It’s been 30 long years since we were first introduced to hotshot fighter pilot Maverick in director Tony Scott’s iconic 80’s action flick ‘Top Gun’. With breathtaking sequences and a whole line-up of recognisable performers in their early days it’s a movie that has gained cult status and is still one of the most familiar and well-liked action movies ever put on celluloid.
‘Top Gun’ managed to inspire a whole generation of film-makers and even game makers like those responsible for the exciting Top Gun slot game. But it’s one of the biggest movies to come out in the 80’s that has managed to avoid a number of unnecessary sequels just looking to cash in on the original. And whilst currently there is a planned sequel in development which will seemingly see actors Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer reprise their roles after a 3 long decade wait we though we would look back at the original to find out more about where the breakout stars are now.
TOM CRUISE
We start of with an easy one. Tom Cruise was just 23 years old when he took the starring role in ‘Top Gun’ back in 1986. It was his first big action role and one that helped him score a number of lead roles thereafter making him one of the most bankable names at the box office over the next few years. In fact here we are 30 years later and he’s still raking in the number of excited cinema-goers. Apart from being one of the biggest earners in Hollywood, Cruise also serves as producer on many of his action movies including the hugely successful ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise.
KELLY MCGILLIS
Things took a slightly different turn for Cruise’s co-star Kelly McGillis who played sexy flight instructor Charlie in the original. After appearing in the ‘Cat Chaser’ alongside Peter Weller in 1988 her acting career was spoilt by her experiences and she began to accept fewer parts and concentrated her efforts on occasional bit roles on a number of TV shows. In later years she concentrated on stage acting and more recently has begun appearing in a few different low-budget movie projects, but nothing on the scale of the $15 million budget of ‘Top Gun’.
ANTHONY EDWARDS
After appearing in goofball high-school comedy ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ no-one could have predicted that actor Anthony Edwards would be picking up such a red-blooded role as Lt. JG Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw in Scott’s ‘Top Gun’ a couple of years later. Edwards is probably best known for his role as Dr. Mark Greene in NBC’s long-running medical drama ‘ER’ but he made his name in the Navy fighter flick as Maverick’s wingman. He recently appeared as Judge Wilcox in Showtime’s hedge fund corruption series ‘Billions’.
VAL KILMER
Kilmer landed the role of Iceman who served as the rival to Cruise’s Maverick back in ’86 and he’s rumoured to be part of the forthcoming follow-up whenever they may land. And it could be a good thing for his career which has certainly seen a number of peaks and troughs along the way. Since the arrival of ‘Top Gun’ he’s had highs and lows popping up in just about anything. But in spite of a few lacklustre projects of late it looks like 2017 could be a good boost for the actors career already landing parts in Terence Malick’s ‘Weightless’, mystery thriller ‘The Super’ and crime drama ensemble ‘The Snowman’.
