Kurt Russell shared how he taught the young and speed-thirsty Tom Cruise to fly.

Kurt Russell Revealed How He Taught the Young and Speed-Thirsty Tom Cruise to Fly

We all know Tom Cruise as a good pilot—both on screen and in real life. It turns out, credit for that goes to another Hollywood star, Kurt Russell, who channeled his younger colleague's passion in the right direction. The actor shared this story with Entertainment Weekly.

When the film "Top Gun" was released, Russell sensed Cruise's thirst for speed. It's also worth noting the contribution of director Sydney Pollack, who in 1993, after filming "The Firm," gifted Cruise flying lessons. The following year, the daredevil got his pilot's license.

I flew for 30 years. I don't anymore, but I flew all kinds of planes. Actually, I helped Tom after he made 'Top Gun.' We met. He wanted to fly. We went up in my plane, and then I saw that he really wanted to learn to fly, and I did everything I could to help him with that.

Kurt Russell

He hasn't forgotten this story: five years ago, Cruise gave wings and sent his "Top Gun: Maverick" co-star Lewis Pullman into the sky: "For Christmas, Tom bought me an iPad with a pre-loaded, pre-paid flight school course."