Austin Butler “had to choose” between ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and working with Quentin Tarantino
Even though they were released almost three years apart, the lengthy delays that affected Top Gun: Maverick led to Austin Butler foregoing the chance to try out for the cast in favour of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Tom Cruise’s airborne sequel entered production in May of 2018, a month before Tarantino called action on his love letter to Los Angeles. Butler found himself under consideration for both, but as a life-long fan of the Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained director, the choice wasn’t a difficult one.
For one thing, Butler had already discussed the part of Tex Watson with the filmmaker, whereas he was only lined up for a screen test in Maverick. With one of his idols ready and willing to give him a role in his latest feature, it was an easy decision for the rising star to take Tarantino up on his offer.
“I ended up having to choose between gong to the screentest for Top Gun: Maverick or saying yes to Quentin Tarantino”, the Academy Award nominee admitted on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Having wanted to work with Tarantino “for so long”, the solution was straightforward.
Butler possibly wouldn’t have ended up landing the Maverick gig anyway, where he was set to try out for Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, which was ultimately played by Miles Teller.
According to casting director Denise Chamian, after “his audition was shown to Tom and all the filmmakers”, despite impressing the assembled creatives, “they thought he was too young”.
Neither Teller nor Butler were even born when the original Top Gun was released, but with the former being five years older, he was deemed a better and more age-appropriate fit to play the son of Pete Mitchell’s former wingman, while Butler went on to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
In a four-star review of Top Gun: Maverick, Far Out wrote: “Top Gun: Maverick soars alongside its predecessor in an attack formation, firing so many missiles it guarantees to hit the dizzying heights of the original, not to mention an arsenal of homages and nods to the previous film that, despite sometimes bordering on the ridiculous, feel as joyful, comfortable and nostalgic as a Happy Meal.”
Never Miss A Take
The Far Out Quentin Tarantino Newsletter
All the latest Quentin Tarantino content from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.