Jennifer Connelly praises Tom Cruise's work ethic on 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Jennifer Connelly says working with Tom Cruise on "Top Gun: Maverick" made everyone bring their best to the job because he is such a hard worker.

The actress talked about the working atmosphere on set with Cruise in a virtual interview with Extra TV. She shared that the actor's presence alone and his commitment to the film forced everyone to bring their best.

"I've never seen anyone work harder, be more committed to his work, more devoted to his work," Connelly said of Cruise's work ethic, adding, "You know nothing is taken for granted. Every moment is an opportunity to do all that he can do to deliver the best thing that he can possibly deliver."

The 49-year-old "Labyrinth" star admitted that Cruise's passion and dedication to the filming made her anxious. It made her nervous that she might forget her lines.

"I've never been more paranoid about knowing my lines," Connelly said, adding that Cruise runs a "tight ship" because "he's so prepared. All the time." She admitted that it definitely added "a degree of pressure" because as the interviewer suggested, the 57-year-old actor is such a perfectionist at his craft.

"Top Gun: Maverick" was initially set for a June 24 theatre release but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pushed back to Dec. 23. The actress said that just like the eager fans, she feels sad about the postponement. But she assured viewers that it would definitely be worth the wait.

"I can't wait to see it myself. But I do think it's a movie, you know those flying sequences are going to be extraordinary," Connelly teased adding, "I think it is a movie that would be great to see on big screens."

"Top Gun: Maverick" opens 34 years after the original 1986 movie. Cruise's character, Top Gun pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell now works as an aviation instructor to the new fighter pilots, including Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick's late friend Goose (Anthony Edwards).

Cruise said in a behind-the-scenes video he posted online that they had to make the flying look realistic including the distortion on the face when under extreme gravitational force. So he, along with co-stars Teller, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Glen Powell, and Manny Jacinto flew real jets in "Top Gun: Maverick" with the help of the best fighter pilots in the world. They experienced up to 8 Gs of force, which is 1,600 pounds of force.