Jennifer Connelly Has ‘Special’ Moment With Prince William 35 Years After Meeting Princess Diana (Exclusive)
The actress opened up to ET at a screening of her new film, 'Top Gun: Maverick' in New York on Monday.
In the presence of royalty, again! Jennifer Connelly is opening up about the recent royal premiere of her new film, Top Gun: Maverick, and how it proved to be something of a full-circle kind of experience.
Connelly and the rest of the Top Gun: Maverick cast recently got a chance to rub elbows, so to speak, with Prince William and Kate Middleton at the film's royal U.K. premiere at London's Leicester Square last week.
The actress spoke with ET's Rachel Smith at a special screening of Maverick at the AMC Magic Johnson Theater in New York City on Monday, and she opened up about why meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was particularly special.
As Connelly, 51, explained, this wasn't her first royal premiere. In fact, she walked the carpet at a royal premiere more than 35 years ago.
"[In] 1986, yes, for the premiere of Labyrinth, which was a movie I did when I was a teenager," Connelly shared. "And I got to meet William's mom, [Princess] Diana."
Connelly said that the entire event was a "very special experience" -- as was meeting Prince William for the Maverick premiere, and she admitted that she "definitely thought about" having met his late mother decades earlier.
"It was, you know, it's a very special occasion," Connelly shared. "You think about the protocols that they ask you to be mindful of when meeting them and of course, you know, Kate and William were both so gracious and reached out and shook our hands and they are just impeccable."
Connelly admitted that she was so overwhelmed by the moment that she actually has "no recollection of what I spoke about."
Connelly, along with her fellow cast members, has been promoting the long-awaited sequel for quite some time now, but the actress explained that the delays actually turned out to be a blessing for the film and fans of the franchise.
"In the end, I think it has actually worked out great that it's coming out now," Connelly said. "I know it's been a long time waiting for it, but I feel like we're ready to be back in theaters and to have a fun collective experience. And the movie feels very celebratory to me, so I think it's kind of perfect for now."
Top Gun: Maverick soars into theaters on May 27. Check out the video below for more on the high-flying action drama.
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