25 Surprising Facts About Tom Cruise’s Top Gun
It’s been 40 years since we first experienced … the thrill of speed.
Top Gun debuted in theaters four decades ago, and to celebrate this iconic film’s anniversary, we’re unveiling 25 behind-the-scenes facts about the movie that launched Tom Cruise into stardom.
For example, Val Kilmer, who portrayed Iceman, stated that he was the only actor who didn’t face a certain physical reaction while flying.
Scroll down for 25 Surprising Facts You Didn’t Know About Top Gun, as featured in the current issue of Us Weekly, available now:
1. Top Gun premiered on May 16, 1986, quickly establishing itself as the top-grossing domestic film of the year.
2. The film drew inspiration from a 1983 article in California magazine titled “Top Guns,” detailing a group of young naval aviators training at the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School.
3. At just 23, Cruise took on the role of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.
4. Matthew Modine declined the role of Maverick because it contradicted his beliefs, opting instead for Stanley Kubrick’s anti-war film Full Metal Jacket.
5. Director Tony Scott took the reins of this film just three years after his debut with The Hunger.
6. The production team paid the military approximately $1.8 million to film at Miramar Naval Air Station near San Diego, granting them unparalleled access to real jets and aircraft carriers.
7. The military’s collaboration proved beneficial, as Navy recruitment purportedly saw a spike following the film’s release.
8. Aspiring NASA astronaut Scott Altman was one of the pilots involved in the stunts, famously seen flipping off the camera in the film’s iconic opening.
9. Altman noted that the pilots received $23 a day for their contributions on set.
10. Kilmer, known for his role as the beloved Iceman, claimed he was the only cast member not to get sick during aerial scenes.
11. Initially hesitant about the role, Kilmer revealed in his 2020 memoir that his agent “practically tortured” him into meeting with Scott regarding the part.
12. Reflecting in his 2021 documentary, Kilmer mentioned, “None of us anticipated the film’s immense commercial success. Suddenly, I was thrust into the celebrity realm, forever known as Iceman by pilots everywhere.”
13. The iconic beach volleyball scene was merely a brief mention in the script but took an entire day to film, leading the studio to threaten to dismiss Scott, according to his colleagues.
14. Kelly McGillis’s character Charlie was inspired by actual civilian instructor Christine Fox, who ascended through the Pentagon ranks and ultimately became the Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense in 2014 — the highest position ever held by a woman in the Department of Defense.
15. To match McGillis’s height of 5-foot-10, Cruise, who stands at 5-foot-7, had to wear height-increasing lifts during their scenes together.
Feeling overwhelmed! Tom Cruise was deeply emotional during his reunion with Val Kilmer for his cameo in Top Gun: Maverick. In a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Cruise, 60, shared how special it was to work alongside Kilmer, 63, in the highly anticipated sequel to the original 1986 film. “I just […]
16. “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins became synonymous with Maverick’s quest for speed.
17. The romantic hit “Take My Breath Away” from the soundtrack won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
18. Cruise’s daring performance solidified his reputation for performing his own stunts.
19. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected Top Gun for preservation in the National Film Registry.
20. Over three decades later, Cruise reprised his role for Top Gun: Maverick, insisting on the use of real aerial footage once more.
21. The sequel turned into an enormous box office success, grossing over $1.5 billion globally and introducing a fresh generation to the world of aviation.
22. During the flying scenes, the actors experienced up to eight Gs, equivalent to around 1,600 pounds of pressure on their bodies.
23. Cruise initiated an intense five-month flight training regimen — humorously dubbed “the Tom Cruise School for Being a Badass” by co-star Danny Ramirez — for the cast of Maverick, which included Glen Powell and Miles Teller.
24. Teller portrays “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s deceased best friend, “Goose.”
25. In April, Paramount announced that Top Gun 3 is officially in the pipeline, with Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer set to return for this next chapter in the franchise.
