This Michigan Native Flew F-18’s in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Everyone is talking about "Top Gun: Maverick." I actually haven't seen it, but all of the buzz is making me want to see what all the excitement is about.

As it turns out, a Michigan native was a huge part of "Top Gun: Maverick." He flew F-18s in the show, right next to the big stars.

U.S. Naval Pilot Lt. Cmdr. Christian Frasher, a graduate of Lake Orion High School and Eastern Michigan University, spent about six weeks in 2019 filming for the blockbuster flick. He shared the cockpit with everyone from Miles Teller to Glen Powell to Tom Cruise.

“They do that Hollywood magic where they’re looking at the actors in the back seat and they’re looking forward at the pilot, the actual pilot in the front seat, and then they do the editing and it looks like they’re flying,” Frasher told WXYZ. "Tom Cruise never flew an airplane. They did a really good job making him look like it.”

He tells WXYZ that the experience was "kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which is why I was so adamant in making it the best that we could. Super proud of it." Find the full story here.

Michiganders have a lot of pride about being from this great state. I certainly do! We've got the Great Lakes, beautiful forests, major sports teams and all the seasons. What's not to like? Okay, I could do without the cold winters. But, that aside, this is a pretty awesome place to live.

In honor of Michigan's 185th birthday on Jan. 26, 2022, we're celebrating the great actors and actresses that come from this state. My nana was a huge fan of Tom Sellek, so he's my favorite on here. Read on for the list via Stacker here and here.

Born: Detroit, Michigan (7/9/1959)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (2/27/1962)

Born: West Bloomfield, Michigan (7/21/1978)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (11/17/1971)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (3/12/1960)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (6/30/1956)

Born: Flint, Michigan (7/27/1976)

Born: Grosse Pointe, Michigan (6/26/1970)

Born: Sand Creek, Michigan (6/22/1975)

Born: Traverse City, Michigan (4/23/1974)

Born: Saginaw, Michigan (8/19/1963)

Born: Michigan (12/24/1977)

Born: Wyandotte, Michigan (4/23/1939)

Born: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (7/15/1952)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (11/27/1953)

Born: Farmington Hills, Michigan (3/22/1985)

Born: Southfield, Michigan (3/22/1971)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (1/23/1951)

Born: Grand Rapids, Michigan (3/26/1962)

Born: Mt. Clemens, Michigan (7/31/1966)

Born: St. Joseph, Michigan (5/30/1999)

Born: Flint, Michigan (7/30/1968)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (12/6/1953)

Born: Birmingham, Michigan (7/22/1964)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (7/13/1969)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (8/25/1933)

Born: Dearborn, Michigan (2/9/1973)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (9/13/1939)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (11/29/1961)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (2/10/1930)

Born: Milford, Michigan (1/2/1975)

Born: Grand Rapids, Michigan (2/11/1992)

Born: Lansing, Michigan (4/10/1952)

Born: Grand Rapids, Michigan (10/15/1986)

Born: Lansing, Michigan (2/11/1936)

Born: Detroit, Michigan (1/29/1945)

Born: Lansing, Michigan (1/24/1970)

Born: Benton Harbor, Michigan (11/10/1956)

Born: Birmingham, Michigan (6/22/1958)

Born: Saginaw, Michigan (6/29/1968)

Born: Benton Harbor, Michigan (12/17/1945)

Born: Grosse Pointe, Michigan (1/9/1955)

Geoff Stults

Born: Carson City, Michigan (11/28/1979)

Born on Feb. 19, in Athens, Georgia, but definitely a Michigander!

Born: Huntington Woods, Michigan, USA (7/18/1980)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (11/21/1937)

Born: Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA (7/28/1972)

Born: Petoskey, Michigan, USA (4/29/1983)

Born: Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA (4/2/1978)

Born: Southfield, Michigan, USA (6/23/1972)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (7/20/1975)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (2/1/1965)

Born: Bloomfield, Michigan, USA (7/2/1975)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (12/2/1983)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (6/22/1971)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (2/6/1985)

Born: Michigan, USA (6/7/1979)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (12/7/1932)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (5/26/1979)

Born: Bay City, Michigan, USA (8/16/1958)

Born: New Baltimore, Michigan, USA (11/15/1974)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (1/23/1963)

Born: Birmingham, Michigan, USA (4/4/1950)

Born: St. Joseph, Michigan, USA (6/10/1992)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (10/12/1943)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (1/22/1932)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (2/2/1954)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (10/18/1951)

Born: Grosse Pointe, Michigan, USA (2/26/1993)

Born: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA (4/1/1930)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (9/1/1939)

Born: Lake Orion, Michigan, USA (9/2/1968)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (7/2/1943)

Born: Michigan, USA (3/25/1978)

Born: Bay City, Michigan, USA (3/14/1973)

Born: Michigan, USA (9/10/1984)

Born: Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA (3/26/2005)

Born: Holland, Michigan, USA (10/30/1996)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (11/12/1922)

Born: Flint, Michigan, USA (1/26/1991)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (3/30/1976)

Born: Marquette, Michigan, USA (5/25/1962)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (2/2/1925)

Born: Pontiac, Michigan, USA (8/16/1957)

Born: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA (9/30/1980)

Born: Lansing, Michigan, USA (2/8/1974)

Born: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (11/28/1952)

Born: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA (6/25/1963)

Born: Flint, Michigan, USA (6/6/1955)

Born: Romeo, Michigan, USA (3/5/1974)

Born: Detroit, Michigan, USA (7/22/1954)

Born: Flint, Michigan, USA (3/11/1935)