Top Gun Original Cast: Where Are They Now?

“Top Gun: Maverick” premiered on May 27, 2022—36 years after the original Top Gun hit theaters in 1986. Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer returned for the sequel, but many fans wonder what became of the rest of the original cast. Below is an updated look at key members of the Top Gun ensemble and where they stand today.

Then: Tim Robbins

Top Gun character: Merlin

Age when Top Gun was released: 28

Overview: Born in West Covina, California, and raised in New York City, Tim Robbins grew up in a creative household—his mother was an actress and his father a singer. He studied drama at UCLA and co-founded The Actors’ Gang, an experimental theater company.

Robbins began his film career in the 1980s and played radar intercept officer Sam “Merlin” Wells in Top Gun.

Now: Tim Robbins

Age in 2022: 63

Net worth: $70 million

Career highlights:

• Notable roles in The Shawshank Redemption, The Player and Mystic River
• Recipient of an Academy Award and multiple Golden Globe Awards
• Directed films such as Bob Roberts and Dead Man Walking

Robbins has kept a lower public profile since the mid-2010s. He was long partnered with actress Susan Sarandon, with whom he has two sons. More recently he has been in a relationship with director and cinematographer Reed Morano.

Then: Michael Ironside

Top Gun character: Jester

Age when Top Gun was released: 36

Overview: Hailing from Toronto and raised among four siblings, Michael Ironside discovered a talent for writing and acting early on. After a youth in theater and stage, he became known for tough, often villainous screen roles, including Lieutenant Commander Rick “Jester” Heatherly in Top Gun.

Now: Michael Ironside

Age in 2022: 72

Net worth: $6 million

Career highlights:

• Memorable parts in Extreme Prejudice, Watchers and Total Recall

Ironside has continued acting into recent years, appearing in series such as TNT’s The Alienist and Hulu’s The Dropout. He is married to Karen Dinwiddie and is the father of two daughters. Ironside is also a two-time cancer survivor, having beaten thyroid and prostate cancer.

Then: Tom Skerritt

Top Gun character: Viper

Age when Top Gun was released: 53

Overview: Tom Skerritt grew up in an ordinary Midwestern family and served four years in the U.S. Air Force before launching a prolific acting career. He portrayed the seasoned Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf in Top Gun and accumulated decades of film and television credits.

Now: Tom Skerritt

Age in 2022: 88

Net worth: $8 million

Career highlights:

• Appeared in more than 40 films and 200 television episodes since 1962
• Known for roles in M*A*S*H, Alien, The Dead Zone, A River Runs Through It and more
• Primetime Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Beyond acting, Skerritt founded a Seattle-based media company called Heyou Media. He maintains residences in the Pacific Northwest and is the father of five children from multiple marriages.

Then: Anthony Edwards

Top Gun character: Goose

Age when Top Gun was released: 24

Overview: Raised in Santa Barbara, California, Anthony Edwards pursued acting from a young age and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and briefly at USC. His breakout role as Goose helped propel a career that included a long-running lead role on the TV series ER.

Now: Anthony Edwards

Age in 2022: 59

Net worth: Around $40 million

Career highlights:

• Best known as Dr. Mark Greene on ER, plus roles in Zodiac, Miracle Mile, Revenge of the Nerds and more
• Winner of a Golden Globe and multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards

After ER, Edwards focused more on theater, making his Broadway debut in 2018 and returning to stage work in subsequent years. He has four children with his ex-wife Jeanine Lobell and is married to actress Mare Winningham.

Then: Val Kilmer

Top Gun character: Iceman

Age when Top Gun was released: 27

Overview: A Los Angeles native, Val Kilmer was the youngest student accepted into Juilliard’s Drama Division at the time. After early success in films like Top Secret! and Top Gun, Kilmer became a prominent leading man in Hollywood through the late 1980s and 1990s.

Now: Val Kilmer

Age in 2022: 62

Net worth: Around $25 million

Career highlights:

• Notable performances in Top Secret!, Willow, The Doors, True Romance and Batman Forever
• Satellite Award winner and recipient of humanitarian recognition
• Published a memoir titled “I’m Your Huckleberry”

Kilmer has been active in humanitarian causes, including Native American issues and environmental protection. In 2017 he faced a serious health challenge when he was treated for throat cancer, which affected his voice. He has continued to engage with creative projects while managing his health.

Then: Kelly McGillis

Top Gun character: Charlie

Age when Top Gun was released: 29

Overview: Kelly McGillis grew up in Newport Beach, California, and trained at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and Juilliard. Her breakout came in Witness, and she followed with the role of Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood in Top Gun.

Now: Kelly McGillis

Age in 2022: 64

Net worth: Around $5 million

Career highlights:

• Roles in Witness, Made in Heaven, The House on Carroll Street, The Accused and more

McGillis has balanced film, television and stage work over the years. She has two grown daughters and publicly came out in 2009. Since 2013 she has taught acting at the New York Studio for Stage and Screen and lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Then: Tom Cruise

Top Gun character: Maverick

Age when Top Gun was released: 23

Overview: Tom Cruise, born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV in Syracuse, New York, rose quickly from supporting parts to superstardom in the 1980s. His early roles and his performance as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell helped establish him as one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men.

Now: Tom Cruise

Age in 2022: 59

Net worth: $600 million

Career highlights:

• Multiple Golden Globe wins and Academy Award nominations
• Starred in iconic films across decades, including Risky Business, Rain Man, A Few Good Men and the Mission: Impossible series
• Runs Cruise/Wagner Productions and is an accomplished pilot with several certifications

Cruise continues to be a major international star, dividing his time between homes in the U.S. and abroad and remaining actively involved in high-profile film projects.