Top Gun Stars Then and Now Will Blow Your Mind

In these modern times, it’s just as common for me, an ardent admirer, to witness Tom Cruise clinging onto the edge of an aircraft rather than at the helm, yet his journey began humbly.

In 1986, Cruise set the foundation for his future action hero persona by starring as the charming rebel Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun, alongside Val Kilmer and Anthony Edwards. The film featured sleek aircraft, an excellent soundtrack, a bar-room serenade, memorable dialogue, and endless quotable lines.

It’s been 36 years since a sequel was released, largely due to Tom Cruise being occupied with numerous film projects, including eight Mission: Impossible movies, and currently, the seemingly concluding part of the franchise, The Final Reckoning, is playing in theaters now.

If he yearns for high-speed adventures, the fact that Top Gun: Maverick grossed $1.5 billion worldwide in 2022 demonstrates that Tom Cruise continues to captivate audiences and leave them breathless, even apart from his IMF team.

The highly anticipated follow-up film received six Oscar nominations, among them Best Picture, and secured one victory, in the category of Best Sound. (One might even propose a special award for managing the seemingly unachievable feat of revitalizing cinema!)

Despite being overlooked for his classic portrayal of the older, wise yet stubborn Maverick character, Tom Cruise still received a nomination as a producer on the film. The release of this production was delayed slightly because sacrificing IMAX screens and the audience’s affection were not options for the movie enthusiast.

The first “Top Gun” movie earned a staggering $354 million globally, solidifying director Tony Scott as a notable figure in the industry and serving as a source of inspiration for numerous aspiring fighter pilots. (Additionally, it won an Oscar, claiming the title for Best Original Song with Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away.”)

So, Paramount was banking on a hit.

Instead, it became evident that Maverick’s comeback as a recalcitrant flight instructor, assigned to train the new batch of Top Gun recruits, including Goose’s son who remains unimpressed, provided the perfect boost the pandemic-weary movie theaters had been craving.

As a devoted admirer, I was determined to make sure that Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning would grace our movie screens by 2023, and I’m proud to say my efforts paid off! The $4 billion franchise proved it could hold its own against the test of time, with the series earning its very first Oscar nominations in 2024 – a recognition for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.

However, Tom Cruise’s successful franchise had its origins somewhere. Although you’ve since encountered a fresh batch of nicknames, continue scrolling to discover where it all took flight and how Tom Cruise and the original cast from 1986’s Top Gun have evolved over time.

Despite being the eldest member of the team, Maverick appears to have aged gracefully, showing no signs of wear and tear from Tom Cruise’s initial flight as the top-notch Naval aviator of the country.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d put it this way: Over the years, I’ve built an impressive repertoire in the world of cinema. With three Oscar nominations under my belt for “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Jerry Maguire,” and “Magnolia,” I also took home three Golden Globe awards for these very films, but later chose to return them as a matter of principle. You might know me from my eight action-packed adventures in the “Mission: Impossible” series or from any of my numerous other film credits. Today, I stand as an iconic figure in Hollywood.

The parents of Connor, Isabella, and Suri Cruise have each navigated through three divorces: one from Mimi Rogers in 1990, another from Nicole Kidman in 2000, and the third from Katie Holmes in 2012.

In a fascinating twist, astrophysicist and Top Gun instructor Charlie Blackwood left Maverick spellbound, yet Kelly McGillis was absent from the 2022 sequel. Interestingly, she also came close to being omitted from the initial movie’s cast as well.

In 2001, she shared with The Guardian that she didn’t feel like doing it. However, since she had previously worked on “Witness” for Paramount, she felt obligated to deliver another film for them. Her agent advised her, “You have to do this.” Upon seeing the script, she declared, “This is like a Western set in the sky—I don’t want to do this.” It wasn’t about acting; it was more about becoming a cartoon character. Essentially, she could have acted in it without even seeing it. She appreciated that it opened doors for her that may not have been available otherwise.

Apart from being recognized for roles in “The Accused” and “The Babe,” as well as “North” and other productions, she temporarily stepped away from acting to establish a restaurant in Florida with her second husband, yacht tycoon Fred Tillman.

She divorced Tillman in 2002 and together they have two daughters. In 2010, she entered into a civil union with Melanie Leis, but their relationship ended the year after.

McGillis shared with Entertainment Tonight in 2019 from his home in North Carolina that the priorities in his life have shifted. It wasn’t a deliberate choice to leave acting; rather, other aspects of life took precedence. He cherishes acting and theater, but what truly matters to him now are his relationships with people, even more than his connection to fame.

In Top Gun, Val Kilmer played the role of Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, who was as cool as they come as Maverick’s rival turned ally in battle. Later, he reprised his character in a heartwarming cameo for the sequel. By then, Iceman had risen to the rank of four-star general and had been chasing Maverick’s rogue ways for 30 years.

Following his role in “Top Gun”, Kilmer went on to establish one of the most notable acting careers of the 1990s, appearing in films such as “Willow”, “The Doors”, “True Romance”, “Tombstone”, “Batman Forever”, “Heat”, “The Island of Dr. Moreau”, “The Ghost and the Darkness”, “The Saint”, and “The Prince of Egypt” (providing the voice for Moses and God).

During the late 2010s, there were numerous whispers concerning the health status of Kilmer, as he grew increasingly hard to reach. Eventually, in April 2020, he publicly announced that he had triumphed over throat cancer.

He mentioned before his upcoming appearance on Good Morning America, which will be his first TV interview in a decade, that his speech might sound unusual, like he has a frog in his throat. However, this is not the case. Instead, he’s been healing from cancer and is gradually regaining his speaking voice. Despite the challenges, he’s determined to let his artistic voice continue to resonate undeterred by adversity.

Kilmer had two kids, a daughter named Mercedes and a son named Jack, with his former wife Joanne Whalley. In the highly-praised 2021 documentary titled Val, he gave viewers a glimpse into his personal life.

Increasingly frail in his final years, Kilmer died of pneumonia on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65.

Known predominantly as Maverick’s tragic wingman, Officer Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, Anthony Edwards portrayed this character for approximately eight years. Later, he switched roles to play Dr. Mark Greene on ER, a part he held for eight years before his emotional departure. During his tenure on the show, Edwards garnered a Golden Globe and was nominated for four Emmys.

He won an Emmy in 2010 as an executive producer of that year’s Best TV Movie, Temple Grandin.

Over the years, Edwards has showcased his acting skills on both large and small screens, with roles in films such as The Client, Northfork, Zodiac, Billions for Showtime, Law & Order: True Crime, Designated Survivor, and more recently, he’s featured in the drama series WeCrashed and Inventing Anna, both based on real-life scandals.

He had four children with Jeanine Lobell, the founder of Stila Cosmetics, whom he was wedded to from 1994 until 2015. In 2021, he tied the knot with Emmy-winning Mare Winningham, who also has four kids.

2022 found me reminiscing as Esquire asked about the moments when I’m recognized. Typically, it’s just a acknowledging nod and a friendly “how are you doing.” With the break I took, the roles that made me famous – Top Gun, ER, among others – feel like they were from another era. It’s as if people say, “Oh my goodness, my parents used to watch you!

Following my heartfelt portrayal as Carole, Goose’s wife, my career gained momentum. After delivering strong supporting performances in Innerspace and D.O.A., both alongside future spouse Dennis Quaid, whom I married in 1991, I landed roles in When Harry Met Sally… and soon earned the title of America’s Sweetheart.

She exhibited a charming chemistry with Tom Hanks in movies like Joe vs. the Volcano, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, as well as enchanting scenes in French Kiss, I.Q. (co-starring Tim Robbins from Top Gun), and Kate and Leopold. Ryan also portrayed Jim Morrison’s significant other Pamela Courson in The Doors, opposite Kilmer playing the unpredictable rocker. She played an alcoholic wife and mother in When a Man Loves a Woman, an Army captain whose death is investigated posthumously in Courage Under Fire, and a woman seeking to rescue her husband from kidnappers with the help of professional rescuer Russell Crowe in Proof of Life.

Most recently she directed herself and David Duchovny in the romance What Happens Later.

In an interview with Glamour in 2023, Ryan explained, “Back in the ’90s, I embarked on quite an adventure. It was like a daring space mission and it was exciting, but it’s simply one of the countless intriguing things that life has to offer.

In the year 2001, Ryan and Quaid ended their marriage. Their child, Jack Quaid, has ventured into acting much like his parents. Additionally, Ryan became the parent of Daisy in 2004 through adoption.

Following his initial appearances on shows such as St. Elsewhere, The Love Boat, and Hill Street Blues, Tim Robbins first stepped into films with the action movie Toy Soldiers, where he battled teens against terrorists. Later, he joined John Cusack in a road trip in The Sure Thing. Eventually, he secured the role of Lt. Sam “Merlin” Wells.

Initially, he appeared in the movie “Howard the Duck,” but his career gained momentum when he portrayed an enthusiastic minor league pitcher competing with Kevin Costner for Susan Sarandon’s affection in the film “Bull Durham.

In actuality, he found his partner to be a real-life woman, who was Sarandon. They remained together for 21 years and welcomed two children, named Jack and Miles, before parting ways amicably in the year 2009. He had the privilege of directing Sarandon in her Academy Award-winning performance in “Dead Man Walking” (1995), as well as taking charge behind the camera for “Bob Roberts” and “Cradle Will Rock”.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I’d like to highlight my own journey in the world of acting. Throughout my career, I’ve remained politically engaged and even founded the Actors’ Gang Theater Group. One of my most memorable milestones was winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2004 for “Mystic River.” Other notable roles on screen include performances in “Jacob’s Ladder,” “The Player,” “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Arlington Road,” HBO’s “The Brink,” “Dark Waters,” Hulu’s “Castle Rock,” and Apple TV+’s “Silo.” These projects have been integral parts of my artistic journey.

In his first acting role, Lieutenant Charles “Chipper” Piper introduced the world to Adrian Pasdar, who would later become famous for roles in shows like Heroes, Colony, Political Animals, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., among others. If you didn’t recognize him on screen, you would have surely heard his voice as Tony Stark/Iron Man in various animated series, such as Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Ultimate Spider-Man, and Avengers Assemble.

In the flesh he’s also been on the small screen in Lethal Weapon, Grand Hotel and Supergirl.

In 2000, Pasdar got married to Natalie Maines, who is known as a singer from The Chicks. They had two sons together. Unfortunately, they separated in 2017, and the divorce proceedings were finalized in 2019.

Michael Ironside’s very name exudes toughness. Indeed, as expected, Lieutenant Commander Rick “Jester” Heatherly, Maverick’s flight instructor, bore a gaze of unyielding metal.

Ever since his role in “Top Gun,” the versatile actor Ironside has graced both big and small screens with appearances that span a wide variety of films, including but not limited to “Total Recall,” “Starship Troopers,” “The Next Karate Kid,” “The Perfect Storm,” “The Machinist,” “Terminator: Salvation,” and “X-Men: First Class.” On television, he’s been seen on shows such as “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “ER,” “Cold Case,” “Castle,” “Smallville,” “Community,” “Vegas,” “The Flash,” “Justified,” “The Alienist,” “Hawaii 5-0” (and many more). Lately, he’s featured in “The Dropout” and “Barry.

Since the year 1986, he has been wedded to Karen Dinwiddie as his second spouse. They share a single child together, while he also has a child from his prior matrimony.

As a lifestyle expert, I might say: You probably recognize him as the father figure in movies like “Steel Magnolias” or “Poison Ivy,” but long before that, Tom Skerritt was Cmdr. Mike “Viper” Metcalf – the steady hand guiding Maverick through his turmoil following Goose’s tragic death and helping him regain his self-assurance.

1933 saw the birth of Skerritt, who has been active in acting since the 1960s and can now add Viper to his impressive roster of classic roles. Known for portraying authority figures such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, and politicians, he made memorable appearances as the mayor of Seattle in “Singles”, won an Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama (for “Picket Fences” in 1993), played Sen. Carrick on “The West Wing”, starred as Sheriff Brock on “Picket Fences”, had a stint as Sen. Carrick on “The West Wing”, took on the role of a CIA agent on “The Grid”, and even showed up as a bureaucratic scientist in “Contact”.

He frequently appeared as the Walker family matriarch’s deceased patriarch on “Brothers & Sisters” and made guest appearances on “The Good Wife” and “Madam Secretary.” More recently, he portrayed a terminally ill retired heart surgeon returning to his hometown in a film adaptation of David Guterson’s novel “East of the Mountains,” as well as the patriarch of a gun-wielding family in the western “Catch the Bullet.

In his first, second, and third marriages, Skerritt fathered a son, a daughter, and a child with Julie Tokashiki, respectively, who has been his wife since 1998.

2025-05-24 14:18

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