‘Top Gun: Maverick’ was the film of 2022. With its billion-dollar global box-office collection, it “saved Hollywood’s a**“, as per Steven Spielberg. Fans gave the movie positively overwhelming reviews, with many praising how the sequel takes the original story further. Everything was there in the sequel except Kelly McGillis from the original film.
Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise reprised their roles from the original movie. Therefore, fans were surprised that Kelly McGillis wouldn’t be a part of the sequel. In ‘Top Gun,’ Kelly McGillis was Tom Cruise’s love interest. Cruise was given a new romantic pursuit in ‘Top Gun,’ played by Jennifer Connely.
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Why Kelly McGillis Didn’t Become A Part Of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’?
Kelly McGillis played astrophysicist and training school instructor Charlie Blackwood in Tony Scott’s ‘Top Gun.’ She also has a complicated romance with Tom Cruise’s Pete Mitchell throughout the film. But she wasn’t asked to reprise her role for the ‘Top Gun’: Maverick.’ McGillis believes it’s because of how she looks now.
Tom Cruise many have found the elixir of youth, but it isn’t kind to everyone. In 2019, Entertainment Weekly asked if she’s been approached for ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ She balked at the question, saying, “I am old and I’m fat and I look age-appropriate for what my age is,” bringing to light decades-old Hollywood sexism.
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Why Did ‘Top Gun’ Actress Kelly McGillis Leave Hollywood?
Kelly McGillis became popular with her breakout role in ‘Witness’ opposite Harrison Ford. This success led her to bring cast as Charlie Blackwood in Tony Scott’s ‘Top Gun’ with Tom Cruise. But what followed was a tragic life of unfulfilling relationships, which manifested in addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Kelly McGillis told People she became a heavy drinker to cope with her relationship troubles and having to hide her sexuality. The ‘Top Gun’ actress regrets this time, saying, “I would put myself in demeaning relationships with men. It made me feel horrible, but it seemed to be what I deserved.” She married Fred Tillman in 1989 and gave birth to two daughters. The couple moved to Key West and opened a bar called Kelly’s.
Kelly McGillis met bartender Melanie Leis, and they got along, partaking in love and drugs. But soon, they got their act together and have been sober since. McGillis divorced Tillman in 2002 and moved to rural Pennsylvania with Leis. She now works as a counselor at a rehab facility. Far away from the Hollywood spotlight, she now looks after her daughters.
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