Charles Parnell & Bashir Salahuddin Interview: Top Gun Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick is a worthy successor to the 1986 classic Top Gun, raking in the highest Thursday gross ever for Paramount and receiving an unbelievable 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating. The sequel, which is set decades after the original, follows Peter «Maverick» Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is his role as leader and mentor to naval aviators while also acknowledging he doesn't have quite as much control over his personal life.
The large ensemble cast of Top Gun: Maverick extends far beyond Maverick's romantic relationships, such as his former flame Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly, Snowpiercer) and bonds that tie him to the past, such as the connection to deceased friend Goose's son Rooster (Miles Teller, The Offer). Not only does the film introduce audiences to a crop of new mission candidates whose mettle must be tested, it also fleshes out the world with high-ranking officers and colleagues who protect and serve alongside Maverick.
Related: Top Gun Maverick Characters Ranked By Flying Ability
Screen Rant spoke to cast members Charles Parnell (Warlock) and Bashir Salahuddin (Hondo) about the meaning behind their callsigns, the songs they would belt along with a jukebox, and whether the world is ready for a third Top Gun film.
Screen Rant: Guys, this movie? You know at this point, people friggin' love it.
Charles Parnell: Yes, we're very happy.
Bashir Salahuddin: That's great.
Tell me your callsign and how you feel your character earned that callsign.
Charles Parnell: Warlock. And I feel like I pull off magical, emotional connections between people.
Bashir Salahuddin: Mine is Hondo, which is the same nickname that Kevin McHale had when he was Larry Bird's right hand man on the Celtics. In the film, I play Tom's right hand man.
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