Penny Benjamin: Last News

It’s about time we talk about Top Gun: Maverick glam because Jennifer Connelly’s on-screen makeup calls for some well-deserved attention! In an exclusive interview, makeup artist Vasilios Tanis tells Us Weekly’s Stylish the exact products he used on the movie star — and how to recreate the look at home.

Jennifer Connelly may star in “Top Gun: Maverick”, but she’s only just got over her fear of flying not so long ago.

Alexa, play “Take My Breath Away.” While the nostalgia is overwhelming for Top Gun fans in the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, not everything is the same for the title character 30 years after the original film.

Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connelly once again dressed to impress on Thursday as they attended the star-studded London premiere of his latest film Top Gun: Maverick, held at Leicester Square Gardens. The actor, 59, cut a suave figure in a classic black tuxedo while Jennifer, 51, was elegant in a cream patterned dress as they graced the red carpet, hours after jetting in from the Cannes Film Festival where they attended the film's screening the previous day. Tom was in good company at the premiere as Hayley Atwell, his rumoured love interest, was also in attendance with the actress looking stunning in a black velvet crop top and matching long skirt.

Tom Cruise as Pete «Maverick» Mitchell and features a special return from Val Kilmer as now-Admiral Tom «Iceman» Kazansky -- doesn't feature any appearances from the female stars of the 1986 original: Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan.Ryan's character, Carole, the wife of Maverick's late wingman and best friend Nick «Goose» Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards) and mother to Miles Teller's Bradley «Rooster» Bradshaw, is referenced in the sequel and seen in flashback scenes. However, there isn't even a mention of McGillis' Charlie Blackwood, a Top Gun instructor and Maverick's love interested in the original.«Those weren't stories that we were throwing around,» Maverick director Joseph Kosinski told Insider of the actresses' absences.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterDespite the optics of shirtless volleyball games and locker room sparring, you can’t make a “Top Gun” movie without a strong and emotionally centered woman. For “Top Gun: Maverick,” a sequel 36 years in the making, the successor to the original film’s Kelly McGillis is Jennifer Connelly. She plays Penny Benjamin, a character referenced in the first film, and love interest to Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

premieres later this month, though two major female leads from the original story won’t be seen: Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan.McGillis played Charlie Blackwood, a flight instructor and the object of Maverick’s affection. Ryan, meanwhile, portrayed the wife of Goose Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), Maverick’s best friend and co-pilot who dies on the job.Joseph Kosinski, who directed the sequel, confessed to Insider that he had no intention of ever bringing the two women back for “Maverick.”“Those weren’t stories that we were throwing around,” Kosinski said.He also explained that there were already too many narratives occurring in the new film, including the return of Val Kilmer as Iceman Kazansky, and Maverick training Goose’s son, Rooster (Miles Teller).The sequel focuses on Maverick’s Navy pilot career 30 years after the first film, and introduces a slew of hopeful recruits for the veteran to train.McGillis, now 64, previously discussed not being asked to join the second flick back in 2019.

Tom Cruise looked cool as ever during aphotocall for his highly-anticipated film Top Gun: Maverick, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton in Mexico City on Friday.The actor, 59, who reprised his role as Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell from the original 1986 Top Gun movie, sported an all-black ensemble consisting of a sweater, matching pants, and a pair of well-worn boots.Meanwhile his co-starJennifer Connelly, 51, looked incredible in a white dress with a black belt accent, and brown high-heel boots. Stylish:Tom Cruise, 59, andJennifer Connelly, 51, looked stylish during a photocall for their movie Top Gun: Maverick, which took place at the Ritz-Carlton in Mexico City on FridayThe actress, who is back as Penny Benjamin in the action-packed film, wore a chunky gold bracelet on her wrist and styled her raven tresses into a slick bun.

Tom Cruise made an epic landing onto the red carpet at the  world premiere in San Diego Wednesday. The movie star arrived at the USS Midway Museum via a helicopter — which he was fittingly the pilot of.Cruise stepped out of the chopper, which read «Tom Cruise. ,» on it and approached the droves of waiting photographers, reporters and fans, all itching to see the actor make his return as Lt.

Jennifer Connelly's experience shooting was filled with some high-flying adventure — even if she didn't initially know it was going to be.ET's Nischelle Turner sat down with Connelly during a press event on Tuesday, on board the famed USS Midway aircraft carrier, and the celebrated actress recalled how co-star Tom Cruise took her on a totally unexpected aerial thrill ride.«Originally, I wasn't supposed to fly in the movie, because my character is not an aviator,» explained Connelly, 51, who played Penny Benjamin, a single mother, bar owner and love interest to Cruise' titular Pete «Maverick» Mitchell. «So I had no scenes, no scripted scenes, in an airplane.»However, things changed when Connelly was «in the plane with him shooting a scene» that was originally supposed to take place on the tarmac.«He said, 'So Jen, have you ever been in a P51 before?' And I said, 'No, I haven't. It just hasn't come up for me.' And he said, 'Have you ever done any aerobatic flying at all?' And I said, 'No, why? Is this going somewhere?'» Connelly recalled with a laugh. «He said, 'Well, it's just going to be very gentle, we're gonna do some gentle rolls,' and so that's how he broke it to be that we're going to be flying in that plane.»«But it was really the most extraordinary experience,» she added.