WE'RE WITH HER JENNIFER CONNELLY

Oscar winner and onetime Yalie, Connelly co-stars with afterburners, sky duels, and Tom Cruise in the year’s raddest reboot, Top Gun: Maverick.

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You star in one of the most anticipated sequels ever, Top Gun: Maverick, which hits theaters on Nov. 19. What was it like to be part of a blockbuster film franchise?

High octane. I experienced things I never had before—motorcycles and sailboats. And I flew in a vintage World War II fighter plane with Tom Cruise that he piloted. Tom asked if I’d ever done any aerobatic flying. I said, “No … am I going to?” He said we’re just going to do some easy rolls and ignited the engine. Flames burst out, which evidently is normal, but I certainly wasn’t expecting that.

After the original Top Gun came out in 1986, the Navy claimed enlistment went up 500 percent. Did flying with Cruise peak an interest in naval aviation for you?