In addition to all thestandout main charactersfromTop Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise’s hit sequel also featured a spread of supporting turns from rising stars who have certainly grown since the 2022 film hit the masses. That includesJack Schumacher, who has kept busy with his new Netflix seriesRansom Canyon, streaming April 17. MovieWeb recently caught up with him as he promotes that Western show, and the actor also took time to reflect on his time working on theTop Gunfollow-up — which marked a significant milestone for Schumacher.

“That was my first movie I had ever done. And so, I was crippled with impostor syndrome at the time, so I was really trying to just sort of, like, fake my way on set and just be like, ‘Hey, I’m happy to be here!'” he told us. “So it was an incredible experience for me because I just got to take all this stuff in.” Another exciting addition to theTop Gunfranchise wasJon Hamm, and Schumacher recalled a pertinent memory from shooting the sequel:

Top Gun Maverick Latest Poster Tom Cruise

“I remember at one point, I had a conversation with Jon… I’m like, ‘Hey man, should I be, like, trying to do something? Should I be trying to, I don’t know, just make an impression?'” And he’s like, ‘No.’ He’s like, ‘Your job right now… I’ve done movies like this.I’ve been in your position. Your job right now is to listen.’ He’s like, ‘Just listen. It’s all going to make sense later.’ And that stuck with me, and that was an incredible lesson."

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‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Cut a Lot of Lines

Top Gun: Maverick

Since there were so many characters inTop Gun: Maverick, scenes featuring certain supporting players were ultimately trimmed. Otheractors from the film have shared their reactionsto this, and Schumacher offered his own take of these inevitable edits and the experience at large:

“The amount that I learned from watching Tom and what he did — and also, I mean, it’s an interesting thing, because I think I probably originally had maybe four or five lines, you know, when I got the part. And then each draft of the script that comes out, I’d be like, ‘Oh, that line’s gone, that line’s gone.’ And then, you know, I think we did a reshoot with some of the main guys, saying our lines over. And I remember kind of being a little bit bummed.”

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Tom Cruise Honors ‘Top Gun’ Co-Star Val Kilmer With Emotional Tribute

Tom Cruise led CinemaCon 2025 attendees in a moment of silence for Kilmer, who died on Tuesday, April 1.

“But it also makes a lot of sense, you know,” added Schumacher, “because if, all of a sudden, three-quarters [into] the movie, I’m in there and I’m like, ‘We’re gonna be sitting ducks for enemy missiles!’ People would be like, ‘Who’s this?’ Like, ‘We don’t know who he is.’ So, yeah. I mean, of course, I would love to get to do something again in that world.”

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And now, there’s Schumacher’s much juicier role of Yancy inNetflix’s upcoming series,Ransom Canyon. Particularly in the first several episodes, Yancy is shrouded in mystery as he enters the eponymous community, only further enticing viewers to continue watching. “I feel very lucky and fortunate to get to play such a cool character,” Schumacher told us. “He’s a guy who’s struggling to, you know, do the right thing in the midst of his past and his past catching up to him, and he’s finding a way to try and make the right choice, and if he can do that… which I think is a very real thing that a lot of people confront in life.”

You’ll want to confrontRansom Canyonwhen it begins streaming on Netflix April 17. you may watch it then through the link below:

Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise in Top Gun

Watch Ransom Canyon

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