Miles Teller finds lifelines after losing home in LA fires

Miles Teller’s all-black outfit is something that just came out of the bag. Hollywood stars often wear new clothes to interviews, but this is something different.

The 37-year-old actor lost his house and nearly all of his possessions — including his wife Keleigh’s wedding dress — in Southern California’s Palisades Fire just a few days earlier.

The grief “comes in waves,” the “Top Gun: Maverick” star says. But amid the heartbreak, the 37-year-old Teller has found a few lifelines in the kindness of others.

“I’m a Deadhead,” he says. “A lot of people have reached out to Keleigh like, ‘I want to send Miles a Grateful Dead shirt.’”

Now, it’s the simple things that mean the most to the couple. “So many strangers have reached out,” Teller says. “Friends call just to let us know that they’re there emotionally or asking if we need a place to live. The best feeling is knowing you are not alone.

“You look for the little stuff. It means the most. It warms your heart. Kind words mean everything.”

Work also helps, which is why Teller is here: To talk about his new Apple TV+ thriller, “The Gorge,” out Friday on the streaming service.

He plays Levi, an expert shot, who is called upon by the government to man a tower overlooking a gorge in the middle of nowhere. Across the water is another highly trained operative (Anya Taylor-Joy), who has been sent to protect the opposite side of this mysterious body of water. They fall in love and must depend on one another to survive what lurks beneath them.

Aside from starring with Tom Cruise in the “Top Gun” sequel, Teller has had standout roles in “Whiplash” and “Fantastic Four.”

Even with his world in upheaval, he offers his good life advice:

Lean on love

“Even when everything goes, you have each other. That’s all that matters,” he says of Keleigh, whom he married in 2019.

Trust your friends

Teller says that filming “The Gorge” required him to trust Taylor-Joy because it’s just the two of them — and a few supernatural elements — in just about every scene. “From the start, Anya and I made it clear that we would be there for each other,” Teller says. “Every day. No matter what.” He recalls the first day of shooting when they were in opposite towers. “We’re 40 feet up, 150 feet away from each other,” he says. “It could have been isolating, but we have a friendship coming into this project. There was an ease that made it fun.”

Stay ready

Teller was already in great shape after maintaining his “Top Gun” training. “I think that no matter what you do in life, it’s really important that you take care of your body,” he says. “Most things are a marathon and not a sprint. If your body feels good, then it’s just easier. … ‘The Gorge’ was months on end of intense physical work, including parachuting into rivers and being in a water tank with rocks and currents, so I had to be ready.”

Try something new

“I really enjoyed the sniper training, too,” Teller says. “It was unique to me. The detail that goes into the profession was fascinating. It’s always great to learn something completely new.”

The fighter jet scenes in “Top Gun” also left a lasting impression. Teller emerged from the cockpit one day to find himself covered in hives. A few blood tests later and he had his answer. “I got to the set the next day, and Tom’s like, ‘So, how did it go, Miles? What did they find?’ ‘Well, Tom, it turns out I have jet fuel in my blood.’ And without skipping a beat, Tom just goes, ‘Yeah, I was born with it, kid.’”

Don’t listen

Teller recalls in second grade a teacher told him that he would “never make it through high school. She said that I would become a juvenile delinquent.” What did he do? “It was nothing really bad,” he shares. “I was just that kid who never missed an opportunity to tell a joke.” By the way, he graduated high school with straight A’s and earned a degree from New York University. “My mom said, ‘I think we should send that teacher your college transcripts,’” he says with a laugh.

Look ahead

The No. 1 question Teller is asked by fans: What about rumors of “Top Gun 3?” He has no idea about if or when. “I do not green-light that thing. I have nothing to do with it,” he says. “All I’ve done is tell Tom, ‘Please give me enough time and a heads-up for me to get in shape. It’s one month per ab. I need a six-month heads-up!”

Enjoy the dance

“I have a dance scene with Anya Taylor-Joy in ‘The Gorge.’ In real life, she’s a classically trained ballet dancer,” Teller says, adding that he had an epiphany on the set. “There’s a line that says, ‘The best dancers are the ones having the best time.’ I think that also applies to enjoying life. … No matter what, I’m always the one having the better time.”

A little joy

Teller says his good attitude comes from a never-say-never outlook. Even though he “grabbed very little” while evacuating from the wildfire, he did manage to find and take his late grandfather’s watch. “It means so much to me,” he says.