One of the most iconic movies of all time, Top Gun has a sequel with the release of Top Gun: Maverick.
Fast jets, hot and heavy romance and triumph over tragedy, Top Gun has it all, not to mention the belting soundtrack to go with it.
The film has a star-studded cast, including the likes Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer and Kelly McGillis, to mention a few.
Cruise and Kilmer both feature in the release of the new film, but plenty of the old faces won’t be around.
In the new film, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) reunited with the son of his old friend Goose while “pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him”.
(Image: Paramount Pictures)
So where are the Top Gun cast now?
Tom Cruise
(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
Tom Cruise, 59, is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and the face of some of the big Los Angeles blockbusters like the Mission: Impossible film series.
He gained even more worldwide attention n for roles in Jerry Maguire, A Few Good Men, Rain Man and even an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July in 1989.
In his personal life, Tom has been married to three different actresses, first to Mimi Rogers, before 11 years with Nicole Kidman from 1990 to 2001 and six years with Katie Holmes from 2006.
In more controversial terms, Cruise has been a keen champion of the Church of Scientology, which believes a number of things including that humans have secret abilities that can be unlocked.
Val Kilmer
(Image: Internet Unknown)
“Iceman” Val Kilmer has also had a very successful career, but tragedy has struck him more recently in the form of a tough cancer battle.
Val is perhaps best known for his role as Bruce Wayne in 1995 film Batman Forever, or the much-loved Jim Morrison in The Doors and even more revered music star Elvis Presley in True Romance.
Central to his impressive career was his voice, but a tragic turn of events means that Kilmer is now suffering the effects of throat cancer. This meant he was forced to have a grim procedure known as a tracheostomy, after first being diagnosed with the disease in 2014.
Hopkins Medicine explained the procedure: “[A] tracheostomy is an opening surgically created through the neck into the trachea (windpipe) to allow direct access to the breathing tube.
“A tube is usually placed through this opening to provide an airway and to remove secretions from the lungs. Breathing is done through the tracheostomy tube rather than through the nose and mouth”.
A cancer-free and healing Kilmer, who features in the new Top Gun instalment with help from archived audio, told Good Morning America he feels “a lot better than I sound”.
He said: “I was diagnosed with throat cancer which healed very quickly. This is a tracheotomy to help me breathe because the glands in my throat swelled up as well.”
Where is the Top Gun cast now?
(Image: Getty Images)
Most of the original cast continued to pursue acting careers of some kind, but some ended up in minor roles, or even switched to becoming a professor, applying some of the US Navy wisdom to the next generation.
Clarence Gilyard Junior, who played Marcus ‘Sundown’ Williams, ended up teaching acting, while ‘Stinger’ James Tolkan is now 90 and semi-retired.
Michael Ironside, who played Jester, did not return for the Top Gun sequel thanks to a falling out with director Jerry Bruckheimer.
(Image: Castle Rock entertainment)
Tim Robbins
Even with only a small part in Top Gun, Tim Robbins is a hugely successful Hollywood actor with an impressive career behind him.
‘Merlin’ magicked his way to an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2004 for Mystic River, though is best known for being Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption.
His talents also lie in the world of directing, Oscar-nominated Dead Man Walking starring once-wife Susan Sarandon coming in 1996.
One of his sons is actor Miles Robbins, who has been in The X Files.
Meg Ryan
Top Gun helped Meg Ryan rocket to fame as one of Hollywood’s leading actresses, particularly in romcoms.
After playing Goose’s wife Carole Bradshaw in Top Gun, she went on to star in When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, each performance earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a comedy.
Kelly McGillis
Maverick’s love interest Charlie Blackwood was played by Kelly McGillis, who reportedly would have loved to feature in the new film. Since Top Gun, she went on to star in the likes of The Accused alongside Jodie Foster.
Though married twice and with two children, she came out as gay in 2009 and entered into a brief civil union with partner Melanie Leis.
Rick Rossovich
Top Gun’s ‘Slider’, Rick Rossovich has also featured in The Terminator in 1984 and Navy SEALs in 1990.
He is also known for roles like Dr John “Tag” Taglieri in the first season of E.R..
His career sadly dwindled and in 2012 he told We Got This Covered that he had “saved my money and invested”.
He said: “I can do what I want. I guess that’s a blessing and a curse. It takes away some of your drive to go out and be a workaholic. I found that being on the set wasn’t where I wanted to be. I found it was just a lot of waiting around. Sometimes you feel your life is on hold. You wonder what it’s all about, is it just the end result?”
Adrian Pasdar
Lieutenant Charles ‘Chipper’ in Top Gun, Adrian Pasdar went on to have a recurring role as Glenn Talbot on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He has also appeared in Judging Amy and Heroes, but perhaps found his best bit of success with Cement, a re-told version of Othello in 1999.
He has two sons with Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines but they divorced in 2017.
Tom Skerritt
Skerritt is one actor who will return to Top Gun, reprising his role as ‘Viper’.
After the hit film, he went on to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1993 for Picket Fences.
Now 80, the experienced actor, who has been married twice, has over 40 films under his belt.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
