The Cast of ‘Top Gun’: Then and Now

Most fans have probably watched the 1986 high-flying classic Top Gun more times than they can count over the years, and why not? It has aerial combat maneuvers and music that gets the blood pumping. Not to mention, there are storylines within the movie that pulls at people’s heartstrings. But not everyone had seen the film. Some younger people may not have even heard of it.

However, due to the recent success of Top Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited sequel, Top Gun, has once again been thrust into the spotlight, gaining an entirely new fan base. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a new or seasoned fan; if you are interested in the cast of Top Gun, this is the place to be.

1) Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise was cast to play Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun. He is an ace with all the skills to outfly just about anyone. However, the character also has a chip on his shoulder because of the situation with his father, which gives him the reputation of being a bit reckless. Cruise’s rise to fame had already started by the time he’d earned this role. That’s because of his performances in The Outsiders and Risky Business.

Things didn’t slow down for Cruise after taking to the skies as Maverick. He has been in loads of other movies throughout his career, like Rain Man, Jerry Maguire, and Born on the Fourth of July. Of course, you might also know him from the Mission Impossible films or Top Gun: Maverick. FYI, this character was loosely based on Duke Cunningham and his accomplishments in the Vietnam War.

2) Kelly McGillis

Kelly McGillis plays Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood in Top Gun. Not only is she Maverick’s love interest, but Charlie is also a civilian contractor at the U.S. Navy school the leading man is attending. Playing alongside Harrison Ford as an Amish woman in Witness got McGillis noticed by Jerry Bruckheimer, the Top Gun movie producer, who cast her in the role of Charlie.

The actor took parts in various independent films but mainly stuck to the theater over the years. She did have a few starring roles in big movies after Top Gun, including 1988’s The Accused. Christine Fox is who the Charlier character was based on. She worked at the Naval Air Station Miramar.

3) Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer is another member of the cast of Top Gun. He is in the role of LT Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Maverick’s rival at Miramar. However, when all is said and done, he becomes Maverick’s wingman. Kilmar has starred in such shows as Real Genius, Tombstone, and The Doors.

4) Anthony Edwards

LTJG Nick Bradshaw, also commonly referred to as “Goose,” is who Anthony Edwards portrays in the Top Gun movie. He is a radio intercept officer and Maverick’s right-hand man. Edwards had various TV roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. However, he eventually landed the role of Mark Greene, a doctor in the hit hospital drama ER.

5) Tom Skerritt

In Top Gun, Tom Skerritt brings the role of Viper to life. But ahead of landing this part, he regularly played a soldier or cowboy on TV shows like Gunsmoke and The Virginian in the 1960s. Skerritt has starred in numerous movies. For instance, he was Captain Dallas in Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien and was in Steel Magnolias alongside Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, and others.

Now, if this didn’t give you nostalgia, I don’t know what will. To get to know the new cast of Top Gun: Maverick, catch this interview with one of LATV’s alumni, former FanNation host Greg Tarzan Davis, promoting the new installment of Top Gun.