‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Star Monica Barbaro Discusses Female Aviators Who Helped Hone Character and Shares How She Cemented Her Call Sign
[This story contains spoilers for Top Gun: Maverick.]
In 2004, Becky Calder became the first woman pilot to graduate from Topgun, so in keeping with their commitment to verisimilitude, Top Gun: Maverick’s brain trust knew that their film needed to follow suit.
That’s where Monica Barbaro enters the picture as Lt. Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, whose skills and reliability made her an easy choice for the film’s climactic mission. Barbaro admits that the character changed a lot throughout the entire process, and looking back, she’s relieved that she didn’t become a love interest to Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller) as originally rumored.
“When I first booked the role, there was a rumor going around that I was playing Miles’ love interest, which was funny because one of my favorite things about Phoenix is that she’s not a love interest. In this context, it was just a real honor to get...
In 2004, Becky Calder became the first woman pilot to graduate from Topgun, so in keeping with their commitment to verisimilitude, Top Gun: Maverick’s brain trust knew that their film needed to follow suit.
That’s where Monica Barbaro enters the picture as Lt. Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, whose skills and reliability made her an easy choice for the film’s climactic mission. Barbaro admits that the character changed a lot throughout the entire process, and looking back, she’s relieved that she didn’t become a love interest to Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller) as originally rumored.
“When I first booked the role, there was a rumor going around that I was playing Miles’ love interest, which was funny because one of my favorite things about Phoenix is that she’s not a love interest. In this context, it was just a real honor to get...
- 6/3/2022
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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