Why Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun: Maverick' Love Interest Is Different
Jennifer Connelly in 'Top Gun: Maverick'
"Top Gun: Maverick" is packed with nostalgia and throwbacks to the original 1986 film, including legacy characters and familiar scenes. One thing viewers streaming the movie ahead of the Oscars noticed has changed, however, is who plays Tom Cruise's love interest Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The sequel – which received the Best Picture award from the National Board of Review – sees Maverick, now decades into his career, wooing a bar owner (and daughter of an admiral) named Penny Benjamin. Here's what to know about Maverick's love interest ahead of the 2023 Oscars, where 'Top Gun: Maverick' is nominated in six categories, including Best Picture.
Is Penny Benjamin in the original "Top Gun"?Penny, played by Jennifer Connelly, isn't physically present in the first 'Top Gun' movie, but she does exist, though she's only mentioned in passing. She is never seen on screen.
In one scene, Maverick's past exploits are said to include "a story of high-speed passes over five air traffic control towers and an admiral's daughter", and Maverick's best friend, Goose, mutters Penny's name under her breath - making her the "admiral's daughter" in question. This was later confirmed when Goose's wife, Carole, teases Maverick about his romance, telling him that Goose "told me all about the time you went ballistic with Penny Benjamin".
Though she never appears in person in the first "Top Gun", Penny becomes a major character in the sequel. Now played by Connelly, Penny owns a bar that is the TOPGUN team's go-to downtime destination. She's less than thrilled when Maverick reappears, and their dialogue definitely implies that they've had an on-and-off romance over the years between the two movies.
“It started the first time when they were pretty young. FilmIsNow. "But then they come back to each other."
Why isn't Kelly McGillis' Charlie Blackwood in 'Top Gun: Maverick'?
Jennifer Connelly in 'Top Gun: Maverick'
"Top Gun: Maverick" is packed with nostalgia and throwbacks to the original 1986 film, including legacy characters and familiar scenes. One thing viewers streaming the movie ahead of the Oscars noticed has changed, however, is who plays Tom Cruise's love interest Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The sequel – which received the Best Picture award from the National Board of Review – sees Maverick, now decades into his career, wooing a bar owner (and daughter of an admiral) named Penny Benjamin. Here's what to know about Maverick's love interest ahead of the 2023 Oscars, where 'Top Gun: Maverick' is nominated in six categories, including Best Picture.
Is Penny Benjamin in the original "Top Gun"?Penny, played by Jennifer Connelly, isn't physically present in the first 'Top Gun' movie, but she does exist, though she's only mentioned in passing. She is never seen on screen.
In one scene, Maverick's past exploits are said to include "a story of high-speed passes over five air traffic control towers and an admiral's daughter", and Maverick's best friend, Goose, mutters Penny's name under her breath - making her the "admiral's daughter" in question. This was later confirmed when Goose's wife, Carole, teases Maverick about his romance, telling him that Goose "told me all about the time you went ballistic with Penny Benjamin".
Though she never appears in person in the first "Top Gun", Penny becomes a major character in the sequel. Now played by Connelly, Penny owns a bar that is the TOPGUN team's go-to downtime destination. She's less than thrilled when Maverick reappears, and their dialogue definitely implies that they've had an on-and-off romance over the years between the two movies.
“It started the first time when they were pretty young. FilmIsNow. "But then they come back to each other."
Why isn't Kelly McGillis' Charlie Blackwood in 'Top Gun: Maverick'?
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