“The Best Shooter: Maverick” has almost everything a moviegoer could want from a summer blockbuster. It features Tom Cruise, an attractive cast, impressive planes and, of course, a scene in which shirtless pilots play soccer on the beach. This last element has attracted considerable attention, especially because of Miles Teller (who plays Bradley “The Rooster” Bradshaw). During the episode, Teller danced shirtless, which has since gone viral. The actor has already reacted to the hype, but now gives more information about his main moment in the movie.
The football scene takes place in the second act of the sequel, and in it Tom Cruise’s Maverick uses the game to create camaraderie among his Top Gun recruits. The teacher’s method turns out to be effective, and the end result is a funny scene filled with sand, sun and shiny abs. Miles Teller had everything in plain sight when he danced, and the actor seemed to feel more than comfortable during the performance. He talked about his moves during his appearance on DESUS & MERO, explaining that it was partly inspired by the classic film:
It was a move that me and my buddies just threw out at parties and other shit. Because I think for me dancing has always been “don’t take yourself too seriously.” So I’m sure people could find it on the internet, I’ve always known this dance as Weekend at Bernie’s dance. Where you are the king of the dead and your shoulders are straightened.
Now that I think about it, it’s definitely tracking, but at that moment it also worked. Judging by the atmosphere of the episode, it seemed that all the stars felt some freedom during filming. This is probably because at the time they weren’t sure what would be in the final version, according to the actor.:
But to be honest, on the beach, when we shot this scene, no one knew when there were cameras behind them. Because we were just doing something, and they were just managing it. So I had no idea that they even caught this moment.
Long before the release of the film, it was clear that the football scene should be parallel to the shirtless volleyball scene in the original film, a moment that “Danger Zone” vocalist Kenny Loggins considers important. (Although I would say the sequel’s big beach game is more important to the sequel’s plot). In general, the actors of “The Best Shooter: Maverick” were diligently preparing for the scene, with the exception of Tom Cruise, who clearly did not need to prepare for a long time.
While Miles Teller was preparing, his co-star Glen Powell really devoted himself to getting himself in order before the cameras turned on. Fellow Maverick graduate Lewis Pullman recalled their training and remembered Powell repeating a funny song to himself. But after the job was done, he was finally able to eat a little and relax a little. I guess some of his co-stars did the same.
The aforementioned slogan of Glen Powell sounded like this: “Montages last forever,” and I think it’s safe to say that moviegoers will never forget the football scene or the Miles Teller dance. I’m sure a lot of people are hoping that he and Cruz will reunite for “Best Shooter 3” so that he has another chance to get ahead.
Those who want to return or see this moment for the first time can watch Top Gun: Maverick in theaters right now.
