Top Gun Hit Theaters 39 Years Ago! See the Iconic Cast Then and Now

Tom Cruise as Maverick

Tom Cruise has been a Hollywood high-flyer since his film debut in Endless Love (1981). Just a few years later, Cruise went on to star in some of the biggest films of the ’80s: Top Gun (1986), The Color of Money (1986), Rain Man (1988) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989).

The actor continued his extremely successful career with Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jerry Maguire (1996).

Over his long career in Hollywood, Cruise has had four Oscar and eight Golden Globe nominations (with three Globes to his name so far).

Cruise has been the star of the Mission: Impossible series for decades, and has led The Mummy (2017) and American Made (2017). Most recently, he starred in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, which will be released on May 23, 2025.

Val Kilmer as Iceman

Before “Iceman” competed against “Maverick” in Top Gun in 1986, Kilmer first got his start in the 1984 spoof film Top Secret.

His breakthrough performance was his role as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991). After that, he portrayed other stars like Elvis Presley in True Romance (1993) and Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993). He also took on the role of Batman in Batman Forever (2005) and starred in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005).

Kilmer was also on the TV series The Spoils of Babylon (2014), and was in The Snowman (2017) and The Super (2017).

The Top Gun sequel was Kilmer’s first major role since his recovery from throat cancer. He died at the age of 65 on April 1, 2025, with his cause of death later determined to be pneumonia.

Kelly McGillis as Charlie

Kelly McGillis first appeared on-screen with a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated Reuben (1983). After picking up numerous TV roles, the actress then starred alongside Harrison Ford in Witness (1985), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

The actress went on to appear in The Accused (1988) and was cast in several TV movies such as Bonds of Love (1993) and In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness (1994).

During the mid to late 1980s, McGillis pursued roles on the stage, playing various roles in Shakespeare plays, including The Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night. This eventually led to her star role in the Broadway production of Hedda Gabler in 1994.

Following the birth of her children, McGillis took a step back from Hollywood for about a decade, eventually opening up about surviving sexual assault and addiction as well as coming out as a lesbian in 2009. She has been seen on TV in Dirty John (2020) and Maternal Secrets (2017), but did not return for the Top Gun sequel.

Anthony Edwards as Goose

Before his role as “Goose” in Top Gun, Anthony Edwards first appeared in a small role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) after dropping out of college to pursue an acting career.

His first starring role was in Revenge of the Nerds (1984); he then went on to star in The Sure Thing (1985) and Gotcha! (1985) before landing Top Gun the next year. The actor continued to work on-screen in the film How I Got Into College (1989) and TV series Northern Exposure (1990).

Years later, Edwards landed his most widely known recurring role as Dr. Mark Greene in the TV series ER (1994–2008). The actor was nominated four times for a Golden Globe for the show, one of which he won in 1998.

In 2022, the actor appeared in the Apple TV+ miniseries WeCrashed and Netflix’s Inventing Anna.

Tom Skerritt as Viper

Tom Skerritt got his start in 1962 in the movie War Hunt. Before Top Gun, he spent most of his years starring on TV, becoming a recurring character on shows such as Gunsmoke and 12 O’Clock High.

The actor was seen in the ’80s on Cheers for a six-episode run from 1987 to 1988 and in Steel Magnolias (1989), and has continued to act on shows including The Grid (2004), Brothers & Sisters (2006–2009) and The Good Wife (2014).

The actor came back to the big screen and was seen in films Lucky (2017) and Day of Days (2017).

Meg Ryan as Carole

Before the actress took the rom-com world by storm, Meg Ryan started with a minor role as Candice Bergen’s daughter in Rich and Famous (1981). She then landed a small part in Top Gun, which led her to more major appearances.

In 1987, Ryan was cast alongside Dennis Quaid in Innerspace, and again with Quaid in the remake of D.O.A. (1988). The two stars were married from 1991 to 2001.

The actress then starred in When Harry Met Sally (1989), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. Ryan was nominated another two times for her roles in Sleepless in Seattle (1933) and You’ve Got Mail (1998).

She has been seen on TV in Web Therapy (2013) and the TV movie Fan Girl (2014), and returned to her romantic comedy roots with the 2023 movie What Happens Later.