Who dat? Greg ‘Tarzan’ Davis talks diversity, New Orleans seafood and his ‘Top Gun’ role
The actor is also slated to appear in a new installment of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise — another helmed by Tom Cruise.
Actor and Big Easy native Greg “Tarzan” Davis plays a fighter pilot in the recently released Top Gun: Maverick, the biggest movie of the year so far. He talked with The New Orleans Advocate about his journey Hollywood and what he loves about his hometown.
Davis plays Lt. Javy “Coyote” Machado in the sequel to the 1986 cult classic, Top Gun. The Grey’s Anatomy star is also slated to appear in an upcoming installment of the Mission: Impossible film franchise — another helmed by Tom Cruise.
In an exclusive interview with The Advocate, Davis said one of the things he misses most about his native city is its extraordinary food scene. He named Morrow’s in the Faubourg Marigny as his favorite eatery in New Orleans.
“I love it there,” Davis claimed. “Oh, hell, yes!”
Top Gun: Maverick was released Memorial Day weekend to rave reviews from audiences and critics, scoring a record $100-plus million in box office sales so far. Its diverse cast filmed the high-energy flight scenes in real fighter jets.
“Oh, man, there are certain things you can put on your bucket list, and then things you know are unachievable,” Davis told The Advocate. “Then others you don’t even consider, like flying in a F/A-18.”
He and his castmates had to undergo intense training to learn how to increase their tolerance of the G-force levels that come with flying the plane.
“Tom Cruise created this amazing program so we could adjust,” said Davis. “We started out flying in Cessnas before moving to the next upgrade, the EA-300, then after that, we moved to the jet most closely related to the F/A-18, the L39, then to the Big Daddy itself ― the F/A-18.”
The original Top Gun only had one Black fighter pilot, but its sequel, which takes place 30 years later, is more diverse. Davis and former Insecure star, Jay Ellis, play major roles.
“Growing up, when I saw the film, Top Gun, I would ask, where am I in the film?” Davis admitted. “Not just Top Gun, but many other films.”
He said he’s happy young viewers of the sequel won’t have a problem seeing themselves onscreen.
“I think we’re making steps in the right direction,” Davis said, “with diversity.”
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