Hollywood star Tom Cruise has revealed that his introduction to fighter jet flying was far from glamorous — he 'puked his guts out' not once but twice, first aboard an A-4 and again on the opening day of shooting aboard an F-14 for the original Top Gun. Speaking candidly during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Cruise described how the ordeal only steeled his resolve to master the experience.

What Cruise Said About His First Flight

'I remember my first time in a fighter jet. I was flying an A-4 and I really puked my guts out,' Cruise told host Jennifer Hudson. When she asked whether that put him off, he was unequivocal: 'No. I was like, okay, I've got to figure this out. I don't want to keep puking the back of this airplane.'

The challenge did not end there. 'We had to shoot a movie and then on the first day on the F-14, I puked again,' he admitted. Yet by the end of that same day, after two more flights, he described the experience as 'just magnificent' — a turnaround that would define his commitment to practical, stunt-driven filmmaking for decades to come.

Top Gun 3: What Cruise Revealed

The conversation also touched on the long-anticipated third instalment of the franchise. Cruise kept details deliberately sparse but offered a few confirmed points: 'Maverick's going to be in it. There's going to be fighter jets. It's going to be cool. That's about all I can say.' The brief tease is the first time Cruise has publicly acknowledged details about Top Gun 3 in a television setting.

The Top Gun Franchise: A Brief History

The original Top Gun, released in 1986 and directed by Tony Scott, was inspired by a California magazine article titled 'Top Guns', written by Ehud Yonay and published three years prior. Cruise starred as Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, a naval aviator training at the United States Navy's Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. The ensemble cast included Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, and Tom Skerritt.

A sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, arrived 36 years later in 2022, with both Cruise and Kilmer reprising their roles. The film became one of the highest-grossing releases of that year globally, cementing the franchise's enduring appeal.

What This Signals for Top Gun 3

With Top Gun: Maverick's massive commercial success setting an extremely high bar, audience expectations for the third film are considerable. Cruise's willingness to discuss the project publicly — even in the most guarded terms — suggests production momentum is building. Whether he once again insists on real in-cockpit flying, as he famously did for the 2022 sequel, remains to be seen, but his anecdote about conquering airsickness suggests that personal authenticity remains central to how he approaches the role.