In “Top Gun: Maverick,” Monica Barbaro plays Phoenix, one of the pilots assigned to Maverick’s team for the final mission. She, alongside the rest of the cast, had to deal with tons of prep work before cameras started rolling on the “Top Gun” sequel. Her work ethic, as well as her ability to adjust to high speeds, was apparent from the get-go. Barbaro was the only new star who didn’t get violently ill during the film’s intense training sequences. Her capacity to remain composed during those key early days in training led to her not getting sick during production, and neither did Tom Cruise.
While speaking with The A.V. Club, Barbaro star opened up about how Cruise designed a rigorous special program for the actors to get in tune with flying planes. “He sort of gave us backstory in that we spent all this time learning how to fly a basic aircraft, takeoffs, landings, all of that, the lingo,” she said. And with that in mind, it makes sense that Cruise didn’t get sick during filming. After all, the “Mission: Impossible” actor is more than just an enthusiast flyer — he’s a veteran at this point. The superstar is so obsessed with aviation that he used one of his own planes for the final scene of “Top Gun: Maverick”.
While it’s unclear if Barbaro will ever return to the high skies again, Cruise’s behavior has been rubbing off on others. After working with the action junkie, “Maverick” star Glen Powell became a pilot. Here’s hoping the “Anyone But You” takes cues from Barbaro and Cruise and doesn’t get sick!
