I don't know how you feel - I'm like 'I'm in traffic now, and that's okay. Streets are crowded, I've got to leave a little early and here we are.'
"I'm seeing your beautiful smile. I'm just so happy. I am emotional about it."
The 59-year-old actor spoke live to LBC News at the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick - the sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun - taking place in Leicester Square.
Crowds gathered in Central London to catch a glimpse of the American actor, who spoke to fans as he arrived for the event.
Cruise is reprising his role as Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell more than thirty years after the release of the original film.
Co-star Val Kilmer, 62, is also reprising his role as rival Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazansk. Also starring in the film is Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, and Monica Barbaro.
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It was initially scheduled for release in summer 2019, but was postponed to "allow the production to work out all the complex flight sequences".
It was delayed once again due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and further scheduling conflicts.
When asked about whether he expected the "absolutely insane" reaction the film has received from both critics and audiences, he responded: "No, I don't think Paramount could have written better things."
"I have to say, it took a long time for me to say, 'let's do this'. I didn't want to disappoint.
"You know when you love a movie. I know what it's like for me, I go to movie's opening weekends. If I want to see a film...I go with audiences. And I just don't want to disappoint.
He added: "Look, I lay down and I think about movies and I talk about them, and it is the dream. Suddenly when that dream's a reality it's like...'oh man'. Just know we're doing it for you. That's what we're trying every-time."
After a drawn-out pause and a stutter over words afar from the hot-shot persona he plays in the film, an evidently emotional Cruise eloquently said: "It's beautiful."
