how old is tom cruise in top gun

Top Gun (1986) cast ages: How old was the cast then (and now)?

By aysha ashley househ | aug 10, 2023.

We’re all so obsessed with 1986 film Top Gun starring Tom Cruise, and it was so amazing to get a sequel, Top Gun: Maverick , in 2022! When the production was first released to audiences in the ’80s, it was to mixed reviews. Can you believe it? However as the weeks went by, the movie became the the highest-grossing domestic film of 1986. And the second film in the franchise has received massive success, currently streaming on Paramount+ .

The action drama takes us to the Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School and introduces us to fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise). The new student’s cocky attitude causes tension between him and the other pilots. But this guy has two goals – become the top fighter pilot and get the attention of his flight instructor Charlotte (Kelly McGillis).

Ever wondered how old the actors were at the time? We’ve shared the cast’s ages at the time of the movie’s release in May 1986, as well as how old they are now as of August 2023.

How old was Tom Cruise in Top Gun?

The leading man who played LT Pete “Maverick” Mitchell was only 22 years old when the film began shooting, and 23 when it was released. He is the youngest amongst his co-stars. The iconic actor’s birthday is July 3, 1962 which means he is currently 61 years old.

How old was Kelly McGillis in Top Gun?

The actress was two months away from her twenty-ninth birthday when the production came out, taking on the role of Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Blackwood. Her birthday is only a few days after her co-star’s – July 9, 1957. She is currently 66 years old. McGillis didn’t reprise her role in the sequel but has continued to act in films throughout the years.

How old was Val Kilmer in Top Gun?

The actor who played LT Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, aka Maverick’s rival at the school, was 26 years old when the movie premiered. He is a winter baby, having been born Dec. 31, 1959. Kilmer is currently 63. The star reprised his role in the sequel and his most recent movie is a documentary about his life and career titled Val which is streaming on Prime Video.

How old was Anthony Edwards in Top Gun?

The LTJG Nick “Goose” Bradshaw actor was 23 years old, just two months away from turning 24 when the production debuted on the big screens. He was born July 19, 1962 and is currently 61 years old. Following his role in Top Gun , you may recognize Edwards from television shows like ER , Law & Order True Crime , and WeCrashed .

How old was Meg Ryan in Top Gun?

Ryan played Edwards’ onscreen wife, Carole Bradshaw. The actress was 24 years old during the action drama. She is currently 61 years old and her birthday is Nov. 19. The celebrity became one of the most successful actresses in the ’90s and 2000s, mostly known for romantic comedies like Sleepless in Seattle , When Harry Met Sally…. , You’ve Got Mail.

How old was Tom Skerritt in Top Gun?

Skerritt, aka CDR Mike “Viper” Metcalf in the film, was 53 years old when it was released to audiences. He is currently 89, soon celebrating his 90th birthday on Aug. 25. Skerritt is the oldest of his co-stars. The talent has been acting since 1962 with his debut film War Hunt .

How old was Michael Ironside in Top Gun?

The LCDR Rick “Jester” Heatherly actor was 35 years old when the Tom Cruise-led movie was released. Ironside is currently 73 years old and was born on Feb. 12, 1950. He has continued to act, many of his jobs in voiceover roles including projects like Superman: The Animated Series ,  Wolverine and the X-Men , and  Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising .

How old was Tim Robbins in Top Gun?

Radar intercept officer, LTJG Sam “Merlin” Wells, was played by Robbins. He was 28 years old at the time of movie, and is currently 64. Oct. 16 is when the actor celebrates his birthday. He’s known for roles such as Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption , Griffin Mill in The Playe r, and Senator Robert Hammond in Green Lantern .

Top Gun and its sequel Top Gun: Maverick are both currently streaming on Paramount+ .

Next. 50 best shows on streaming to watch right now. dark

• Celebrities
• Secret Invasion
• The Marvels
• Disney Plus
• Apple TV Plus
• Dwayne Johnson
• Brie Larson
• Ryan Reynolds
• The Witcher
• About & Advertising
• Privacy Policy

How old was Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick?’

Tom Cruise is no stranger to box-office success, but 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick takes the cake in terms of the actor’s biggest blockbuster, which is quite the accomplishment considering the A-lister filmed the original Top Gun a full 36 years earlier.

Ever the action movie star, Cruise is known for not relying on CGI to do carry out his stunt work , even if that sometimes leads to injury . While there were trained Navy pilots actually piloting the jets in Maverick , Cruise was still flying around in an F-18 Super Hornet, which is impressive to say the least, especially considering the huge amount of time that had passed since the first one. Naturally, that begs the question of just how old Cruise was when he was climbing inside the cockpit. Both times.

Tom Cruise’s age in Top Gun

The first Top Gun was directed by Tony Scott and released in 1986. Tom Cruise was a young man at this point in his life, as he was born in 1962, making him only 24 years old when the movie was released.

The film followed Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a hotshot United States Naval Aviator — played by Cruise — as he is sent to attend TOPGUN, the Naval Fighter Weapons School. Alongside him is Lieutenant Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, played by Anthony Edwards, who dies halfway through the film, as well as his rival, Lieutenant Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, played by Val Kilmer. 

The fresh-faced Cruise had already been knocking around Hollywood since 1981, in such films as Risky Business and Legend , but it was Top Gun that manifested him as a bonafide action hero before his 25th birthday.

Tom Cruise’s age in Top Gun: Maverick

Finally, almost half of his lifetime later, Cruise returned to one of his most iconic roles in Top Gun: Maverick . Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the legacy sequel continues the story of the titular character, who is now a captain, as he is picked to instruct a new team of pilots for a dangerous mission. Among these expert pilots is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Goose, Maverick’s late best friend.

Cruise’s age in Maverick is interesting in that he was technically 57 years old when the movie finished filming in 2019, but due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he found himself at the ripe age of 59 when it was finally premiered in theaters in May 2022.

Those delays didn’t hurt the film any, however, Maverick generated an eye-watering $1.4 billion at the box office and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It was repeatedly praised for single-handedly saving movie theaters while Cruise was deemed Hollywood’s guardian angel. Had it not been for that December’s Avatar: The Way of Water , he also would’ve had the honor of being the biggest star in the biggest film of the year. If you’re someone who believes Avatar ‘s success comes from its immersive CGI alone (and not its story), you might say he still does.

It just goes to show, that no matter his age, Cruise still has his “need for speed,” which is something that all $1.4 billion dollars’ worth of audience members can appreciate. To see him in action, you can stream both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount Plus.

How Old Was the Top Gun 1986 Cast? Ages Revealed

By: Author Jessica Suess

Posted on Last updated: September 17, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases. Learn More

In 1986, Top Gun soared into cinemas and quickly became an iconic piece of pop culture, establishing itself as a quintessential action film of its time.

With a stellar cast led by Tom Cruise as the daring pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, the film captured the imaginations of audiences around the world, making aviator sunglasses and bomber jackets must-have items of the era.

But just how old were Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis, and the rest of this unforgettable cast when they stepped into their larger-than-life roles?

In this guide, we take a nostalgic flight back in time to explore the ages of the Top Gun (1986) cast members during the making of this cinematic classic.

How Old Was Tom Cruise in Top Gun?

Born on July 3, 1962, Tom Cruise was just 23 years old when he soared into stardom as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, the fearless Navy fighter pilot in Top Gun .

Before this breakout role, Cruise had already impressed critics with performances in Risky Business and All the Right Moves . Top Gun , however, was the turning point that transformed Cruise from an emerging actor to an international superstar.

As Maverick, Cruise’s daring and fiercely competitive on-screen persona showcased a raw and impassioned performance that seemed to echo his own relentless drive and ambition. This role set the stage for a prolific and high-profile career, filled with franchises like Mission: Impossible and dramatic turns in films like A Few Good Men .

How Old Was Kelly McGillis in Top Gun?

Kelly McGillis , born on July 9, 1957, was 29 years old when she took on the role of astrophysicist and Top Gun instructor Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood.

In Top Gun , her character, Charlie, was not just a love interest, but a strong, intelligent professional respected by her peers — a significant role at a time when such characters were less common in Hollywood. Her compelling portrayal of a woman succeeding in a male-dominated environment was groundbreaking.

How Old Was Val Kilmer in Top Gun?

Born on December 31, 1959, Val Kilmer was 26 when he portrayed Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Maverick’s cool and calculated rival.

His portrayal of Iceman as methodical and precise created a compelling counterbalance to Maverick’s impulsiveness. His confident portrayal of Iceman solidified his status as a versatile actor, opening the door for subsequent roles in films like The Doors and Batman Forever .

How Old Was Anthony Edward in Top Gun?

Born on July 19, 1962, Anthony Edwards was 24 years old when he portrayed Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, the charismatic and devoted best friend to Maverick in Top Gun .

Before Top Gun , Edwards had a diverse range of roles but the character of Goose — with its charm and tragic fate — marked a major turning point. His performance provided the emotional core of the movie, and it highlighted his range and depth as an actor, paving the way for his iconic role as Dr. Mark Greene on ER .

How Old Was Tom Skerritt in Top Gun?

Born on August 25, 1933, seasoned actor Tom Skerritt was 53 when he took on the role of Mike “Viper” Metcalf, the authoritative and experienced flight instructor in Top Gun .

With significant roles in Alien and M A S H* under his belt, Skerritt brought a paternal, grounding presence to Top Gun . His portrayal of Viper was less of a mentor and more of a North Star for the younger pilots, which showcased Skerritt’s capacity to bring depth to any role.

How Old Was Meg Ryan in Top Gun?

Born on November 19, 1961, Meg Ryan was 24 when she took on the role of Carole Bradshaw in Top Gun , the vivacious and supportive wife of Goose.

Though her role in Top Gun was relatively small, it showcased Ryan’s natural charisma and screen presence, which she later parlayed into becoming one of America’s favorite romantic comedy leads.

How Old Was Michael Ironside in Top Gun?

Michael Ironside was 36 years old when he played the seasoned pilot and flight instructor Rick “Jester” Heatherly in Top Gun .

Prior to this role, he had already established himself as a compelling character actor, known for intense and often villainous roles in movies such as Scanners and Total Recall . Ironside’s portrayal of Jester, as a tough but fair mentor, solidified his ability to bring complexity and humanity to a wide range of characters.

How Old Was Tim Robbins in Top Gun?

At 28, Tim Robbins portrayed Sam “Merlin” Wells in Top Gun . Before this supporting role, Robbins was mainly known for his stage work.

While Top Gun wasn’t his breakout role, it offered Robbins an opportunity to be part of a major blockbuster, showcasing his early potential. His career would soon catapult with standout performances in The Shawshank Redemption and Mystic River , earning him widespread acclaim.

Top Gun 1986 Cast Ages Table

Below is a table of all the main actors and director of Top Gun (1986), including their ages in the movie and now.

Screen Rant

How old maverick is in top gun & top gun 2.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Brad Pitt's Reported $300 Million Movie Can Still Be A Box Office Hit (& Top Gun: Maverick Proves It)

Brad pitt's upcoming movie will be perfect to watch while waiting for top gun 3, pixar finally has its toy story replacement franchise after 13 years of searching.

What is the exact age of Maverick in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick ? The star of both films, Tom Cruise, has aged during the 34-year franchise gap, but moviegoers may be curious about Maverick's specific birth year, and if it connects to the overall storyline. In Tony Scott's 1986 film, Maverick is already an experienced aviation pilot with a resume to back up his confidence, and the sequel's trailer shows that Maverick remains an influential figure of American aviation in 2020.

The original Top Gun movie revolves around Maverick's immaturity. At work, he walks the walk and talks the talk, but does have some growing up to do. From a 2020 perspective, Maverick clearly lacks self-awareness, but in 1986, Maverick was symbolic of American male machismo and cultural figures who would say things like  "I am very good at what I do." As it turns out, Maverick is actually younger than many sixth-year senior characters from raunchy '80s college comedies.

Related:  Why Top Gun: Maverick Needs a Beach Volleyball Scene

Maverick's age isn't clarified in Top Gun , though the pre-production process reveals that he's supposed to be 23. Specifically, Cruise's character was born in 1962, and that's not necessarily an inconsequential detail. For the 1986 film, the audience knows that Maverick is most likely in his early 20s and that his father, Duke, died , disappearing in an F-4 on November 5, 1965. One internal character conflict centers on the fact that Maverick knows little about his late father and that the concept of death affects his perspective as an elite Top Gun aviator.

For Top Gun: Maverick , Cruise's character is 57 years old. In the present, Maverick is a renowned military figure, though in the  Top Gun: Maverick  trailer , his colleagues wonder why he never attained a more prominent rank. But for U.S. military figures, Vice Admirals must retire after 38 years of service or the month after their 64th birthday. So, when thinking more deeply about Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick , the character arc for Cruise's character shows that he's more interested in peace of mind that professional accolades.

Maverick remains at Top Gun and trains pilots who mirror his confidence from decades prior, but what exactly does Maverick want? The original Top Gun implies that he needs clarity about his father's past before he can be a more reliable pilot, let alone a human being. In Top Gun: Maverick , expect the title character's humility to inspire a younger crop of aviators, some of whom will be very much interested in the technicalities associated with age in the U.S. military.

More: Top Gun: Maverick Needs to Revise the Original's Cold War Politics

Key Release Dates

Top gun: maverick.

• SR Originals
• Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Review: Tom Cruise Takes to the Skies, Literally, in Barrier-Breaking Sequel

Reteaming with 'Oblivion' director Joseph Kosinski, the perfectionist producer-star insists on flying his own planes in this stunning follow-up.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

• ‘Emilia Pérez’ Review: Leading Lady Karla Sofía Gascón Electrifies in Jacques Audiard’s Mexican Redemption Musical 37 mins ago
• ‘Universal Language’ Review: Matthew Rankin Channels the Best of Iranian Cinema in Absurdist Canadian Comedy 9 hours ago
• ‘Oh, Canada’ Review: Paul Schrader Separates the Art From the Artist in Prismatic Portrait of a Dying Director 20 hours ago

The world is not the same place it was in 1986, when “Top Gun” ruled the box office. In Ronald Reagan, America had a movie star for a president, and producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson as its honorary ministers of propaganda. The same year that “Platoon” challenged the United States’ militaristic track record, “Top Gun” sold a thrilling if narrow-minded fantasy of American exceptionalism — of boys and their toys, of macho-man bromance and what it means to be the best. Three years after Tom Cruise flipped the bird to a Russian MiG fighter plane, the Berlin Wall fell. Two years later, the Soviet Union collapsed.

One could argue that our new, post-Cold War world didn’t need a “Top Gun” sequel. (Tom Cruise himself once insisted as much.) But one would be wrong to do so. Building on the three-parts-steel-to-one-part-corn equation that director Tony Scott so effectively set 36 years earlier, the new film more than merits its existence, mirroring Cruise’s character, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, in pushing the limits of what the machine could do — the machine in this case being cinema, which takes to the skies as no blockbuster has before.

Hardly anything in “ Top Gun: Maverick ” will surprise you, except how well it does nearly all the things audiences want and expect it to do. Orchestrated by Joseph Kosinski — the dynamo who collaborated with Cruise on “Oblivion” and first worked with Miles Teller on 2017’s terrific, underseen firefighter drama “Only the Brave” — to appeal to veterans and neophytes alike, this high-performance follow-up sends Maverick back to the Topgun program, where he won the heart of Charlie (Kelly McGillis) and lost best friend Goose (Anthony Edwards).

Popular on Variety

Flashbacks notwithstanding, neither of those actors is in this movie, though the screenplay — a tag-team effort between Christopher McQuarrie (Cruise’s guy), Eric Warren Singer (Kosinski’s guy) and Ehren Kruger (yikes) — just about resurrects Goose via his now-adult son, Bradley Bradshaw (Teller), call sign “Rooster.” (“Phoenix” would be more apt, but that tag goes to Monica Barbaro, playing the lone woman in this testosterone pool.) The resemblance between Rooster and his late dad is uncanny, courtesy of a goofy moustache, some hair gel and a scene in which the young pilot pounds out “Great Balls of Fire” on the Hard Deck piano, the way Goose once did.

The Hard Deck is now operated by a character from Maverick’s past, Penny Benjamin ( Jennifer Connelly ), although she was only referenced in passing before: In “Top Gun,” Maverick is chewed out by his superior officer for having “a history of high-speed passes over five air control towers — and one admiral’s daughter!” Penny is that daughter: strong, independent and responsible for a daughter of her own (not Maverick’s, and too young to be his love interest). Cruise’s character has matured on the womanizing front, and the movie provides a shallow yet satisfying romantic subplot between him and Penny, which gives him something to come home for, since his daredevil tendencies otherwise give off strong kamikaze vibes.

In theory, Maverick should have graduated Topgun and gone back to teach what he’d learned to other Navy pilots. But after losing his flying partner, the character wound up being more of a loner — or so we learn, catching up with him all these years later, working as a test pilot and stuck at the rank of captain. Following a nostalgia-baiting aircraft carrier landing montage, wherein “Top Gun” theme “Danger Zone” blazes once again, Kosinski tracks Maverick to the Mojave Desert, still living up to his nickname when he takes a multimillion-dollar piece of government equipment — a supersonic, SR-71 Blackbird-style (fictional) Darkstar jet — out for a speed test.

Showing up as none-too-amused Navy brass, Ed Harris arrives just in time to eat a face full of sand as Maverick takes off at rocket speed, gently pushing the plane to Mach 10. (As a point of reference, the F-14s seen in “Top Gun” top out around Mach 2.) It’s a glorious scene, and one that melds everything Maverick once represented with Cruise’s own off-screen personality — which also explains all the self-driven motorcycle rides. The stunt nearly gets Maverick kicked out of the Navy. His only option: Go back to the training academy, where Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer) is now filling Tom Skerritt/Viper’s shoes.

The script incorporates Kilmer’s throat cancer, such that Iceman has just one scene, communicating mostly by keyboard — but it’s a smart one, paying off the way the dynamic between these two ex-rivals has evolved. Considering the importance Goose and Rooster play in this next mission, which involves a near-impossible airstrike on a uranium plant, it would’ve been nice to see Meg Ryan return as the widow/mom, but the rules are cruel when it comes to aging female actors. Meanwhile, we can talk about all the cosmetic ways Cruise and Kilmer’s faces have evolved, although there’s only one change that matters: Cruise has perfected that little jaw-clenching trick that signifies “This is a really tough call.”

He won’t get an Oscar for pantomiming such swallow-your-pride stoicism, though Cruise deserves one for everything else the role demanded of him: If the flying scenes here blow your mind, it’s because a great many of them are the real deal, putting audiences right there in the cockpit alongside a cast who learned to pilot for their parts. The idea here is that Maverick has been grounded, relegated to coaching a dozen top-of-their-class hotshots, though he takes to the skies right away, trumping all of these aces in a series of adrenaline-fueled drills. Not a one of these students is convincing as a Navy pilot, though their personalities win us over all the same (even Glen Powell’s alpha-male “Hangman,” who serves as this movie’s Iceman equivalent), and once can imagine future spinoffs involving any of these characters.

“Top Gun” has always been “The Tom Cruise Show,” and no one believes for a second that Maverick won’t maneuver his way into flying the climactic mission. But he can’t do it alone: The operation calls for perfectly coordinated teamwork among six pilots, recalling the group air battle that bonded Iceman and Maverick in the original movie.

These days, videogame-styled blockbusters rely so heavily on CGI that it’s thrilling to see the impact of gravity on actual human beings, pancaked to their chairs by multiple G-forces. Sophisticated movie magic makes their performances seamless with the exterior airborne shots, while the commitment to filming practically everything practically feels like the cutting-edge equivalent of Howard Hughes’ history-making “Hell’s Angels.” The result is the most immersive flight simulator audiences will have ever experienced, right down to the great Dolby roar of engines vibrating through their seats (while the score teases cues for Lady Gaga’s end-credits anthem “Hold My Hand”).

Early on, Ed Harris’ character warns Maverick and his team that “one day, they won’t need pilots at all,” by which he means, drone technology is not far from allowing the Navy to do all of its flying by remote control. Cinema seems to be moving in that same direction, replacing actors with digital puppets and real locations with greenscreen plates — but not if Tom Cruise has anything to do with it. Engineered to hit so many of the same pleasure points as the original, “Top Gun: Maverick” fulfills our desire to go really fast, really far above ground — what the earlier film unforgettably referred to as “the need for speed.”

Still, this buckle-up follow-up also demonstrates why we feel the need for movie stars. It goes well beyond Cruise’s rah-rah involvement in what amounts to a glorified U.S. military recruitment commercial (the 1986 film might have been as perfectly calibrated as a Swiss watch, but it wasn’t subtle about its GI Joe agenda). It’s the way we identify with the guy when he’s doing what most of us thought impossible. Turns out we need Maverick now more than ever.

Reviewed at AMC Century City 15 (Imax), May 10, 2022. In Cannes Film Festival (Out of Competition). MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 130 MIN.

• Production: A Paramount Pictures release of a Paramount Pictures, Skydance, Jerry Bruckheimer Films presentation of a Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer production. Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison. Executive producers: Tommy Harper, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Chad Oman, Mike Stenson.
• Crew: Director: Joseph Kosinski. Screenplay: Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie; story: Peter Craig, Justin Marks, based on characters created by Jim Cash & Jack Epps Jr. Camera: Claudio Miranda. Editor: Eddie Hamilton. Music: Lorne Balfe, Harold Faltermeyer, Hans Zimmer.
• With: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer.

More From Our Brands

Chris stapleton and dua lipa deliver super-secret duet at 2024 acm awards, how to make a bronx cocktail, the gin and juice upgrade that’ll refresh you this summer, crypto’s rebounding crawley town a win away from league one, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, john stamos shares full house reunion photo with olsen twins in honor of bob saget’s birthday, verify it's you, please log in.

'Top Gun: Maverick' Cast & Character Guide: Who's Who in the Legacy Sequel

Meet the daring pilots joining Maverick in the Danger Zone!

Top Gun: Maverick is one of the biggest blockbusters since the 2020 pandemic. The film sees Pete "Maverick" Mitchell ( Tom Cruise ) return to the esteemed school, Top Gun, to lead a group of young aviators on a near-impossible mission. Seeing Tom Cruise return to Top Gun over 30 years later was a memorable sight. Top Gun: Maverick features familiar faces, new characters, and even appearances of characters who were only mentioned by name. This is a complete character guide for Top Gun: Maverick. Now that the biggest film of the year is available to stream exclusively on Paramount+, we’ve got you covered on who's who.

Related: When Will ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Be Available To Stream?

Tom Cruise as Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

The main character of both Top Gun films is Maverick himself, Pete Mitchell, played by the legendary Tom Cruise. Maverick started as a loose cannon who marched at the beat of his own drum. After the death of his best friend, Goose ( Anthony Edwards ), Maverick learned to grow up and become one of the best aviators in the Navy. When we meet Maverick in the Top Gun sequel, he is still as stubborn as ever, but now he’s often fighting for others. Once he’s tasked with returning to Top Gun, Maverick’s number one priority is making sure the pilots return home from their mission with zero casualties.

Tom Cruise is one of the biggest stars on the planet. You can see him in Edge of Tomorrow , the Mission Impossible series, and American Made ; his upcoming films include Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (Parts 1 and 2), with both Luna Park and Edge of Tomorrow 2 in development.

Val Kilmer as Adm. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky

Top Gun: Maverick went so far as to make Kilmer’s real-life battle with cancer a part of Iceman’s character. The Iceman graduated Top Gun alongside Maverick. The two didn’t see eye-to-eye at first, but they became best friends by the end of the first film. Val Kilmer delivers a terrific performance as Ice, and Top Gun: Maverick allowed the actor to return to the role. Kilmer had to retire from acting due to throat cancer so the film might be Kilmer’s last role, making it all the more touching.

Val Kilmer has a stellar filmography. Some of his most iconic work includes Tombstone , Kiss Kiss Bang Bang , and Heat . He’s also known for starring in Joel Schumacher’s cult classic, Batman Forever .

Miles Teller as Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

Miles Teller stars as Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw. The son of Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) and Carole Bradshaw ( Meg Ryan ), Rooster and Maverick’s relationship is one of the film's most significant sources of tension. After the death of Goose in the first film, Maverick feels guilt but also a duty to take care of Carole and Bradley. This leads to friction between Bradley and Maverick since Carole doesn’t want Bradley to be an aviator and get killed like his father. As a favor to Carole, Maverick sets Rooster back three years.

This doesn’t stop Rooster, and he becomes a solid naval aviator. Good enough to be invited back to Top Gun, where Maverick confronts him. The two have a unique relationship, and Rooster is one of the standout characters. Miles Teller is best known for his performances in Whiplash , War Dogs , and Fantastic Four (2015). His most recent film is Spiderhead , and his upcoming projects are The Ark and the Aardvark , The Fence , and The Gorge where he'll star alongside Anya Taylor-Joy .

Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin

Penny is a character that was referenced in the original Top Gun but didn’t make an appearance until Top Gun Maverick . Penny and Maverick have had an on-again-off-again relationship for years, and we see their latest encounter in Top Gun: Maverick . Penny has a daughter named Amelia and owns a bar near Top Gun. Jennifer Connelly brings Penny Benjamin to life. Penny and Mav rekindle their relationship during his time back, and hopefully, it will last. She might be Maverick’s oldest and closest friend, making their bond all the more important to him. Connelly’s notable works include A Beautiful Mind , Requiem For a Dream , and Labyrinth . Connelly will next be seen in Alice Englert 's feature directorial debut Bad Behavior , where she'll star opposite Ben Whishaw .

Lyliana Wray as Amelia Benjamin

Amelia Benjamin is Penny’s daughter. She loves her mother and has a good rapport with Maverick. With the stranger nature of Penny and Maverick’s relationship, Amelia simply wants what’s best for her mother. Lyliana Wray has guest-starred on Black-ish , The Night Shift , and Strange Angel .

Glen Powell as Lt. Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Lt. Jake Seresin is one of the best pilots in Top Gun, but he’s reckless and leaves his fellow aviators hanging, hence the name. Ironically, Hangman isn’t so different from Maverick during his first stint at Top Gun. In a way, Hangman and Rooster mirror Maverick and Iceman. Glen Powell ’s charisma is on full display as Hangman. The actor initially auditioned for the role of Rooster but later took on the part of Hangman after a conversation with Tom Cruise . Glen Powell previously starred in Set It Up , Scream Queens , and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society . He most recently starred in another aviation-themed film, Devotion , where he starred opposite Jonathan Majors . Powell's career has exploded since the release of Top Gun: Maverick landing leading roles in high-profile projects like Richard Linklater 's action-comedy Hitman , the Kat Coiro -directed buddy-comedy Foreign Relations where he'll play opposite Nick Jonas , and the big-budget Prime Video original series Butch & Sundance which also stars Regé-Jean Page and is a reboot of the classic film Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid .

Monica Barbaro as Lt. Natasha "Phoenix" Trace

Phoenix is one of two female pilots invited to Top Gun. She is often at odds with Hangman and a friend to Rooster and the rest of the aviators. Monica Barbaro is best known for her time on Chicago Justice , The Good Cop , and Splitting Up Togethe r. Her next projects will be a voice-role in the Netflix anime series Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas and playing the co-lead in the Arnold Schwarzenegger -led Netflix series Utap .

Related: 'Top Gun: Maverick': Watch Miles Teller Rock Out to "Great Balls of Fire" in New Video

Lewis Pullman as Lt. Robert "Bob" Floyd

Bob becomes Phoenix's second seat and a trusted friend. His name is Bob, and his call sign is Bob, making for pretty funny banter between him and his fellow pilots. Lewis Pullman has previously appeared in Bad Times at the El Royale , Catch-22 , and Them That Follow . His subsequent appearances are in Thelma , Auxiliary Man , Salem’s Lot , and the Brie Larson -led Apple series Lessons in Chemistry .

Jay Ellis as Lt. Reuben "Payback" Fitch

Payback and his partner Fanboy prove to be terrific pilots under Maverick’s teachings. So much so that they are chosen as major players in the upcoming mission. Jay Ellis starred as Payback and was previously seen in Insecure , Mrs. America , and Masters of Sex . His next role is in the forthcoming film, Someone I Used to Know from director Dave Franco .

Danny Ramirez as Lt. Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia

Fanboy is Payback’s flight partner and operates the backseat controls. He serves the same role Bob does for Pheonix or what Goose did for Maverick. Danny Ramirez most recently appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , Assassination Nation , and No Exit . His upcoming projects are Plus/Minus , Chestnut , and Captain America: New World Order .

Bashir Salahuddin as Wo-1. Bernie "Hondo" Coleman

Bernie is a Warrant Officer Rank 1 and is working on a program that Maverick is test-piloting. When Maverick gets called back to Top Gun, Hondo goes with him and becomes his assistant coach. Bashir Salahuddin is the writer and star of Sherman’s Showcase , where he plays Sherman McDaniels. He has also appeared in Robot Chicken , The Dropout , and has an upcoming project titled Paradise .

Jon Hamm as Adm. Beau "Cyclone" Simpson

Admiral Simpson is tasked with overseeing Maverick’s mission. He doesn’t tolerate Maverick’s shenanigans and doesn’t think he’s the man for the job. Cyclone is very strict and has a no-nonsense attitude, making him the perfect foil for Maverick. Jon Ham is best known as Don Draper from Mad Men. He has also appeared in Tag , Baby Driver , The Town , and he most recently starred in the title role in Confess, Fletch . 2023 looks to be a huge year for Hamm, he'll be reprising his role as Gabriel in Season 2 of Good Omens , will be joining the cast of Season 3 of the Apple original series The Morning Show , will play one of the leads in Season 5 of Fargo , he'll lend his voice to the animated comedy series Grimsburg, and will star in John Slattery 's directorial debut Maggie Moore(s) .

Charles Parnell as Adm. Solomon "Warlock" Bates

Admiral Bates is much more forgiving of Maverick’s past and wants to support him. Warlock works alongside Cyclone and offers a less-strict approach to the situation at hand. Charles Parnell has starred in many projects, including, The Last Ship , The Venture Bros. , and T ransformers: Age of Extinction . He most recently appeared in the FX series Kindred . He is slated to appear in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One and David Fincher 's action-noir film The Killer .

Ed Harris as Rear Admiral Chaster "Hammer" Cain

Ed Harris has a brief appearance in Top Gun: Maverick , but his presence is felt. We meet Hammer when Maverick is attempting to push his plane to Mach 10 to save the program he’s currently test-piloting for. Hammer arrives to shut down the program in person, and Maverick is flying overhead as he comes. Hammer later informs Maverick that Iceman wants him to report to Top Gun. Ed Harris is known for his roles in The Truman Show , Apollo 13 , Westworld , and Pollock . His upcoming projects include Love Lies Bleeding , Downtown Owl , and Get Away If You Can .

• Write for us

How old was Tom Cruise in the movie Top Gun?

Tom Cruise was 22 in Top Gun when he played the character 'Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell'.

That was over 38 years ago in 1986.

Today he is 61 , and has starred in 86 movies in total, 73 of those since Top Gun was released.

How old do you think he looks in the movie?

In Top Gun, I think Tom Cruise looks:

Did you know?

• Director Tony Scott has worked with Tom Cruise a total of 3 times in his career.
• Tom Cruise's first movie was as 'Billy' in Endless Love, released in 1981 when he was 18
• Top Gun scores 7.02 out of 10 on TMDB .

The cast of Top Gun

Tom Cruise's other movies

IMDbPro Starmeter 84 4

• Contact info
• 64 wins & 119 nominations total

Photos 1993

• Nathan Algren

• Jerry Maguire

• Chief John Anderton
• Post-production
• Cage (rumored)
• In Development
• Pre-production

• Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell

• Team Member

• Nick Morton

• Jack Reacher

• Stacee Jaxx

• Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg
• producer (produced by)

• producer (uncredited)

• executive producer

• In-development projects at IMDbPro

Personal details

• Tomu Kurûzu
• 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
• July 3 , 1962
• Syracuse, New York, USA
• Spouses Katie Holmes November 18, 2006 - August 20, 2012 (divorced, 1 child)
• Children Isabella Jane Cruise
• Parents Thomas Mapother III
• Relatives William Mapother (Cousin)
• Other works Played Nathan Detroit in a high school production of "Guys and Dolls"
• 12 Print Biographies
• 9 Portrayals
• 32 Interviews
• 145 Articles
• 21 Pictorials
• 764 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

• Trivia His acting idol is Paul Newman . Much to the delight of Cruise, they became good friends during work on The Color of Money (1986) . Newman got him into racing, and Cruise ultimately raced on his team.
• Quotes The thing about filmmaking is I give it everything, that's why I work so hard. I always tell young actors to take charge. It's not that hard. Sign your own checks, be responsible.
• Trademarks Often plays romantic leading men with an edge
• Salaries Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two ( 2025 ) $13,000,000 + % of back end
• How old is Tom Cruise?
• When was Tom Cruise born?
• Where was Tom Cruise born?

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

How much have you seen?

Recently viewed

How Old Was Tom Cruise In ‘Top Gun’?

It’s been over 30 years since Top Gun first debuted. It’s been a long wait for the sequel, but the wait is over. Cruise, starring as Maverick will grace the screens again.

In 1986, Tom Cruise, at the age of 23 played Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a dare-devil naval aviator. This Oscar-winning film, directed by Tony Scott skyrocketed Tom Cruise’s career. The young actor was on his way to superstardom and wide-spread recognition.

Years later and Cruise, known for his action-adventure films, is one of the richest actors in the world , but has he still got what it takes to bring the dare-devil charm of Maverick?

Tom Cruise’s Dedication to Stunts

Cruise is renowned for taking on bold stunts and delivering a real, action-packed experience for viewers. 

In a 2018 interview, Cruise said: ‘when I go to make a film. I’m employing every part of me, every skill as a filmmaker – the physicality, the artistry…’

How Tall Is Tom Cruise? Exact Height Revealed

What is tom cruise’s daily routine, where does tom cruise live.

Cruise has already proved his commitment to creating an action-packed film. He does indeed employ every part of him. During the filming of Mission Impossible – Fall Out , he famously broke his ankle on set and finished the scene. 

The broken ankle was described by Simon Pegg as a ‘relief’, which you might understand if you watch the video below. 

Stunt coordinator, Wade Eastwood, and aerial coordinator, Marc Wolff remember losing track of Cruise when he was in the middle of yet another extreme stunt on the same film. 

Cruise is not the young man of 23 anymore, which leaves many asking: how does he do it?

How Does Tom Cruise Stay in Shape?

Well, Tom Cruise is no stranger to sports. He’s been quoted saying that he enjoys “Sea-kayaking, caving, fencing, treadmill, weights, rock-climbing, [and] hiking”.

He also travels with a gym, which means that he can workout on the go.

As well as his disciplined exercise habits, when Cruise is training he eats healthily and avoids sugars. 

He admits to having a sweet-tooth but manages this with a simple trick… 

To get through his sugarless diet, Cruise sends cakes to his co-stars and waits for them to call, so he can hear their feedback.

With his dedication to keeping in shape and with so many different sports under his belt, it’s not surprising to hear that, true to his reputation, Cruise will be performing his own stunts in Top Gun 2.

Tom Cruise and Top Gun Stunts

Despite being over 50, Cruise is still performing stunts so extreme that Top Gun: Maverick director had to get permission from the navy for stunts to go ahead.

Cruise says: ‘It is aggressive, you can’t act that – the distortion in the face. They’re pulling 7.5-8Gs – 16,000 pounds of force…it is heavy duty.’

Not only is this stunt extreme and impressive, it brings with it some incredible viewing.

In order to create this scene, they had the world’s greatest fighter pilots working with them and a new camera system that allows 6 IMAX quality cameras in the cockpit with the actors.

This stunt brings the audience into the cockpit for a very close and very real viewing experience.

Could the need for speed in this 2020 film crush the original Top Gun? 

Top Gun: Maverick – Release Date 

Finally, fans will find out for themselves.

For the hard-core Top Gun fan, the release date could not come sooner. 

Those who follow Cruise and watch his interviews will know that the release of this film was confirmed by Cruise in a 2017 interview. Cruise was asked if the rumors were true on the Australian morning show, Sunrise . He confirmed that there would be a second film and that he would ‘probably’ start filing within the year.

It was already a long wait for fans, but the film was later delayed thanks to coronavirus , which caused the release date to be extended. 

Top Gun: Maverick is set to grace theatres on 23rd December 2020 .

Cruise took to Instagram to make the announcement. 

View this post on Instagram I know many of you have waited 34 years. Unfortunately, it will be a little longer. Top Gun: Maverick will fly this December. Stay safe, everyone. A post shared by Tom Cruise (@tomcruise) on Apr 2, 2020 at 12:29pm PDT

• Celebrity Name List (A-Z)
• Privacy Policy

© 2020 Black Sands Media - All Rights Reserved

• Celebrity List
• LuxuryViewer

× Do you know these Musicians from their Movies?

Top Gun 1986 Tom Cruise Age

Top Gun, released in 1986, is a classic American action drama film that follows the story of a young naval aviator named Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise. The film is renowned for its high-flying action sequences, catchy soundtrack, and iconic performances. At the time of filming, Tom Cruise was just 24 years old, and his portrayal of Maverick helped catapult him to stardom. In this article, we will explore eight interesting facts about Top Gun and Tom Cruise’s age at the time of the film’s release.

1. Tom Cruise’s Age in Top Gun

Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, making him 24 years old at the time of Top Gun’s release on May 16, 1986. Despite his young age, Cruise’s performance as Maverick showcased his talent and charisma, solidifying his status as a leading man in Hollywood.

2. Maverick’s Famous Sunglasses

One of the most iconic accessories in Top Gun is Maverick’s Aviator sunglasses. The sunglasses became synonymous with the character and have since become a fashion staple. The aviator sunglasses worn by Maverick in the film were actually Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses, which saw a surge in popularity after the film’s release.

3. Top Gun’s Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Top Gun was a major success, featuring hit songs like “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins and “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin. The soundtrack album reached the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart and went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.

4. Real Fighter Jet Action

Top Gun is known for its thrilling aerial combat sequences, which were made possible by the use of real fighter jets. The filmmakers worked closely with the United States Navy to capture authentic flight footage, including high-speed dogfights and intense training exercises. The realism of the aerial scenes added to the film’s overall excitement and adrenaline-pumping action.

5. Maverick’s Rivalry with Iceman

In Top Gun, Maverick faces off against his rival, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, played by Val Kilmer. The competitive dynamic between Maverick and Iceman drives much of the film’s plot, as they vie for the top spot at the prestigious Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School. The tension between the two characters adds an extra layer of drama to the film and culminates in a thrilling showdown during the final dogfight.

6. Tom Cruise’s Stunt Work

Tom Cruise is known for performing many of his own stunts in his films, and Top Gun was no exception. Cruise trained extensively to fly fighter jets and perform aerial maneuvers, showcasing his dedication to authenticity and realism. His commitment to the role added an extra level of excitement to the film’s action sequences and solidified his reputation as a fearless action star.

7. Top Gun’s Impact on Recruitment

After the release of Top Gun, the United States Navy reported a significant increase in recruitment applications. The film’s portrayal of naval aviators and the high-octane thrills of flying fighter jets inspired many young viewers to pursue a career in the military. Top Gun’s influence on recruitment was so profound that the Navy even set up recruiting booths in theaters showing the film.

8. Top Gun Sequel

In recent years, there has been much anticipation for a sequel to Top Gun, titled Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel, which was originally scheduled for release in 2020, has been delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tom Cruise reprises his role as Maverick, now a flight instructor training a new generation of pilots. The sequel promises to deliver the same high-flying action and adrenaline-fueled drama that made the original film a classic.

Common Questions about Top Gun and Tom Cruise’s Age:

1. When was Top Gun released?

Top Gun was released on May 16, 1986.

2. How old was Tom Cruise when Top Gun was released?

Tom Cruise was 24 years old at the time of Top Gun’s release.

3. What character does Tom Cruise play in Top Gun?

Tom Cruise plays the character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a naval aviator.

4. Who plays Maverick’s rival in Top Gun?

Val Kilmer plays Maverick’s rival, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky.

5. What are Maverick’s famous sunglasses called?

Maverick’s sunglasses are Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses.

6. Which songs were featured on the Top Gun soundtrack?

The Top Gun soundtrack features hit songs like “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins and “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin.

7. Did Tom Cruise perform his own stunts in Top Gun?

Yes, Tom Cruise performed many of his own stunts in Top Gun, including flying fighter jets.

8. How did Top Gun impact recruitment for the United States Navy?

Top Gun inspired a significant increase in recruitment applications for the United States Navy.

9. What is the title of the Top Gun sequel?

The sequel to Top Gun is titled Top Gun: Maverick.

10. Who does Tom Cruise play in the Top Gun sequel?

Tom Cruise reprises his role as Maverick in the Top Gun sequel.

11. Why was Top Gun delayed multiple times?

The Top Gun sequel was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

12. What award did the Top Gun soundtrack win?

The Top Gun soundtrack won a Grammy Award for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.

13. What type of sunglasses did Maverick wear in Top Gun?

Maverick wore Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses in Top Gun.

14. What was the Navy’s response to Top Gun’s impact on recruitment?

The Navy set up recruiting booths in theaters showing Top Gun to capitalize on the film’s influence.

15. What is the release date for Top Gun: Maverick?

The release date for Top Gun: Maverick is currently set for May 27, 2022.

In conclusion, Top Gun remains a beloved classic that continues to captivate audiences with its high-flying action and charismatic performances. Tom Cruise’s age at the time of the film’s release highlights his early success as a leading man in Hollywood. The film’s impact on recruitment for the United States Navy and its enduring popularity have solidified Top Gun as a timeless favorite among moviegoers. As fans eagerly await the release of Top Gun: Maverick, the legacy of Top Gun and Tom Cruise’s iconic role as Maverick will continue to soar to new heights.

Related Posts:

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Entertainment

Tom Cruise, 56, Looks Half His Age as He Straddles a Motorcycle for 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Tom Cruise took a joyride on the back of a motorcycle while on the set of his highly-anticipated film  Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise is feeling the need for speed.

The 56-year-old star took a joyride on the back of a motorcycle while on the set of his highly-anticipated film Top Gun: Maverick . He is set to reprise his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell for the sequel to his 1986 classic Top Gun — and by the looks of it, he’s barely aged.

Cruise wore a big grin while wearing his iconic bomber jacket, blue jeans and black aviator sunglasses.

In May, the actor shared the first shot from the set of the film to his social media on “#Day1” of production. The action star was decked in his aviation gear and held his helmet as he gazed across the tarmac at a plane.

Cruise labeled the picture “FEEL THE NEED,” referencing Maverick’s iconic quote, “I feel the need, the need for speed.” According to Variety , the Risky Business star’s character will now be an instructor.

Top Gun: Maverick will hit theaters in 2019, with Cruise and Val Kilmer , Lieutenant “Iceman” Kazansky, reprising their respective roles in the highly anticipated action drama, along with a new set of co-stars.

RELATED VIDEO: Watch Tom Cruise Force a ‘Terrified’ James Corden to Jump Out of an Airplane

Miles Teller is joining the film as Goose’s son. Goose was originally played by Anthony Edwards and died in an accident for which Maverick blames himself.

Other actors considered for the role were Hidden Figures ’ Glen Powell, who’s since joined the cast in another role, and X-Men ’s Nicholas Hoult.

Top Gun: Maverick is scheduled for release on July 12, 2019.

Related Articles

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

The cast of ‘top gun,’ then and now.

The classic 1986 action-drama is back in the zeitgeist after the release of 'Top Gun: Maverick.' Here's a look at what the cast of the first film has been up to since their last run to the Danger Zone.

By Jordan Wilson

Jordan Wilson

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Comment
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Tumblr

Ever since the first trailer dropped, it was clear the long-awaited sequel to 1986’s high-flying classic Top Gun would tug at the heart strings with nostalgic imagery emulating the first film. From the blood-pumping aerial combat maneuvers to shirtless volleyball games, Top Gun: Maverick follows in the footsteps of the Tony Scott-directed original, which took home a worldwide gross of $356 million according to Box Office Mojo .

The original film featured a cast of popular actors whose careers would mostly blossom in the years after release, but Top Gun will always be remembered as the film that turned Tom Cruise from teenage heartthrob to true leading man, one death-defying scene at a time.

In celebration of the sequel, The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at what the cast of Top Gun has been up to since sticking the landing more than three decades ago.

Tom Cruise’s fame was on the rise by the time he was cast as Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Between The Outsiders and Risky Business (for which he received a best actor Golden Globe nomination), Cruise was fast becoming a star when he took to the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat and flew toe-to-toe against Russian MiGs. He couldn’t stop being a leading man if he’d tried in the years after, starring in Rain Man opposite Dustin Hoffman, Stanley Kubrick’s final film Eyes Wide Shut and even taking the role of a bad guy in Michael Mann’s Collateral . He has been thrice-nominated for acting Oscars, for leading roles in Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire , and his supporting role in Magnolia . Cruise reprises his main role as the rebellious stick jockey in Top Gun: Maverick and remains active as Ethan Hunt, the spy at the center of the Mission: Impossible films.

Kelly McGillis

Playing an Amish woman opposite Harrison Ford in Witness got Kelly McGillis noticed by Top Gun producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who cast McGillis as the no-nonsense instructor turned love interest Charlie Blackwood. After the tremendous commercial success of Top Gun , McGillis starred in a few films including The Accused in 1988, but mostly stuck to theater roles even after being established as a major star in the late 1980s. She has since been in a number of small independent films, worked sporadically on TV and continued to perform theater.

Top Gun raised the specter of many of its stars, and Val Kilmer is no exception. After finding success leading the cast of the teenage sci-fi comedy Real Genius , Kilmer was cast as the cool-headed, methodical antagonist Iceman. Playing the constant tormentor of Maverick, Iceman eventually thaws to the rebellious nature of the movie’s hero in a touching scene of wingmanship toward the end of the film. Kilmer went on to star in a myriad of films, including Willow , The Doors (as frontman Jim Morrison), True Romance , Tombstone , Heat and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang . After being sidelined by health problems in recent years, Kilmer had a small role in the latest Kevin Smith flick Jay and Silent Bob Reboot . He reprises his role as Iceman for a cameo in Top Gun: Maverick .

Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards had a regular career in TV and small film roles in the early 1980s, but his first starring role as Gilbert in the raucous college comedy Revenge of the Nerds cemented him as a legitimate leading actor. Top Gun was big-time success with Edwards playing Goose, radar intercept officer and constant companion to Maverick whose story takes a tragic turn halfway through the film. Edwards took on many TV movie roles in the late ’80s and early ’90s before landing on the hospital drama ER as Mark Greene, a role for which he was Emmy-nominated four times as an outstanding lead actor in a drama series. His success in TV has continued with recurring roles in Billions , Law & Order and Netflix’s Inventing Anna . In Top Gun: Maverick , Miles Teller plays Goose’s son, a rookie pilot under the instruction of his father’s former wingman.

Tom Skerritt

Practically mid-career when cast as the sage instructor pilot Viper, Tom Skerritt had been acting in film since 1962’s War Hunt . He spent much of the 1960s in various television roles, regularly appearing as a soldier or cowboy in Combat! , The Virginian and Gunsmoke . He played a soldier again alongside Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould in Robert Altman’s 1970 satire MASH . He may be most well-known for playing Capt. Dallas, chief of the ill-fated spaceship Nostromo in Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror Alien . After Top Gun , Skerritt appeared in numerous other films and TV shows, notably Steel Magnolias and Cheers , and he won an Emmy for his performance as Sheriff Brock in Picket Fences . He has remained active, starring opposite Mira Sorvino in the 2021 drama film East of the Mountains .

Michael Ironside

Canadian-born Michael Ironside began acting in movies in the late 1970s, but picked up attention after playing scheming psychic Darryl Revok in David Cronenberg’s 1981 sci-fi horror Scanners . He played other intimidating characters in various low-budget movies until he was cast in Top Gun as Viper’s No. 2 instructor, Jester. The change of genre didn’t affect his career too much, as he continued to fill sci-fi roles in films like Highlander II: The Quickening , Total Recall and Starship Troopers . He’s also had a prolific television career, with parts in series like Tales From the Crypt ; Walker, Texas Ranger ; ER ; and Desperate Housewives . More recently, he appeared on Hulu’s The Dropout .

Tim Robbins

Though he was barely graduated from UCLA with a degree in Drama, Tim Robbins already had a recurring role on the TV series St. Elsewhere in 1982. Other bit parts followed before he was eventually cast in Top Gun as Merlin, Maverick’s backseater toward the climax of the film. Robbins wouldn’t truly break out until 1988’s Bull Durham , which would be followed by a string of successful 1990s mainstream films including Jacob’s Ladder , The Player and The Shawshank Redemption , where Robbins played the reserved but genius prisoner Andy Dufresne. Robbins earned an Oscar for 2004’s Mystic River , and his acting career has never really slowed down; he played Reginald “Pop” Merrill in Hulu’s Stephen King-adapted anthology series Castle Rock and a felonious DuPont lawyer in the 2019 film Dark Waters .

Other than Rich and Famous in 1981 and Amityville 3-D two years later, Meg Ryan had only appeared in a handful of TV series when she was cast as Goose’s wife, Carole. Top Gun was only the beginning, of course; her career achieved liftoff shortly thereafter when she starred in hit after hit, from When Harry Met Sally… to Sleepless in Seattle , Courage Under Fire , You’ve Got Mail and Kate & Leopold . Ryan has since moved behind the camera, making her directorial debut with the 2015 film Ithaca .

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

‘emilia<em> </em>pérez’ review: zoe saldaña, selena gomez and the divine karla sofia gascón light up jacques audiard’s fabulous queer crime musical, box office: ‘if’ contributing to summer woes with projected $31.5m opening, ‘the surfer’ review: nicolas cage goes entertainingly mad in fun, flashy australian thriller, ‘caught by the tides’ review: jia zhang-ke’s defining theme of modern china in constant transformation yields an elegiac love story, emma stone, jesse plemmons to star in new yorgos lanthimos movie ‘bugonia’, donna langley on theatrical challenges, paramount sales talks, and “inevitable” consolidation.

Filed under:

The Golden Age of the Aging Actor

Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ isn’t the exception—he’s the rule. There’s long been anecdotal evidence that top-line actors and actresses are getting older. Now, The Ringer has the data to back it up.

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: The Golden Age of the Aging Actor

Like its predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick is a movie about sweaty beach sports , awkward sex scenes , and dogfights with enemies of uncertain national origin . More so than the original, though, it’s also about aging. Maverick, a trainee in Top Gun , is now an instructor, regarded as a fossil, an old-timer, the last of his kind. Tethered to the past, he’s told that he’s going to get grounded as the guard changes not just to the next generation of pilots, but to uncrewed drones. He teaches his students that “Time is your greatest enemy,” a lesson hammered home by his old frenemy Iceman’s struggle with cancer. “It’s time to let go,” Iceman informs him. “I don’t know how,” Maverick replies.

All of this seems to make the movie a metaphor for film stardom. Tom Cruise, who first played Maverick when he was 23 and reprises the role in his late 50s, is a household name who hails from an era when there was such a thing, and when people, not IPs, were the biggest box-office attractions; he’s “Hollywood’s Last Real Movie Star,” as a recent New York Times feature dubbed him, or “The Last Action Hero,” as Ringer contributor Noah Gittell did . It may be true that Cruise’s kind of big-screen (or any -screen) star is “headed to extinction,” to borrow a phrase from Maverick’s boss, rear admiral Chester Cain (Ed Harris). But even if, as Cain says, “the end is inevitable,” Hollywood hasn’t let go of aging actors just yet. In fact, it’s clinging ever more tightly to them.

In the past 20 years—and particularly the last 10 to 15—the average age of actors appearing toward the top of the bill in film and TV projects has risen significantly. Whereas the star, or the top two or three stars, of the typical movie or TV series released in the closing decades of the 20th century was typically in their late 30s—several years older than the median age of the United States population at the time—today’s average actor age has reached the mid-40s and is steadily climbing toward 50. Actors who became fixtures on big screens and small in previous decades haven’t given way to new blood as quickly as was once customary. As a result, Hollywood’s leading men and women of today bear a strong resemblance to the leading men and women from the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s after a trip to the beach from Old —except, of course, for the fact that actors like Cruise (who’ll turn 60 next week) don’t always look their age. The graying of actors—the ones with their natural hair colors, at least—appears to be the product of a confluence of factors that reflect the fracturing of culture in the post-monoculture age, the industry’s gravitation toward franchises and sequels, shifts in audience demographics, efforts to promote more inclusive casting, and a growing range of options for maintaining a more youthful appearance.

Top Gun: Maverick features 50-somethings Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, and Jon Hamm; 62-year-old Val Kilmer; and 71-year-old Ed Harris. The movie also makes space for a smattering of 30-somethings, led by Miles Teller, Glen Powell, and Jay Ellis (who turned 40 after filming finished), but the oldsters are the stars. Audiences have happily turned out to see them: The movie opened big at the box office over Memorial Day weekend, and its appeal has proved resilient in subsequent weeks. The movie has surpassed a cumulative gross of $500 million domestically and $1 billion worldwide, and although COVID concerns kept many older film watchers away from theaters during the peak of the pandemic, 55 percent of people who bought tickets to Top Gun in its opening weekend were over 35.

In this era, the average age of Top Gun ’s top two actors hardly stands out. Consider the duos associated with other recent, high-profile releases such as Coming 2 America (Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall) or Only Murders in the Building (Steve Martin and Martin Short); the aged (and sometimes digitally de-aged) ensembles of The Irishman or the just-concluded Grace and Frankie ; or the leads of Star Trek: Picard (Patrick Stewart) or Hacks (Jean Smart). The Taylor Sheridanverse that’s taking over TV features lead actors who range from their 50s to their late 70s: Kevin Costner, Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Renner. Heck, an increasing percentage of movies have had “Old” in their titles: Not only Old , but also All of the Old Knives , The Old Way , and Old Henry , just since the start of 2021. On TV, there’s the almost too on-the-nose The Old Man , the new FX/Hulu series featuring 72-year-old Jeff Bridges and 76-year-old John Lithgow.

Granted, aged actors gracing the screen is not a new phenomenon, and neither is naming movies and TV shows with the word “Old.” (Old Yeller was only five years old , but the Grumpy —and Grumpier —Old Men were getting up there.) However, our analysis of IMDb data shows that this apparent aging of actors isn’t just anecdotal. The graph below displays the average age (at time of release) of the top-listed actor, top two listed actors, and top three listed actors in movies produced since 1980 that have garnered at least 1,000 IMDb user ratings (a really low bar cleared by 3,000 to 4,000 movies per year worldwide, including streaming releases).

The same pattern appears in all three, as it does if we focus on more exclusive samples of movies with at least 10,000 IMDB user ratings (roughly 200 titles per year) …

… or non-animated movies released in theaters …

… or non-animated movies that made at least $10 million at the box office …

… or the top-grossing movie of each year.

As the average age of actors with prominent parts has soared, the fraction of movies in which at least one of the top two listed actors is over 60, and the fraction in which at least one is under 30, have correspondingly increased and declined, respectively:

And while the aging of male action stars—the Cruises, Craigs, Keanus, Neesons, and Stallones—is among the most visible manifestations of the trend, it seems to span multiple genres.

Recent releases have more missing birthdates on IMDb, as do younger actors, but that can’t skew the stats enough to account for these visuals. Essentially, actors who rose to prominence in past decades have yet to retire or be vaudeville hooked out of the frame, and the youngsters and understudies who might have been expected to succeed them haven’t really arrived the way their predecessors did. The chart below, a kind of aging curve for actors, shows how prolific actors born in each of the 20th century’s five 20-year buckets collectively were as they aged. The most recent cohort, which would be in its early 20s to early 40s now, is on a much less productive trajectory than the generations born between 1940 and 1960 or between 1960 and 1980. (For reference, there are more movies made than ever now, across all platforms and even after limiting to 1,000 or more IMDb ratings, though there’s been a decrease in theatrical releases over the past decade, which began prior to the pandemic.)

The top two actors from the top-grossing movie of each year of the 1990s went on to appear in 185 movies from 2000 to 2009, and 129 from 2010 to 2019. The top two actors from the top-grossing movie of the 2000s went on to make only 101 movies from 2010 to 2019. So not only did the ’90s stars nearly double the next-decade output of the 2000s stars, but the ’90s stars were still more active two decades after their box-office heydays than the 2000s stars were one decade later. “There’s just greater longevity, frankly, of the people who are acting,” says Bruce Nash, founder of movie-industry database The Numbers . The most bankable actors, per his site’s current ranking , are Robert Downey Jr. and Sandra Bullock, both 57. But which is driving the trend: movie stars, or the movie business? Not to quash the suspense, but you know the drill: The answer is always “a bit of both.”

Ask industry sources, and you’ll get little pushback on the finding that lead actors, on average, are older than they used to be. (And not just in the sense that everyone who’s still living is older than they once were.) “People in Hollywood talk about this all the time,” says Matthew Belloni, founding partner and entertainment reporter at Puck (and host of Ringer show-business podcast The Town ). Nash adds, “It does certainly feel as though we do have that trend.” Casting director Mike Page confirms, “It definitely does track.” And Joshua Lynn, president of Piedmont Media Research , says, “It’s definitely true, you see the same names now that you did 15-to-20-plus years ago on the list of bankable stars.” The question is why this has happened—and on that topic, you’re liable to hear a range of responses.

One common hypothesis pins the blame for younger actors’ failure to reach the same heights of bankability on the decline of the monoculture. “The fracturization of the culture means it’s much more difficult to launch stars,” says Belloni. “You look at what’s going on with the Top Gun guys right now. In a previous generation, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, maybe Jay Ellis, those guys would all be stars that could be the center of their own movie now. But now, not really.” (Unless, that is, it’s a Marvel movie—but we’ll get to that.) As Page puts it, “It’s harder to establish these megastars now, because so few people are viewing the exact same content.”

In other words, actors of Cruise’s vintage, who came of age as actors and celebrities in a pre-internet age with fewer entertainment options and less siloed media diets, attained a level of cultural penetration that would be far more difficult for any actor to replicate now. Members of that generation who built their public profiles in a more fame-friendly era may be better positioned to cut through the static of competing people and products than those who didn’t debut or break big early enough to establish that foothold. Consequently, the former may be more able—or perceived as more able—to attract an audience on the strength of their reputation, which would make them more in demand. “You’ll keep seeing the same names over and over, because they happened to exist at a time when ‘movie stars’ were a more important thing to our culture than they are now,” Lynn says. Whether you noticed or not, Neeson has pumped out 24 action movies since starring in Taken in 2008, when he was 55. Another ’90s star, Adam Sandler, has made 22 non-animated movies since the start of 2008—including more comedies than he had in his whole career up to that point—most of which were part of lucrative Netflix deals .

Some sources suggest that somewhat paradoxically, the greater ease of access to celebrities today may diminish their movie-star cred. Jeff Bock, senior media analyst for Exhibitor Relations Co. , says, “Part of the mystique of being a larger-than-life movie star resides in the exclusivity of engagement with audiences. … Even though fans have more access [to younger stars], oftentimes it diminishes that unique bond one forms with consumers.” Belloni echoes that sentiment. “We can see Miles Teller all over his wife’s Instagram every day. And we can see him tweeting about the Phillies, and we can see him in all the paparazzi shots and on our TikTok feeds. And there’s nothing special about seeing Miles Teller in a movie anymore. Whereas … there [were] only a couple places to see Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Tom Cruise … or any of these guys that are considered action stars still today.” The social-media-driven “commoditization of actors,” Belloni believes, has “really, really diminished the ability to create new stars.”

Perhaps that’s partly because the current up-and-comers who might be movie-star material are less likely to inspire, or even aspire to inspire, the same sort of fandom as stars in previous eras. “There is a rising generation—more than one, really—of entertainment consumers that isn’t as committed to narrative entertainment as the generations before them,” says film historian and author Mark Harris . “Maybe they’re gamers, or maybe what they really enjoy is TikTok, or maybe it’s something else, but a generation can’t generate stars if it doesn’t really love the medium that creates and accommodates stars.” At the very least, the strain of stardom that newer media spawns may not look like yesterday’s flavor; the modern model may be closer to Kardashian than Cruise.

Even so, some actors still covet Cruise-ian cachet. (Per the Times , Powell told Cruise, “I’m trying to be you.”) They may just lack the avenues to achieve it, thanks to what Nash identifies as a “gap between the regular movies and the big blockbusters,” the latter of which are dwindling in number The remaining few, he adds, “come in, increasingly, the same mold. Really, what you’re seeing are superhero movies, [and] there’s not a lot of opportunity for people to become superhero movie stars.”

That increasing emphasis on franchise-based blockbusters has come at the expense of some of the old pathways to prominence. “There [are fewer] studio movies now than ever before, and the indie movie scene is pretty small and not as significant to Hollywood as it used to be, which allowed exciting new faces/voices into the mix,” Lynn says, adding, “There are just [fewer] opportunities for new people to suddenly emerge and lead a major film and then become stars, leading to more opportunities to lead other films subsequently.” To return to Teller: “In a previous generation, he would have the opportunity to do a mid-budget studio thriller, rom-com, something that would test his allure as a movie star and the ability to open a movie,” Belloni says. “And those movies are just not happening.”

Now, Lynn says, there are at most three routes to traditional movie stardom. You can rise from obscurity to star in a film from a respected studio director who became a big name in the ’80s or ’90s; you can earn critical acclaim from a series of smaller movies and then make the leap to Marvel, Star Wars , or another sci-fi tentpole; or you can cross over from a huge hit on TV, though it’s getting harder to have a Game of Thrones – or Stranger Things –level smash as streaming segmentation intensifies. Oscar Isaac, the Chrises , and Adam Driver, all now in their late 30s or early 40s, needed boosts from major genre movies to reach a new stardom stratosphere. As those movies make up a bigger proportion of the thinner studio release schedule, Lynn says, “You see the same people over and over again in those movies playing the same parts.”

Film data researcher Stephen Follows, who has also observed a 21st-century trend toward older actors, suspects that the thirst for reboots and sequels accounts for some of the aging trend, because recycling material leads to recycling stars. “It’s about films having the same people in them, and people sticking around for longer,” he says. “And therefore, by definition, they’re aging one year a year.” (Cruise, for instance, appears almost exclusively in sequels these days.) F. Andrew Hanssen, an economics professor at Clemson who detected early signs of a widespread aging of actors in a study published a decade ago, notes that whereas during the days of the studio system, studios would spend substantial sums on building up new stars, “The trend of paying large sums of money to relatively unknown actors to appear in a series of films (as Captain America, say)” may have “created an ‘anti-studio’ situation, in which the incentive to develop new actors except in this narrow capacity has become even weaker.”

Of course, the explosion in sequels, prequels, reboots, and remakes—not only in movies, but in other media, giving rise to what researcher Adam Mastroianni has labeled a “ pop oligopoly ”—stems in part from the fretting about breaking through in a crowded culture, which leads studios to default to the same old names. “The name above the poster is a rarity these days, and because the cost to green-light a blockbuster is an enormous risk for studios, these companies often lean on what has worked previously—sequels and big stars,” says Bock. Last month, Top Gun: Maverick producer Jerry Bruckheimer said as much, remarking , “I still get the same list of 10 men the studios want in a movie. You still get Tom, Leonardo [DiCaprio]. Get one of these big names and you’ve got a good shot at getting a movie made.” Asked for other names, he listed Brad Pitt, who at 58 just related that he’s on the “last leg” of his career; pressed for someone who wasn’t famous last century, he allowed that Hemsworth has “broken through.”

Which isn’t to say that things have to work that way. “Bruckheimer is not wrong in that there are a limited number of actors who can ‘carry’ a movie,” Belloni says. “But I think Hollywood is a little bit to blame here for being risk-averse and not trying certain actors in these roles. … A lot of it is fear that there is such a splintered culture.” Follows also attributes part of the aging effect to “the risk-averse nature of the people commissioning” blockbusters, though he notes that the evidence of actor aging even outside of theatrical releases from major studios “does suggest that it is more of a cultural trend than just the conscious or unconscious decision of 20 people.”

What else could be contributing to that cultural trend? For one thing, this situation isn’t the inverse of Wooderson’s line from Dazed and Confused , in which the actors get older while the audience stays the same age. The audience is getting older also, along with the U.S. population, whose median age is up 8.5 years since 1980. Consequently, catering to middle-aged spectators and senior citizens is more rewarding for the makers of movies and TV. “Older audiences are fueling moviegoing right now,” Belloni says. In 2019 , people 60 or older accounted for more tickets sold than any other age group except 25 to 39. And as younger viewers cut the cord and churn through streaming services , cable-connected and deeper-pocketed viewers are making their preferences felt on TV, too.

“You do have to target the older audiences, because they are the ones that are still paying,” Page says, adding, “They’re probably looking more for content and lead characters, lead actors, that are relevant and reflect their lives and experience.” Although Follows has found that the impact of actor age on audience turnout may be overrated, the perception of a link influences studios. “I probably would be more inclined to see Liam Neeson in an action movie, given my age, than Tom Holland,” says Nash, who’s 54. “You see that in romantic comedies as well. It’s not people in their early 20s anymore. It’s people in their 40s, sometimes, and the second chances at romance, and so on, tends to be a little bit more the prevailing force.”

Older characters require older actors—and like Cruise, those actors may seem to defy the ticking clock that Maverick warned about, especially compared to the chain-smoking stars of old (and old-looking) Hollywood. “Actors look young for longer, thanks to advances in exercise and diet (not to mention cosmetic surgery), and can credibly play action heroes or romantic leads at older ages than in the past,” Hanssen says. ( Physique-enhancing drugs may play a part, too.) Plus, there’s always the option of airbrushing. “Between both modern medicine and what they can do with digital makeup and things like that in post, you can have stars that are aging out, but you still pretend that they’re age appropriate,” Belloni says. And an aging audience might have an evolving definition of “appropriate.” Page points to a “societal expansion of what sexy is, what vitality is, and getting to see that there’s not necessarily an expiration date at 50, at 60, at 70.” (Which is the theme of Good Luck to You, Leo Grande , a movie released last week that stars the 63-year-old Emma Thompson and includes a much - discussed nude scene.)

Actors aren’t alone here: By historical standards, today’s top politicians , top touring musicians , top tennis players , and top quarterbacks are ancient too. It’s the era of presidential runs by Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Bernie Sanders; pricey, sold-out concerts by Paul McCartney, Elton John, and the Rolling Stones; unprecedented title totals by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic; one-two MVP finishes by Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady . Just as new racket strings and slower playing surfaces have helped venerable tennis stars stay at a higher level for longer—and, for that matter, as improvements in manufacturing have kept cars on the road for record durations —tuneups to actors’ exteriors have helped them stay on screens and win Oscars at more advanced ages. Jessica Daniels , a Casting Society of America board member and the VP of casting for Walt Disney Television, says, “60 years old now doesn’t look like 60 years old did 20 or 30 years ago, and people are living longer, and so just by virtue of that, I think that we’re all adapting.”

Another factor fueling that change is anti-ageism advocacy by organizations such as the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Although in theory the extended tenures of legacy stars could prevent a group of more diverse actors from seizing the spotlight, studies show sweeping improvements in representation, at least in front of the camera. “It feels like the industry is … moving in the right direction as far as diversification in many areas, and I think age is one of those,” Page says. Historically, female actors have faced severe age discrimination , and that problem persists; Bruckheimer, when asked to list female counterparts to his bankable Brads, Toms, and Leos, said, “Women are harder. It’s just not that strong a list yet.” However, the trend toward older actors holds true for both men and women, and the age gap between them has seemingly started to shrink (though Top Gun costar Kelly McGillis attributed her absence from the sequel to her age and appearance).

“I definitely think, specifically in television, we are breaking a lot more barriers,” Daniel says. “I think that there is so much more room for not only a diversity and inclusivity of experience, but I do think that there’s an audience that does want to see not only beloved actors that we’ve loved for years, but also just wants to see this experience, wants to see these stories being told.” Although the lines on that graph aren’t close to converging, Nash notes that there’s “not necessarily so much of a bias as there might once have been.”

For the foreseeable future, those “average age” lines may continue their ascent. “With YouTube getting more interest among kids than the state of the Academy Awards, and with streaming fracturing the landscape as we speak even further, I honestly don’t see that changing anytime soon,” Lynn says. The question confronting Hollywood seems similar to the question confronting the ATP Tour as Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic finally age out : Who’s next? “Beyond [Timothée] Chalamet, Holland, and Zendaya, name a movie star under 30.” Belloni says. “It’s tough.” Letitia Wright, Florence Pugh, Hailee Steinfeld, and (soon) Sydney Sweeney may make the most of their Marvel exposure, but in the absence of a deep pool of marquee talent, Page says, “Everybody clamors for the short list of the recognizable names.” Al Pacino anointed Chalamet as his pick to play Vincent Hanna in a potential Heat 2 , and Sony sold Uncharted to audiences using Holland’s post-Spider-Man star power, even though his older costar, Mark Wahlberg, was the one whose name helped get the movie made. (Wahlberg, now a fanatically buff 51, embodied the older-actors hegemony when in 2012 he replaced the 15-years-younger Shia LaBeouf as the face of Transformers .) But Holland and the Dune duo can act only so much.

Cary Grant, who retired at 62, supposedly said , “Hollywood is very much like a streetcar. Once a new star is made and comes aboard, an old one is edged out of the rear exit. There’s room for only so many and no more.” But what if the old stars won’t relinquish their status until they’re elderly enough for riders in real life to offer them seats? The star of Top Gun: Maverick has two more Mission Impossible movies on the way, but Chester Cain wasn’t wrong; Cruise can’t act forever, and by the time that second flick comes out, he’ll be pushing 62 himself. “There is not going to be another Tom Cruise,” Belloni says. “That era is over.” But the era of old actors has no end in sight.

Rob Arthur is a Chicago-based freelance journalist and data science consultant.

The ‘Walk Hard’ School of Music Biopic Filmmaking

New seasons of ‘house of the dragon’ and ‘rings of power,’ and the state of franchise tv. plus, ‘big cigar’ and adrien brody on ‘winning time’ and ‘succession.’, the action movie scene draft.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Link to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• The Last Stop in Yuma County Link to The Last Stop in Yuma County

New TV Tonight

• Interview With the Vampire: Season 2
• Bridgerton: Season 3
• Outer Range: Season 2
• Spacey Unmasked: Season 1
• After the Flood: Season 1
• The Big Cigar: Season 1
• The Killing Kind: Season 1
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Season 11.1
• Harry Wild: Season 3
• RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars: Season 9

Most Popular TV on RT

• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Bodkin: Season 1
• X-Men '97: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Doctor Who: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Bridgerton: Season 3 Link to Bridgerton: Season 3
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Cannes Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

The Best Movies of 1999

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

What’s Next For Marvel’s Merry Mutants In X-Men ’97 ?

Kinds of Kindness First Reviews: Unpredictable, Unapologetic, and Definitely Not for Everyone

• Trending on RT
• Megalopolis Reviews
• Best Movies of 1999
• Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024
• TV Premiere Dates

Where to Watch

Watch Top Gun with a subscription on Prime Video, Paramount+, rent on Fandango at Home, or buy on Fandango at Home.

What to Know

Though it features some of the most memorable and electrifying aerial footage shot with an expert eye for action, Top Gun offers too little for non-adolescent viewers to chew on when its characters aren't in the air.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

Kelly McGillis

Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood

Anthony Edwards

Lt. Nick "Goose" Bradshaw

Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazanski

Tom Skerritt

Cmdr. Mike "Viper" Metcalf

Movie Clips

More like this, movie news & guides, this movie is featured in the following articles..

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• CA Privacy Notice

On this day in history, May 16, 1986, Tom Cruise Cold War blockbuster 'Top Gun' jets across silver screen

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

" Top Gun ," a triumphant all-American pre-"woke" Hollywood movie classic , was released on this day in history, May 16, 1986.

Patriotic and sexy, if somewhat predictable, the action-romance placed cocky young U.S. Navy pilots in a "Danger Zone" of love and Cold War combat.

It roared across the American landscape like an F-14 strafing pop culture with one memorable explosion after another.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, MAY 15, 1800, PRESIDENT ADAMS MOVES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM PHILADELPHIA TO DC

"When ‘Top Gun’   hit the box office in 1986, it quickly rose to the top of the charts, drawing a great deal of attention to the film and the cast," MovieWeb.com wrote in a 2022 retrospective of the silver-screen sensation.

"The film became an instant classic thanks to the award-winning soundtrack and some of the best aerial scenes to ever hit the big screen."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Top Gun" was the top-grossing movie of 1986 by a wide margin.

It made upstart 23-year-old actor Tom Cruise one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and produced a No. 1 soundtrack featuring top acts of the 1980s, including Kenny Loggins, Cheap Trick and Loverboy.

Kelly McGillis played Charlie, the blonde bombshell instructor at the Navy’s elite "Top Gun" flight school and, of course, Cruise’s love interest.

The movie was so popular – 46 million people in North America bought tickets that year – that it had a ripple effect on pop-culture that is still felt today.

"Top Gun" turned the names of dashing pilots "Goose" (Anthony Edwards), "Iceman" (Val Kilmer) and "Maverick" (Cruise) into American cultural idioms for cocksure machismo.

"Talk to me, Goose," Maverick shouts twice in the movie during dazzling flight scenes, the phrase commonly used in casual conversation nearly 40 years later.

"You can be my wingman any time," Iceman tells former rival Maverick after the hotshot Cruise character guns down Soviet MIG fighters in the movie’s climactic dogfight battle scene.

Long used in military jargon, "wingman" became a synonym for trusted male buddy, usually in social situations, on the strength of that triumphant "Top Gun" exchange.

‘TOP GUN: MAVERICK’: KENNY LOGGINS TALKS ‘DANGER ZONE’ AND MEETING TOM CRUISE FOR THE FIRST TIME

The enduring popularity of "Top Gun" inspired a hit sequel an incredible 36 years later.

"Top Gun: Maverick" proved the biggest box-office smash of 2022, fueled by the same themes of slick aerial heroics and unabashed American patriotism.

Despite its impact at the box office and on wider culture, critics gave "Top Gun" a lukewarm response.

"In one sequence after another, the soundtrack trembles as the sleek planes pursue each other through the clouds, and, yeah, it's exciting," wrote Roger Ebert, the celebrated late film critic, of the flick in 1986.

"But the love story between Cruise and McGillis is a washout … In its other scenes on the ground, the movie seems content to recycle old clichés and conventions out of countless other war movies."

The public disagreed with Ebert, especially about the scorching Cruise-McGillis maneuvers.

Maverick's public serenade of the sizzling skirt flight instructor inspired a revival of the 1965 Righteous Brothers No. 1 Billboard hit "You've Lost That Loving Feeling."

Fans in theaters expected Maverick to crash and burn. They clapped instead when Charlie invited him to sit down after the high-risk barroom stunt.

Their romance inspired its own scorching love anthem.

INDIANA MAN PAINTS MASSIVE AMERICAN FLAG MURAL ON ROOF OF HARDWARE STORE: ‘A LOT OF PRIDE’

"Take My Breath Away" by Berlin was a No. 1 hit around the world in the summer of 1986 and won Academy and Golden Globe Awards for Original Song of the Year.

"Top Gun" was, if not inspired by, certainly preceded by a long-forgotten landmark silent movie that set the standard for the cocky pilot action-romance genre.

"Wings," also from Paramount Pictures, released nationally in 1929, featured the exploits of a pair of World War I flying aces in love with the same woman.

Among other claims to fame, "Wings" introduced young actor Gary Cooper in a small supporting role.

"Wings" enjoyed a rebirth of attention with the success of "Top Gun: Maverick" last year and boasts an achievement even the original "Top Gun" cannot claim.

It captured Best Picture honors at the first Academy Awards in 1929.

"Top Gun" wasn't even nominated for Best Picture in 1987. The award went to "Platoon."

"If you haven’t seen this masterpiece, treat yourself. You won’t regret it," aviation blogger Scott Spangler wrote of "Wings" for the website JetWhine.com.

Perhaps the biggest impact of "Top Gun" was turning Cruise into a giant of American cinema.

He enjoyed a breakout hit in the 1983 teen flick "Risky Business," but in a juvenile role.

"‘Top Gun’ put him over the top, using sensational special effects and aerial sequences to tell the story of Navy F-14 pilots fighting to be the best," Ebert wrote later in 1986, as Cruise starred beside Paul Newman in another silver screen hit that year, "The Color of Money."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

"’Top Gun’ has made Cruise the top box-office star of the year, and it's Hollywood folklore that with a hit that big, an actor can write his own ticket for a few years."

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle .

Original article source: On this day in history, May 16, 1986, Tom Cruise Cold War blockbuster 'Top Gun' jets across silver screen

Recommended Stories

Emma hayes comes to uswnt as a five-peat wsl champion at chelsea.

Chelsea won its fifth consecutive WSL title by stomping Manchester United on the final day.

Beats headphones and earbuds with AppleCare+ are on sale at Amazon

Several models of Beats headphones and earbuds are deeply discounted right now in a deal from Amazon, including the noise canceling Studio Buds, which are nearly half off. The limited time deal also includes the option for two years of AppleCare+ coverage.

Yeti coolers, drinkware and more are 20% off at REI's Anniversary Sale

REI is currently offering an enticing 20% off coupon for popular gear from Yeti, from coolers to waterproof bags to camping chairs

Deal Dive: Sagetap looks to bring enterprise software sales into the 21st century

When the founders of Sagetap, Sahil Khanna and Kevin Hughes, started working at early-stage enterprise software startups, they were surprised to find that the companies they worked at were trying to sell their innovative tech through old-school methods like repeated cold emails and calls. Khanna, a former product marketer, and Hughes, a former sales manager, knew these methods weren't effective to either sell software or help buyers get the solution they needed. "Company executives are frustrated, their email is destroyed," Khanna, Sagetap's CEO, told TechCrunch.

Rebecca Lobo recounts sexist remark from referee while coaching her son's team

Legendary women's basketball star and broadcaster Rebecca Lobo shared a troubling example of sexism she encountered while coaching her son's youth basketball team.

'Loose fitting without being frumpy' These comfy capri pants are down to $23

Over 5,000 shoppers give these comfy pants a perfect five-star rating — you can get them for nearly 60% off.

Why Americans are feeling bad about inflation despite a good economy

How do Americans feel about inflation? They hate it. And that colors their perception of a good US economy.

Right now you can save hundreds on Thule, Yakima and Kuat racks and roof boxes at REI

You usually have to spend full MSRP for these essential gear pieces but for a limited time, REI members can get 20% off, saving hundreds

'As good as Waterpik': Amazon shoppers love this water flosser for that squeaky-clean feeling, and it's down to $30

Get dentist-level cleaning from the comfort of your home for an unreal 40% off.

'No more guesswork': This easy-to-read meat thermometer is ready for grilling season, and down to $13

This digital doodad has nearly 62,000 sizzling five-star reviews: 'This is the secret to not overcooking!'

'Top Gun' star Tom Cruise ready to fly again as co-star Jennifer Connelly says 'I'll be there'

It's been 38 years since the Hollywood movie classic "Top Gun" premiered, and Tom Cruise is still in fighting shape.

Ahead of the film's anniversary on May 16, the 61-year-old actor took to Instagram to share a series of photos that feature behind-the-scenes snapshots of him and various cast members on the set of the original film and the 2022 sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick." 

And Cruise proved he's still in action-hero shape while enjoying a beach day this week in Mallorca, Spain. Cruise, who has been filming the latest "Mission: Impossible" film , flashed his toned abs while taking a dip in the ocean.

‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE' STAR TOM CRUISE DEFIES AGE WITH DANGEROUS STUNTS: EXPERTS

In his Instagram post, Cruise wrote in a caption, "It’s incredible to look back on the thirty-eight years of ‘Top Gun.’ To the fans who have been with us since the start, there wouldn’t be a Top Gun Day without you."

Fans were quick to express their enthusiasm.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Thank you so much for saving the film industry," one follower commented.

"The fact that you guys managed to make the most amazing sequel ever two years ago, honoring Top Gun, is incredible!" another wrote.

In March, Jerry Bruckheimer – the producer for both the original "Top Gun" and "Top Gun: Maverick" – revealed that a third installment may be in the works.

"We're working on ['Top Gun 3']," he told People magazine. "We pitched Tom a story he liked. But he's a very in-demand actor, and he's got a lot of movies lined up, so we have to wait and see."

While it's up in the air, "Top Gun: Maverick" actress Jennifer Connelly, who portrayed Penelope "Penny" Benjamin in the film, is on board if it does happen. 

"I'll be there. I'm ready," Connelly told "Entertainment Tonight."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

"I haven't seen anything," she said. "I had a casual chat with my friend, Joe Kosinski, who directed it, who I worked with twice now. I'm his biggest fan. I think he's so great. [I talked to him] about the possibility of it, but I don't know anything concrete."

One thing's for sure, if "Top Gun 3" happens, Cruise is more than ready for it. 

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

It's no secret Cruise has remained in great physical shape throughout the years due to his demanding film schedule and his desire to perform most of his own stunts.

According to Christine Haas , entertainment PR expert and CEO of Haas Media, Cruise's ability to maintain such a strong physique has to do with his strong "discipline." 

"Tom Cruise is notorious for his physical fitness and overall rigorous discipline," Haas told Fox News Digital last year. "After speaking with a director who worked very closely with Tom Cruise over the past decade, it was very apparent that he has a high level of energy and is consistently auditing his behavior and actions daily with the help of his Scientology team. This level of demand and drive allows him to defy age and perform physically demanding stunts, leading to the consistent development of a masterful personal brand."

"I believe he is one of very few celebrities who can continue with these types of risks because of the intense physical and mental protocol he lives by ... without that consistent training, it would be far more dangerous. Like someone training for a marathon, he stays prepared instead of allowing his fitness level to regress and expose him to injuries," she said.

"Top Gun" was the top-grossing movie of 1986 by a wide margin. The movie was so popular that 46 million people in North America bought tickets that year. The enduring popularity of "Top Gun" inspired a hit sequel 36 years later. "Top Gun: Maverick" proved to be the biggest box-office smash of 2022.

"Maverick" became the most-watched film in the world during its opening weekend release on the Paramount+ streaming platform.

The Joseph Kosinski-directed film stars Cruise alongside a long list of Hollywood celebrities, including Miles Teller , Jon Hamm, Ed Harris and Val Kilmer. "Maverick" also received numerous accolades, such as two Golden Globes nominations for best motion picture of a drama and best original song.

Fox News Digital's Kerry J. Byrne, Phillip Nieto, Emily Trainham and Larry Fink contributed to this post.

Original article source: 'Top Gun' star Tom Cruise ready to fly again as co-star Jennifer Connelly says 'I'll be there'

It's Top Gun Day, And Tom Cruise Thanked Fans With A Sweet Social Media Post To Celebrate The Movie's 38th Anniversary

Tom Cruise provides a look behind the making of Top Gun.

It was 38 years ago today – on May 16, 1986 – that Tony Scott 's Top Gun first arrived in theaters, and it's a date that Tom Cruise remembers. After all, the movie was one of the early hits that established the actor as a true Hollywood A-lister, and it will forever be reflected upon as a key part of his big screen history. As one would expect, Cruise has fond memories associated with the film (as well as its sequel, Top Gun: Maverick ), and he celebrated its anniversary of the classic action film today with a sweet social media post.

Despite the fact that Top Gun is full of 1980s energy , it still feels crazy that the movie came out nearly four decades ago – and that's reflected in Tom Cruise 's post to Twitter this afternoon. In addition to shock, he also expressed gratitude to the fanbase that has kept the love going for the film since it first hit theaters. The actor posted,

It’s incredible to look back on the thirty-eight years of Top Gun. To the fans who have been with us since the start, there wouldn’t be a Top Gun Day without you.

The Top Cruise post from Tom Cruise also included a collection of four behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the movie and Top Gun: Maverick (note: it's not terribly hard to figure out which one is from the sequel). Two of the shots feature Cruise with director Tony Scott (who passed away in 2012) , and having a chat with producer Jerry Bruckheimer:

It’s incredible to look back on the thirty-eight years of Top Gun. To the fans who have been with us since the start, there wouldn’t be a Top Gun Day without you. pic.twitter.com/xHl22CmdRG May 13, 2024

Along with the message and photos, Tom Cruise also retweeted an official video from the official Top Gun Twitter account celebrating the blockbuster film's latest anniversary – with a special focus on the full legacy of the franchise and clips from both the original movie and the years-later follow-up. It even ends with a salute from Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell that feels like a salute to fans for decades of love:

To the fans that have jet fuel in their blood, happy #TopGunDay. pic.twitter.com/G4JwIYQqtT May 13, 2024

Top Gun: Maverick Cast: The Main Actors And The Characters They Play

Appreciating these photos and video is one thing, and you may now find yourself blasting "Highway To The Danger Zone" and "Take My Breath Away" through your speakers... but everyone knows that the only proper way to celebrate Top Gun Day is by actually watching Top Gun – and that's actually really easy to do nowadays. In addition to being on 4K UHD and Blu-ray , as well as available for digital rental and purchase, the beloved '80s classic is accessible for both Prime Video subscribers and Paramount+ subscribers (you can also stream Top Gun: Maverick from the latter service).

Will we someday get a Top Gun 3 that further advance's the franchise's legacy? Tom Cruise has expressed optimism , but time will tell. We here at CinemaBlend are certainly paying attention to all chatter about the project, so stay tuned for all of the latest news and updates about the potential project.

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.

Nobody Gives A F--- About You In Hollywood': Glen Powell Gets Real About A Time He Royally Messed Up Before He Became Famous And How It Actually Helped

As Ben Affleck And JLo Allegedly Live In Separate Homes, An Insider Drops Claims On Why They’ve Occasionally Had Issues During Their Marriage

'CBS Reconsider': Bridget Moynahan Posted About Blue Bloods' Mid-Season Finale, And Of Course The Fans Can't Stop Commenting About The Cancelation

Most Popular

• 2 Fire Country’s Showrunner Broke Down The Final Words Of The Season 2 Finale, And I Have A Theory About How It Will Impact Bode And His Family
• 3 As Ben Affleck And JLo Allegedly Live In Separate Homes, An Insider Drops Claims On Why They’ve Occasionally Had Issues During Their Marriage
• 4 The Internet Is Making Up Alternate Young Sheldon Endings, And They Are Absolutely Sending Me
• 5 I Need To Talk About The Great Power Of The Spider-Man Movies And Mental Health

Doctors Explain Why Tom Cruise’s Skin Is Sagging In Shocking New Beach Photos

Medical professionals disagree on what's going on with Cruise after recent shirtless photos left fans shocked.

• Fans speculate about Tom Cruise's youthful look and question if he underwent cosmetic procedures.
• Recent shirtless photos reveal potential sagging skin, prompting debate on his appearance changes.
• Doctors disagree on whether Tom's sagging skin is due to aging or liposuction, adding to the mystery.

Tom Cruise has been applauded for his youthful looks, which some fans have speculated is due to the help of cosmetic procedures. The Mission: Impossible star even recently got criticism for seemingly going overboard with the fillers .

However, amid the speculation about whether he’s gone under the knife, Cruise’s fans were recently shocked by shirtless photos taken of him at the beach, showing what some described as “sagging skin.” There have been questions over whether he’s really able to still perform his own stunts, as Tom has become known for.

Tom Cruise Has A Strict Rule Regarding His Look During Public Events

Now, a doctor explained what’s likely going on with the 61-year old, providing possible answers to Cruise’s curious fan base.

One Doctor Claims Tom Likely Had Liposuction

Speaking to Daily Mail , Dr. David Hill, a plastic surgeon based in Chicago, says Tom’s loose skin around the midsection could be a consequence of liposuction.

Liposuction is a surgical procedure designed to remove small pockets of fat from specific areas of the body where fat tends to accumulate, such as the buttocks, hips, thighs, and abdomen. The procedure involves using a suction technique to eliminate these fat deposits, which can sometimes result in loose skin in the treated areas.

“Usually, if you lose weight naturally over time, you get less of that skin rippling and irregularity, because it's gradual,” the doctor explained.

“With liposuction, because it's more immediate, the skin doesn't have time to contract as much... so Tom's Cruise's saggy skin could be a hallmark of [liposuction],” he went on.

How Old Is Tom Cruise During His Most Dangerous Stunts?

Dr. Hill, who has never worked with Cruise, couldn’t confirm if the actor has had liposuction done. But if he did undergo the cosmetic procedure, the medical expert says it was done by a talented dsurgical team.

“I don't see any hallmarks of irregular contour on his body that would suggest bad liposuction, but there is enhanced muscle definition, which is reflective of his earlier photos when he was younger,” he explained. “If they did it, they did it well.”

Another Doctor Says Tom’s Saggy Skin Is Aging

However, not every medical professional believes Tom’s sagging skin is a result of going under the knife. In fact, another doctor told Daily Mail that, in his expert opinion, this is just a sign of aging. Though Tom looks decades younger, particularly in the face, many fans fail to remember he’s in his 60s.

Dr Howard Sobel, a cosmetic dermatologic surgeon who practices at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital, explained, “In any 61-year-old guy you would expect to have some skin sagging, because as we get older, we lose that elasticity in our skin.”

The doctor added, “The areas of your chest, and the areas below your chest, the skin around your ribs and your abs are very often the first to lose the elasticity, especially in a man.”

As individuals get older, their skin's collagen and elastin levels gradually diminish, leading to a loss of strength and firmness. Dr. Hill pointed out that sagging skin is generally a complication observed in patients who need to lose a significant amount of fat, a scenario that does not apply to Tom Cruise, but his changing look can still be the result of ageing.

For now, Cruise hasn’t responded to the speculation over his recent photos.

A Guide to Tom Cruise's Family

Marriage to Nicole Kidman

Tom Cruise was in the process of divorcing first wife Mimi Rogers   when he met Nicole Kidman   making the racing movie  Days of Thunder  in early 1990. He proposed to the Australian actress once he was officially single and they tied the knot that year on Christmas Eve.

"It was that special connection when you recognize your soul mate," Tom told Vanity Fair   in 1994. "She is a person who understands. It was as if a whole new life had started for me."

They announced their divorce in January 2001, which, according to Nicole, came as a surprise.

"I'm starting to understand now [why we broke up]," she told  Vanity Fair  toward the end of 2002. "At the time I didn't."

Her ex, meanwhile, had told the publication earlier that year, "She knows why, and I know why. She's the mother of my children, and I wish her well. And I think that you just move on. And I don't say that lightly. I don't say that with anything."

Isabella Cruise

Tom and Nicole adopted their eldest child, Isabella , when she was born on Dec. 22, 1992.

Admittedly "scared to death" the first time he changed a diaper, Tom told  VF  in 1994 that he and Nicole "talked about children from time to time, but there was always the work. But then we went, When is it ever going to be the right time? That's how the conversation started. You're lying in bed at night and you're trying to sleep, so you roll over and you go, What would happen if we had this in our life?... One of the things that Nic and I talk about is that now suddenly we're a family ."

Nicole said they definitely planned on having more kids, whether by birth or adoption, preferably both.

"Isabella was meant for us," she told the magazine. "I think when things come into your life at a certain time you have to take them. It's destiny."

She later revealed to  VF  in 2007 that they decided to adopt after she lost a pregnancy. "From the minute Tom and I were married, I wanted to have babies," she said. "And we lost a baby early on, so that was really very traumatic. And that's when we would adopt Bella." 

"There's a complicated background to that," she added, "given that I never speak much about many things. One day maybe that story will be told."

Isabella, an artist and graduate of London's Delamar Academy of Make-Up and Hair, lives in England with husband  Max Parker . 

It raised a few eyebrows when the bride's parents didn't attend the couple's 2015 wedding at the Dorchester hotel in London.

"Of course, they're my parents," she fired back at Daily Mail Online when the newlywed was asked if she spoke to Tom and Nicole. "Anyone who says otherwise is full of s--t."

Moreover, only a few close friends attended and the groom's parents weren't there, either, his mom Beverly Parker telling the Mail they stayed away to avoid "a media circus." Calling the pair "lovely," she said, "I'm very pleased for them both and they're very happy."

Max told the publication that "you could say" his wife had foregone the spotlight, but it was "more of a weird situation for everyone else" than it was for them. 

Meanwhile, sources told  People that Tom approved of Max, was OK with not being there and he paid for the wedding, while Nicole was just glad her daughter seemed happy.

Connor Cruise

Connor rounded out the family when he was adopted at birth on Jan. 17, 1995. He's a musician and DJ, and reportedly lives in Miami.

Nicole married Keith Urban  in 2006 and they share daughters Sunday Rose , born July 7, 2008, and Faith Margaret , born via gestational surrogate Dec. 28, 2010.

Reflecting on how Connor and Isabella chose to live with their dad after the divorce, she told HELLO! , "I'd love them to live with us, but what can you do?" (They did attend the Kidman-Urban nuptials in Australia.)

Talking to Now to Love in 2014, Nicole called Isabella and Connor "generous, kind and hardworking," all "traits that I love to see in my children."

Several years later she acknowledged that both of her older kids were practicing Scientologists, like their father, but—contrary to rumors that religion had driven a wedge between them—that was neither here nor there.

"They are adults," the Oscar winner told Australia's  Who   in 2018. "They are able to make their own decisions. They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it's my job to love them."

And, like his sister, Connor has never said a cross word about his mom.

"I love my mum," he told Australia's Woman's Day  in 2014 while in town to deejay at a festival. "I don't care what people say, I know that me and mum are solid. I love her a lot. My family means everything."

He also loved music, he added, "but the family comes before everything else."

Marriage to Katie Holmes

Tom was in a sharing mood when he started dating the  Dawson's Creek  alum in 2005, boisterously telling Oprah Winfrey   and her sofa that he was in love with the actress.

"Here's the thing, you can't think about it in terms of what people are going to do or say," he told MTV News that June of the PR perils of wearing his heart on his sleeve. "It's 'I want to share my life with this woman. This woman is exceptional, she's special, she's extraordinary and I have great respect for her.' It's someone who's saying 'I've got nothing to hide, I'm happy.' I'm happy, man!"

The Top Gun star proposed atop the Eiffel Tower in June 2005, reportedly within eight weeks of their first date.

Their lavish Nov. 18, 2006, nuptials were held at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano, Italy. Suri, Connor and Bella were in attendance, along with the likes of the Beckhams, Jennifer Lopez  and then-husband Marc Anthony , Will Smith  and Jada Pinkett Smith , and Brooke Shields  and spouse  Chris Henchy .

Suri Cruise

Tom and Katie's daughter was born April 18, 2006. 

The  October 2006 cover of  Vanity Fair , first revealed on the CBS Evening News  Sept. 5, introduced Suri to the world. The portrait by Annie Leibovitz featured the 3-month-old tucked into her dad's leather aviator jacket, an homage to Linda McCartney 's famous shot of  Paul McCartney with their baby daughter Mary  from his 1970 album  McCartney .

"She's a glorious girl," Katie told the magazine. "She's the miracle of our life."

Tom shared that they found the name in a baby book sent to them by friends and just loved it. "We later found out that it meant 'red rose,' and that was just a bonus," he added. "Suri—it was perfect."

The article noted that the family, including Conor and Bella, were all gathered cozily at Tom's house in Telluride (which he sold in 2021 for $39.5 million).

"It's really special to see them holding their little sister," Katie said. "To hear them talk about all of the fun things they are going to do together." Added Tom, "It's very moving to me too. I look at those moments of watching Bella and Connor grow up and you get a sense of what kind of people they are going to be as adults."

Katie filed for divorce in June 2012, her attorney saying in a statement her "primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

Tom's rep told E! News that he "is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children."

The proceedings were settled relatively quickly , with both sides agreeing on Suri living primarily with her mom  while her dad got generous visitation rights. Katie started splitting time between New York and L.A. and resettled Suri on the East Coast for school. 

The  Batman Begins  actress set about giving her kid the most normal life possible, ferrying her to school and gymnastics like any other Manhattan mom. While the paparazzi never stopped clicking away, Katie shared only a handful of glimpses of Suri on social media over the years. But they also were seen at sporting events and have made many a pilgrimage to Broadway  to catch a show.

"My child is the most important person to me, and her upbringing is paramount to my work right now," she told Town & Country  in 2017 . "It's very important that I'm present and she has a stable, innocent childhood. I feel so blessed to do what I do, but there's nothing in the world better than watching your child succeed."

At the same time, she said, "Every day, kids get a little further away from you. That's a positive thing. They should be becoming more independent, but it's heartbreaking."

Suri may not have caught the acting bug yet, but she did sing the cover of "Blue Moon" that opens Alone Together , the rom-com her mom was inspired to write during the pandemic and then also starred in and directed. Suri also provided a vocal for her movie  Rare Objects .

"I hope she always does something on my films," Katie told Glamour  in March 2023. "I always ask her. But both of those experiences came out of the same sense of what I love about our industry, which is, you have these projects and you become a family with people. And it's this safe, beautiful, creative space."

With Suri about to turn 17 at the time, she noted, "What has been really important for me with my daughter, because she was so visible at a young age, is I really like to protect her. I'm very grateful to be a parent, to be her parent. She's an incredible person."