Tom Cruise fans notice actor's 5ft 7in height hasn't been edited in Top Gun: Maverick

Eagle-eyed fans of Tom Cruise have noticed that the height of the 5ft 7ins actor hasn't been edited in the production of Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick

  • 03:37, 9 Jun 2022

Tom Cruise has been praised by fans after ditching visual effects to make him appear taller in Top Gun: Maverick .

Camera tricks have been used throughout the 59-year-old's career to make him appear at least the same height as his co-stars in the likes of Mission Impossible and The Last Samurai.

And in a famous promotional shot for the 1986 original Top Gun film, Cruise's 5ft 10ins lover Kelly McGinnis leans on his shoulder in order to make the pair appear the same head height.

After watching the new movie fans took to social media to praise both the 5ft 7ins actor and its production.

One Twitter user commented: "I like how Tom Cruise said f*** it and decided not to do any forced perspective to match anyone's height in Top Gun: Maverick. When you are an actor who flies a jet and stick yourself to a plane for a stunt, how tall you look on the screen is the least of your concern."

Another wrote: "I could tell Tom Cruise was taking Top Gun: Maverick seriously as an actor because he actually plays to his own height through the film versus being contractually taller than everybody."

A third added: "See, I think Tom Cruise has actually always been chilled about his height!"

A fourth said: "Re-watched the original last night and this new one is so much better. A lot of the flying scenes kind of blew my mind. I also loved how they stopped caring about how tall Tom Cruise looks so he's the shortest guy whenever there's wide shots."

The new movie appears to make no attempt to hide Cruise's slight stature, with some scenes clearly showing him looking up to 6ft 1in Miles Teller , who plays Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw's son Bradley 'Rooster'.

Anthony Edwards, who played 'Goose' in the original, stands seven inches taller than Cruise, yet angles used in the film directed by Tony Scott avoid revealing this, however.

Cruise, meanwhile, sparked speculation that he was wearing lifts in his shoes after he appeared almost the same height as Kate Middleton at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere.

The Hollywood star seemed to be very close to the same height as the Duchess of Cambridge, who measures up at 5ft 9.

He is widely believed to wear inserts, which boost his height as he stepped out in suit shoes with a stacked heel.

Inserts are insoles that can be placed inside a shoe to help the wearer gain extra height.

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Tom Cruise Has Been Using Height Illusion Tricks for Years to Looker Taller Than Everyone Else

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Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is literally at the height of his career. The actor sent social media ablaze last night with a torrent of comment about his height when he was seen curiously taller than ever alongside Kate Middleton , Duchess of Cambridge, in London at the premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Cruise, who stands at 5-foot-7, was nearly eye-to-eye on the red carpet with 5-foot-9 Middleton in Prada ‘s suede cutout pumps set on 3-inch stiletto heels — boosting Middleton’s height to 6 feet tall. What a feat for the action star.

Tom Cruise and Kate Middleton at 2022 Cannes. height, shoes

So, how did Cruise appear to catapult nearly 4 to 5 inches higher? Dressed in patent leather shoes that incorporated a stacked heel, it looked like it added close to 1.5-2 inches to his frame. According to some observers, the remaining 3 inches needed to reach Middleton’s height could be owed to elevating insoles, which typically support around 1.5 to nearly 3 additional inches, though they need to coordinate with the footwear’s silhouette for a secure fit.

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Lupita nyong'o glitters in custom prada jumpsuit and pointed pumps at 'a quiet place: day one' premiere in new york city, sunday rose twins with mother nicole kidman in sleek black balenciaga pumps at paris couture week.

With or without them, Cruise has walked tall for years alongside actresses clad in soaring stiletto heels by embracing astute styling tricks for grand height illusion. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with embracing one’s true height, but Cruise has a history of purposefully looking taller — he likely believes it’s a flattering silhouette that puts confidence in his steps.

Indeed. He has mastered this height hack through subtle, carefully coordinated poses along with the right clothes and shoes.

Cruise’s ex-wife Nicole Kidman , who measures 5-foot-10, was perhaps the most challenging of his red carpet partners, but together, they masterfully erected him throughout their marriage.

Just look to their arrival at the Herb Ritts exhibition opening on Oct. 22, 1992. The couple posed with their heads close together, with Kidman’s head leaning lower into him to deflect from the obvious height difference. Meanwhile, Kidman chose a modest kitten heel compared to Cruise’s taller Cuban heel. Nailed it.

tom cruise height, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise at the Herb Ritts Exhibition Opening on October 22, 1992 Credit: Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch /IPX

But mistakes can be made. Months earlier on Jan. 18 at the Golden Globe Awards, Kidman, with an arched back and positioned with a mile-long space between their faces, with her chest at his side, made the contrast obvious — even in her kitten heels — as Cruise’s length diminished.

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman during 49th Annual Golden Globe Awards at Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California January 18, 1992 Credit: Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch /IPX

During his marriage to Katie Holmes , who is 5-foot-9, there were plenty of red carpet challenges despite the “Dawson’s Creek” star coming in 1-inch shorter than Kidman. But unlike Kidman, Holmes didn’t embrace kitten heels often — she preferred stilettos around 4 inches. But, by leaving some space between their bodies and Cruise leading ahead of her as they walked hand-in-hand at the Bambi Awards in 2007 in Duesseldorf, Germany, the height differences were minimized as much as possible.

tom cruise height, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise at the Bambi 2007 in Duesseldorf. Photo by: SCHROEWIG/R.R./picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

The simplest trick Cruise employs is drawing attention upward through pattern and color. Alongside his 5-foot-9 co-star Cameron Diaz at their “Knight and Day” premiere on July 23, 2010 in Bordeaux, France, Cruise chose a striped ice blue top with dark-wash jeans and dress shoes that had stacked heels. His pose — a slant while partially positioning himself forward next to her — elongated the body as she leaned in and placed one foot behind her.

tom cruise height tall, US actors Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz arrive at the screening of James Mangold's movie "Night and day" ("Knight and Day") at the cinema Cgr "The French" in Bordeaux, FRANCE - 23/07/2010./Credit:NIVIERE/SIPA/1007241207

At the “Knight and Day” premiere in Seville, Spain, on June 16, 2010 he literally took things up a notch in heeled boots that added around 2 extra inches. They looked nearly even while she stood in 4-inch heels.

Actor Tom Cruise, right and Cameron Diaz pose during a photo-call for the world premiere of their new film

It’s not often Cruise gets the chance to look taller than his leading ladies, but he did so next to his “Top Gun: Maverick” co-star Jennifer Connelly, who is on equal footing with him, matching at 5-foot-7. Even with Connelly in heels, he managed to gain a fairly generous boost above her while at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18. As seen in his pose, Cruise diminishes the appearance of his width by standing to his side and positioning his body at an angle as she stood vertically and straight ahead. The stacked heels helped too.

tom cruise height, tall, Jennifer Connelly and Tom Cruise pose at the photocall of 'Top Gun: Maverick' during the 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on 18 May 2022. Photo by: Boesl/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

See more Cannes Film Festival 2022 red carpet arrivals. 

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There's One Thing I Absolutely Loved About Top Gun: Maverick That No One Is Really Talking About

Did you notice something unusual about Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick?

Tom Cruise looking at Miles Teller in Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick is an even bigger movie than most people thought it would be. The film is an absolute smash due to its incredible practical action sequences with fighter jets , and also due to its surprisingly emotional story, but I feel like there’s one thing about Top Gun : Maverick that not enough people are talking about, the fact that Tom Cruise looks short in the film.

Tom Cruise is 5’ 7” and while I wouldn’t consider that to be short myself, he’s taller than me, because I am short, he’s certainly shorter than many of the people he has starred alongside over the years. We all know this. The thing is that generally, in his movies, Tom Cruise doesn’t look short, but he does in Top Gun: Maverick .

Cruise has multiple scenes where he gets in conversations/arguments with co-star Miles Teller . Teller plays Rooster, the son of Goose , Maverick’s friend from the original Top Gun who died in an accident. Miles Teller is 6’ 1”, a good half foot taller than Cruise, and the movie actually shows their height discrepancy in these scenes. Cruise is always looking up at Teller.

For as long as Hollywood has been making movies it has tried to make it’s heroes look big and strong, and frequently, when the actual actor wasn’t that big, it meant shooting from specific angles, or even putting shorter actors on boxes to make them at least as tall, if not taller, than the people they were in the shot with. Cruise has certainly done his share of this, and he’s far from the first. Other actors, like Robert Downey Jr., reportedly also work to make themselves look taller on screen . 

There’s maybe one shot in the original Top Gun where you can really tell that Tom Cruise is shorter than co-star Anthony Edwards, who played Goose , who is an inch taller than Miles Teller, but the two are frequently shot at angles or while Edwards is leaning or seated, to make the height discrepancy less noticeable. 

And this is still largely the case in Top Gun: Maverick as well. It’s really only in these major dialogue scenes with Teller than the height situation is noticeable, but it is quite clear. These were the moments I was the most taken out of the movie because I realized how rarely I had seen Tom Cruise look shorter than his co-stars. 

And this was clearly an intentional decision on the part of the filmmakers. The same steps that have been taken previously to make Tom Cruise look taller could have been taken here, but they were not. The decision was made to shoot these scenes this way. Shooting this way certainly makes Teller look more imposing, which may have been what they wanted from the scene.

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In the end, as a short person, it was nice to see Tom Cruise not looking super tall. He’s still awesome in Top Gun: Maverick , even if he isn’t the biggest guy there.  

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.

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tom cruise height in top gun

Here's How Tall Tom Cruise Really Is

Tom Cruise on the red carpet

In 2011, Tom Cruise was embroiled in a casting controversy when it was revealed he'd be playing Jack Reacher (via Deadline ). Fans of the character, created by Lee Childs, were quick to point out that the former US Army major is described as standing at 6 foot 5 inches and about 250 pounds in the book, both of which Cruise isn't. The actor is pretty synonymous with his shorter height, with rumors often circulating that he wears heels or shoe lifts when starring opposite taller actors, per  BuzzFeed . 

But, as Childs noted at the time, "Reacher's size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way." The author also pointed out to BBC News that it's "completely impossible to literally transfer the page to screen," and that while people think someone "that looks more like Reacher is described in the books" should have been cast, there were none Childs was happy with.

Cruise also stated that he was "very sensitive" to the criticism of his height in an interview with Empire, adding that the author told him "the reason he wrote [Reacher] that size is because that was just one element to his character, and that opened the door to me playing him."

So exactly how tall is Tom Cruise, and why did it cause so much drama when he was cast as Jack Reacher?

It's rumoured that Tom Cruise uses heels to elevate his height

While Tom Cruise is often cited as standing at 5 foot 7 inches tall (via Your Next Shoes ), it's actually pretty hard to pinpoint the actor's height. As The Delite notes, there's "a lot of speculation" about his height, noting that there's even a Pinterest board that's collated the times Cruise as allegedly worn heeled boots or shoe lifts to elevate his height.

Sometimes, it seems that his co-stars have to wear flatter shoes to compensate for his height as Nicole Kidman noted speaking about her experience filming "Days of Thunder" with Cruise (via Your Next Shoes). "They had me in really flat shoes, but you could still see I was taller than him," Kidman explained, who happens to be 5 foot 10 inches (via The Sun ). "I'd prefer to be smaller, but I don't mind," she continued. "I like the fact that he's one of the most famous actors in the world and can work with anybody — but he doesn't mind working with an actress who's taller."

Recommended

How tall is Tom Cruise in Top Gun?

Tom Cruise is 5’7″ (170 cm) tall in Top Gun.

How tall is Tom Cruise in real life?

Tom Cruise is 5’7″ (170 cm) tall in real life.

Bulk Ammo for Sale at Lucky Gunner

Is Tom Cruise considered short for a Hollywood actor?

Yes, in Hollywood, the average male actor is taller than 5’7″, making Tom Cruise shorter than average.

Does Tom Cruise’s height affect his roles in movies?

Some roles may require a taller actor, but Tom Cruise’s height has not hindered his successful career.

How tall is the character Tom Cruise plays in Top Gun?

In Top Gun, Tom Cruise’s character, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, is not given an official height, but Cruise’s own height is used for the role.

Who were Tom Cruise’s co-stars in Top Gun?

In Top Gun, Tom Cruise starred alongside Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, and Anthony Edwards.

Was Top Gun a successful movie for Tom Cruise?

Yes, Top Gun was a major success and helped establish Tom Cruise as a leading Hollywood actor.

Did Tom Cruise perform his own stunts in Top Gun?

Yes, Tom Cruise is known for doing many of his own stunts, including flying in the fighter jets in Top Gun.

Are there any plans for a Top Gun sequel?

Yes, a sequel titled Top Gun: Maverick is scheduled for release in 2022.

How old was Tom Cruise when Top Gun was released?

Tom Cruise was 24 years old when Top Gun was released in 1986.

What are some other popular Tom Cruise movies?

Some other popular Tom Cruise movies include Mission: Impossible, Jerry Maguire, and A Few Good Men.

Is Tom Cruise known for his intense workout routines?

Yes, Tom Cruise is known for maintaining a high level of physical fitness and performing many of his own stunts.

Has Tom Cruise won any awards for his acting?

Yes, Tom Cruise has won three Golden Globe Awards and has been nominated for three Academy Awards.

How many times has Tom Cruise been married?

Tom Cruise has been married three times, to Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes.

Does Tom Cruise have any children?

Yes, Tom Cruise has two children, Isabella and Connor, with his ex-wife Nicole Kidman.

What are some of Tom Cruise’s hobbies outside of acting?

Tom Cruise is known to be an avid pilot and also enjoys skydiving and scuba diving in his free time.

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About Nick Oetken

Nick grew up in San Diego, California, but now lives in Arizona with his wife Julie and their five boys. He served in the military for over 15 years. In the Navy for the first ten years, where he was Master at Arms during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. He then moved to the Army, transferring to the Blue to Green program, where he became an MP for his final five years of service during Operation Iraq Freedom, where he received the Purple Heart. He enjoys writing about all types of firearms and enjoys passing on his extensive knowledge to all readers of his articles. Nick is also a keen hunter and tries to get out into the field as often as he can.

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tom cruise height in top gun

Top Gun: Maverick fans praise Tom Cruise for embracing his short stature in new movie as diminutive star breaks his habit of using forced perspective to make himself look taller

By Owen Tonks For Mailonline

Published: 17:06 EDT, 8 June 2022 | Updated: 17:57 EDT, 8 June 2022

View comments

Tom Cruise appears to have broken a career-long habit of making himself look as tall as his co-stars, eagle-eye Top Gun: Maverick fans have noticed.

The actor, 59, who plays Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in the film, has a 5ft 7in stature, and often uses visual tricks to make himself match up to the height of the other taller members of the cast.

But, in the sequel to the 1986 movie about fighter jet pilots, no effort has been made to change the appearance of Tom's height.

All change: Tom Cruise appears to have broken a career-long habit of making himself look as tall as his co-stars, eagle-eye Top Gun: Maverick fans have noticed

All change: Tom Cruise appears to have broken a career-long habit of making himself look as tall as his co-stars, eagle-eye Top Gun: Maverick fans have noticed

Hollywood heavyweight Tom is visibly shorter than 6ft 1in Miles Teller, who plays Lieutenant Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw, in the flick.

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Bradley is the son of Maverick's late best friend Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, who was played by Anthony Edwards in the original film, who is 6ft 2in tall.

However, well executed camera angles were used to ensure Tom did not look shorter in the first movie.

Trickery: The actor, 59, who plays Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, has a 5ft 7in stature, and often uses visual tricks to make himself match up to the height of the other taller members of the cast (seen In a publicity shot for the 1986 original film with 5ft 10in Kelly McGillis)

Trickery: The actor, 59, who plays Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, has a 5ft 7in stature, and often uses visual tricks to make himself match up to the height of the other taller members of the cast (seen In a publicity shot for the 1986 original film with 5ft 10in Kelly McGillis)

Working her angles: Kelly is seen leaning back and raising her leg in a bid to being her head down to the same height as Tom's

Working her angles: Kelly is seen leaning back and raising her leg in a bid to being her head down to the same height as Tom's

In a publicity shot for the original film, 5ft 10in Kelly McGillis is seen leaning on Tom's shoulder on closer inspection, but at a quick glance she appears to be of a similar height to the star with the tops of their heads at the same level.

Taking to Twitter after noticing Tom embrace his height, one movie fan wrote: 'Thank you to Top Gun: Maverick for not even attempting to make Tom Cruise look taller and just letting Mav be the short king he is.'

Someone else wrote: 'Best part about the new Top Gun was that they fully committed to embracing Tom Cruise for the short king he is.'

Taller in more ways: Tom Cruise stars alongside Jennifer Connelly in the latest Top Gun flick, with Tom looking taller than Jennifer in this particular shot

Taller in more ways: Tom Cruise stars alongside Jennifer Connelly in the latest Top Gun flick, with Tom looking taller than Jennifer in this particular shot

Movie magic: Tom plays Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in the film which was released in cinemas last month

Movie magic: Tom plays Lt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in the film which was released in cinemas last month

All stars: Tom appears alongside Miles Teller, who plays Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw in the sequel to the 1986 movie about fighter jet pilots

All stars: Tom appears alongside Miles Teller, who plays Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw in the sequel to the 1986 movie about fighter jet pilots

Smash hit: The film has made millions at the box office around the world in both its first and second weekend

Smash hit: The film has made millions at the box office around the world in both its first and second weekend

While another person posted: 'I like how Tom Cruise said f**k it and decided not to do any forced perspective to match anyone's height in Top Gun Mav. 

'When you are an actor who flies a jet and stick yourself to a plane for a stunt, how tall you look on the screen is the least of your concern.'

And someone else shared: 'Top Gun: Maverick is my Black Panther (Tom Cruise is visibly 5’7. they let him be short).'  

Short king: Tom is visibly shorter than Jennifer on the red carpet of the film's global premiere in San Diego, California where the pair posed with Miles Teller

Short king: Tom is visibly shorter than Jennifer on the red carpet of the film's global premiere in San Diego, California where the pair posed with Miles Teller

Top Gun: Maverick is still soaring at the box office with the film bringing in more than $86 million domestically in the US in its second weekend, for a $291 million total.

The film dropped just 32% from its opening weekend making it the lowest drop off ever for a film that opened at $100+ million, according to Deadline . 

Deadline noted that Shrek 2 saw a -33 percent drop off while The Force Awakens came in at -40 percent in weekend two. 

tom cruise height in top gun

Will the real Tom please stand up: Top Gun fans took to Twitter to express their delight that Tom had embraced his real height

The new film's global total sits at $548.6 million after just two weeks out in theaters. 

However, its earnings are expected to drop off soon with the release of the newest Jurassic World film, which will fill up many IMAX theaters and monopolize other more lucrative premium formats.

Top Gun: Maverick is well on its way to becoming Cruise's highest grossing film ever globally. 

Historic: The film dropped just 32 percent from its opening weekend making it the lowest drop off ever for a film that opened at $100+ million, according to Deadline; Tom Cruise and Monica Barbaro on the set of Top Gun: Maverick

Historic: The film dropped just 32 percent from its opening weekend making it the lowest drop off ever for a film that opened at $100+ million, according to Deadline; Tom Cruise and Monica Barbaro on the set of Top Gun: Maverick

Big money: The new film's global total sits at $548.6 million after just two weeks out in theaters; still from Top Gun: Maverick

Big money: The new film's global total sits at $548.6 million after just two weeks out in theaters; still from Top Gun: Maverick

Mission: Impossible — Fallout made $791.6 million at the global box office and currently holds the top spot in the New York native's career. 

The film has made more than $257 million globally in 64 markets though this does not include South Korea, where the film won't open until June 23, or Russia and China. 

According to The Numbers , Top Gun: Maverick dwarfed every other film at the domestic box office this weekend. 

So much more: According to The Numbers, Top Gun: Maverick (pictured) dwarfed every other film at the domestic box office this weekend

So much more: According to The Numbers, Top Gun: Maverick (pictured) dwarfed every other film at the domestic box office this weekend

Share or comment on this article: Top Gun: Maverick praise Tom Cruise for embracing his short stature in new movie

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How Tall Is Tom Cruise?

Tom Cruise smiling and squinting

Tom Cruise has long made his mark in Hollywood. After debuting in 1981 with an acclaimed performance in "Endless Love" (per Britannica ), Cruise became a part of Hollywood's so-called "Brat Pack" alongside other young actors such as Emilio Estevez and Rob Lowe. There's no denying that the actor has amassed numerous fans in his long acting career , thanks to his looks, style, and on-screen persona.

Cruise's irresistible personality is part of his charm; the actor's appeal and popularity know no bounds. He's been the subject of several rumors about his personal life , but the hits never stop coming. His box-office movies, such as the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, parallel James Bond in mass appeal and visual intensity.

But what makes Cruise so special among the Hollywood A-list? Could it be his height that matches so well with other on-screen elements, actors, and cinematography? Keep reading to learn just how tall Cruise is.

Tom Cruise is of average height

Height can be an essential factor for celebrities, as it can impact the roles actors are cast in. Tom Cruise, with his average height, has made the most out of it. He has grabbed many roles and has successfully delivered on them. His fitness and height have added to his on-screen personality and presentation. So, just how tall is Cruise?

According to Stars Unfolded , Cruise is 5'7". No wonder how he manages to fit so well into his roles. Per CheatSheet , Cruise's first wife, Mimi Rogers, set him on a pattern of marrying women taller than him. Rogers was said to be between 5'8” and 5'10." The outlet also writes that Rogers wore flats in public events, and Cruise wore lifts so their height could even out. Other celebrities who share their height with Cruise include Meghan Markle, Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Hailey Baldwin, and Amber Heard (per The Famous People ).

Cruise's height makes him ready for most roles, blending him well with other average-height characters on the screen, which is something that the "Top Gun" actor might be thankful for. We can't wait to see more of him!

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Tom Cruise's Height

5ft 7 ¾ (172.1 cm).

How tall is Tom Cruise

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'Top Gun': 15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About the Tom Cruise Classic

Could there be a more quintessentially 1980s movie than " Top Gun ?"

All that lovingly-photographed military hardware, that synth-pop soundtrack featuring two Kenny Loggins tunes, and a grinning Tom Cruise at his cockiest. He felt the need for speed, and for 30 years (since the film's release on May 16, 1986), you've been watching Cruise's Maverick soar in his fighter jet and overcome his paternal-abandonment issues.

Still, as many times as you've re-watched "Top Gun," there's a lot you may not know about the this '80s classic. Here are the Navy pilot saga's secrets, declassified. 1. The film originated as "Top Guns," a 1983 article by Ehud Yonay in California Magazine. It profiled the Navy pilot training center at Miramar, in San Diego, and featured aerial photography by a Top Gun pilot. Co-screenwriter Jack Epps Jr. researched the script by attending Top Gun classes and getting flown around in an F-14.

2. Tom Cruise wasn't actually the first choice to play Maverick, but Matthew Modine turned down the role because he didn't agree with the film's militaristic politics. Instead, he went off to star as a Vietnam War Marine private in Stanley Kubrick 's anti-war drama " Full Metal Jacket ."

3. To obtain access to naval aircraft and personnel, the producers had to grant script approval to the Navy. The biggest change demanded by the service branch was to make Maverick's love interest a civilian, since the Navy officially frowns on fraternization within the ranks. 4. Kelly McGillis initially turned down the love-interest role, since the character was written as an aerobics instructor. Then the filmmakers met Christine "Legs" Fox, a civilian tactician at Miramar who earned her Top Gun nickname because of her 6'0" height. She became the inspiration for Charlie Blackwood, the instructor role that McGillis ultimately accepted. Fox would go on to become the highest ranking woman at the Pentagon before she retired in 2014.

5. Like Fox, McGillis was tall; her 5'10" height made her a tricky match for Tom Cruise, who was 5'7".

"I towered over him," the actress recalled in 2010, noting that she had to slouch and crouch throughout the shoot in order to fit in the frame with her leading man. "I had really bad posture through the whole movie." Indeed, test audiences initially found their romance unconvincing, and the filmmakers called them back for reshoots six months after principal photography had ended. McGillis had cut and dyed her hair darker for another role, which is why she wears a cap throughout the elevator love scene.

6. In real life, no one under 5'8" is eligible to become a Navy pilot. Nonetheless, Cruise spent months taking classes at Top Gun and even learned how to land a plane on an aircraft carrier. 7. The F-14 planes and other naval aircraft -- along with their fuel, their pilots, and support staff -- cost the production $7,800 per hour in rental fees. Even more expensive was the aircraft carrier. During one sequence, the carrier captain had to change course, altering the angle of light for the shot. Told it would cost $25,000 to turn the ship around, director Tony Scott dashed off a check for that amount and got the captain to reverse course in order to get five more minutes of light to finish the sequence.

9. "Top Gun" cost a reported $15 million to make and ultimately earned $180 million in North America, becoming the top-grossing movie of 1986. Its total global gross was $357 million. 10. "Top Gun" also became an early top-seller in the then-new videocassette market, as it was one of the first films priced to sell (at just $20), not just to rent.

11. The film was credited with a 500 percent boost in Naval recruitment; some theaters even had recruiting booths in the lobby. Bomber jackets and Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses also credited the film with a 40 percent jump in sales.

12. Bryan Adams turned down a chance to have a song included on the "Top Gun" soundtrack because he disapproved of the film's militarism. Still, the resulting album became one of the most popular in movie soundtrack in history, selling seven million copies in the U.S. and another two million abroad. It made stars of the band Berlin, who performed the movie's love ballad, "Take My Breath Away." 13. Did all that male bonding, towel-snapping, and shirtless volleyball-playing make "Top Gun" a covertly homoerotic movie ? Many critics (and comedians) have thought so. Most famously, Quentin Tarantino delivered a hilarious (and NSFW) monologue on the topic in the 1994 movie " Sleep With Me ."

14. At the Academy Awards in 1987, "Top Gun" was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Editing, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects Editing. It won for Best Original Song, for "Take My Breath Away."

15. A "Top Gun" sequel has been in the works for nearly a decade, though it was nearly derailed by director Tony Scott's suicide in 2012. The new film, which will reportedly focus on the transition from old-school aerial dogfight warfare to drone combat, has gone through several screenwriters. Cruise and Val Kilmer reportedly remain committed to return as Maverick and Iceman.

Top Gun

Gary Susman has been covering movies and TV for more than 25 years and has been a Moviefone columnist since 2009. He is a former senior writer at Entertainment Weekly, where he helped launch the award-winning PopWatch blog. He has written about entertainment for such outlets as Time, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, People, CNN, MSNBC, Life, The Village Voice, The Guardian, The Chicago Sun-Times, and The Boston Phoenix. He has been a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics since 1993. He is one of the authors of the 2011 book "LIFE 75 Years: The Very Best of LIFE."

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Tom Cruise fans notice actor's 5ft 7in height hasn't been edited in Top Gun: Maverick

Eagle-eyed fans of Tom Cruise have noticed that the height of the 5ft 7ins actor hasn't been edited in the production of Top Gun: Maverick

  • 03:37, 9 JUN 2022
  • Updated 03:45, 9 JUN 2022

Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick

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Tom Cruise has been praised by fans after ditching visual effects to make him appear taller in Top Gun: Maverick .

Camera tricks have been used throughout the 59-year-old's career to make him appear at least the same height as his co-stars in the likes of Mission Impossible and The Last Samurai.

And in a famous promotional shot for the 1986 original Top Gun film, Cruise's 5ft 10ins lover Kelly McGinnis leans on his shoulder in order to make the pair appear the same head height.

After watching the new movie fans took to social media to praise both the 5ft 7ins actor and its production.

Tom Cruise and Kelly McGinnis in a promotional shot for the original Top Gun film

One Twitter user commented: "I like how Tom Cruise said f*** it and decided not to do any forced perspective to match anyone's height in Top Gun: Maverick. When you are an actor who flies a jet and stick yourself to a plane for a stunt, how tall you look on the screen is the least of your concern."

Another wrote: "I could tell Tom Cruise was taking Top Gun: Maverick seriously as an actor because he actually plays to his own height through the film versus being contractually taller than everybody."

A third added: "See, I think Tom Cruise has actually always been chilled about his height!"

A fourth said: "Re-watched the original last night and this new one is so much better. A lot of the flying scenes kind of blew my mind. I also loved how they stopped caring about how tall Tom Cruise looks so he's the shortest guy whenever there's wide shots."

The new movie appears to make no attempt to hide Cruise's slight stature, with some scenes clearly showing him looking up to 6ft 1in Miles Teller , who plays Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw's son Bradley 'Rooster'.

Anthony Edwards, who played 'Goose' in the original, stands seven inches taller than Cruise, yet angles used in the film directed by Tony Scott avoid revealing this, however.

Tom Cruise stars alongside Jennifer Connelly in Top Gun: Maverick

Cruise, meanwhile, sparked speculation that he was wearing lifts in his shoes after he appeared almost the same height as Kate Middleton at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere.

The Hollywood star seemed to be very close to the same height as the Duchess of Cambridge, who measures up at 5ft 9.

He is widely believed to wear inserts, which boost his height as he stepped out in suit shoes with a stacked heel.

Inserts are insoles that can be placed inside a shoe to help the wearer gain extra height.

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Tom cruise in ‘top gun: maverick’: film review.

The ace fighter pilot returns 36 years after first feeling the need for speed in Joseph Kosinski’s sequel, also starring Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly and Jon Hamm.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete Maverick Mitchell and Miles Teller plays Lt. Bradley Rooster Bradshaw in Top Gun Maverick.

As inescapable a pop-cultural totem as 1986’s Top Gun became, Tony Scott’s testosterone-powered blockbuster has all the narrative complexity of a music video crossed with a military recruitment reel. It’s hard to think of many more emblematic products of the rah-rah patriotism of the Reagan years, with its vigorous salute to American exceptionalism and triumph over a Cold War enemy left purposely vague — hey, don’t want to shut out a lucrative foreign market.

All that has only continued to toxify in the post-Trump age, with patriotism curdling into white supremacy. So depending on where you sit on the political spectrum, your enjoyment of Top Gun: Maverick might depend on how much you’re willing to shut out the real world and surrender to movie-star magic.

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Venue : Cannes Film Festival (Out of Competition) Release date : Friday, May 27 Cast : Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis Director : Joseph Kosinski Screenwriters : Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie

Which this superior sequel — directed with virtuoso technical skill, propulsive pacing and edge-of-your-seat flying sequences by Joseph Kosinski — has in abundance. Every frame of Tom Cruise ’s Maverick is here to remind you, soaking up the awestruck admiration of the young hot shots ready to dismiss him as a fossil and the initially begrudging respect of the military brass who try and fail to pull the cocky individualist into line. “He’s the fastest man alive,” one of the slack-jawed hero worshippers in the control room says early on. And that’s even before he does his signature robotic “Cruise Run.”

“It’s not the plane, it’s the pilot,” we hear more than once. And Cruise leaves no question that he’s the pilot, despite hiring a pro craft team and a solid ensemble cast who were put through extensive flight training. Even the relic F-14 Tomcat, Maverick’s tactical fighter plane of choice in the first movie, gets fired up for a glory lap, a salute to aged movie stars and old technology in one. Cruise’s character is somehow positioned by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie’s screenplay as simultaneously a rule-breaking rebel and a selfless saint. That makes this a work of breathtaking egomania outdone only by the fawning tone of Paramount’s press notes.

Starting when Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” accompanies footage of new-generation F-18 hornets slicing through the clouds and swooping down onto an aircraft carrier amid a sea of high-fives, fist-pumps and thumbs-up, the sequel follows the original beat for beat, to a degree that’s almost comical. And yet, as formulaic as it is, there’s no denying that it delivers in terms of both nostalgia and reinvention. Mainstream audiences will be happily airborne, especially the countless dads who loved Top Gun and will eagerly want to share this fresh shot of adrenaline with their sons.

Pete “Maverick” Mitchell lives alone in a Mojave Desert hangar with a photo shrine on the wall to his former radar intercept officer and best buddy Goose, who died during a training accident in the first film. (Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan are seen in a helpful recap framed as Pete’s tortured memories.)

Maverick zooms into the Naval base on his Kawasaki each day and continues to get his kicks as a daredevil test pilot, resisting the advancement in rank from captain that would have grounded him by now. But when his aerial showboating pisses off Admiral Cain (Ed Harris), who’s pushing to transition to drone aircrafts and make stick jockeys obsolete, Maverick gets his wings clipped.

Despite having lasted just two months as an instructor almost 30 years ago, he’s reassigned to the elite Fighter Weapons School, aka Top Gun Academy, in San Diego, which was established in 1969 to train the top 1 percent of Naval aviators. Neither Cain nor the academy’s senior officer, call sign “Cyclone” ( Jon Hamm ), wanted him for the job. But Maverick’s former rival and eventual wingman Iceman (Val Kilmer), who went on to become an admiral and command the U.S. Pacific Fleet, convinced them he was the only man who could prepare pilots for a top-secret mission.

A uranium enrichment plant has been detected on enemy soil — once again, exactly which enemy is unclear — and two pairs of F-18s need to sneak in, bomb the bejesus out of it and then get out fast, overcoming a near-impossible quick climb over rocky peaks and then surviving the inevitable blast of enemy missiles and aerial dogfights.

The candidates for that mission are “the best of the best,” former star graduates who are pretty much a repeat of the 1986 bunch aside from being more culturally diverse. There’s even — gasp! — a woman, Phoenix (Monica Barbaro). The two that matter most, though, are swaggering blowhard Hangman (Glen Powell) and Goose’s son Rooster ( Miles Teller ), still carrying around the ghost of his father and hostile to Maverick for stalling his career by taking his name off the Naval Academy list.

The Hangman-Rooster dynamic more or less mirrors the Iceman-Maverick friction from Top Gun , just as the incongruously homoerotic shirtless volleyball scene is echoed here with a rowdy team-building football game on the beach.

The only notable place where the screenwriters don’t genuflect to the original model is with Kelly McGillis’ astrophysicist and civilian Top Gun instructor Charlie, who declined a plum Washington job to stick with her man but doesn’t even rate a mention here. Instead, Maverick sparks up an old romance with Penny ( Jennifer Connelly ), a single mom with fabulous highlights. She runs a local bar — its name, The Hard Deck, doubles as a tactical plot point — which apparently puts her in an income bracket to own a sleek sailboat and drive a Porsche. (Producer Jerry Bruckheimer never met a power vehicle he didn’t love.)

Maverick’s task during training is to test the limits of the super-competitive candidates, whittling them down from 12 to six and choosing a team leader. “It’s not what I am. It’s who I am,” he says of his aviator vocation during a rare moment of self-doubt. “How do I teach that?” Anyone failing to guess who’ll land the team leader spot and who’ll be their wingman isn’t paying attention.

The simmering conflict between Maverick and Rooster — who can’t see past his resentment to perceive the protective responsibility his dad’s friend feels toward him — provides an emotional core even if the role makes scant demands on Teller’s range. But that’s true also of Connelly, Hamm and everyone else in the cast; all of them get the job done while remaining satellites that merely orbit around Cruise’s glittering Planet Alpha, eventually having to acknowledge that Maverick’s a helluva guy no matter what stunts he pulls.

The film’s most moving element comes during the brief screen time of Kilmer’s Iceman, whose health issues reflect those suffered by the actor in real life, generating resonant pathos. There’s reciprocal warmth, even love, in a scene between Iceman and Maverick that acknowledges the characters’ hard-won bond as well as the rivalry that preceded it, with gentle humor.

Kosinski (who directed Cruise in Oblivion ), the writers and editor Eddie Hamilton keep a close eye on the balance between interpersonal drama and flight maneuvers; scenes intercut between field practice and classroom discussions during which Maverick points out fatal errors on a computer simulator are particularly sharp. This is all nuts-and-bolts buildup, however, to the mission itself, in which hair-raising action, seemingly insurmountable setbacks and miraculous saves keep the tension pumped.

This is definitely a film that benefits from the Imax experience and the big-ass soundscape that comes with it. The muscular score by Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga and Hans Zimmer also pulls its weight, with Gaga’s song, “Hold My Hand,” getting prime romantic placement. Musical choices elsewhere tend to lean into a retro vibe — Bowie, T. Rex, Foghat, The Who — while Teller gets to hammer the piano keys and lead a Jerry Lee Lewis sing-along that pays direct homage to his screen dad.

The most memorable part of Top Gun: Maverick — and the scenes that will make new generations swell with pride and adulation for good old American heroism — are the dogfights and tactical maneuvers of the pilots. Just as they should be. The best thing this movie does is boost visceral analog action over the usual numbing bombardment of CG fakery, a choice fortified by having the actors in the airborne cockpits during shooting.

Cinematographer Claudio Miranda’s work benefits from the technological advances of the past three decades, with camera rigs allowing for you-are-there verisimilitude. Cruise’s insistence on doing his own flying is undeniably impressive, even if the headgear’s breathing apparatus gets in the way of his trademark clenched-jaw intensity. No one is going to dispute that he works hard in this movie, justifying the labor of love. But no one is going to come out of it concerned for his self-esteem, either.

Full credits

Venue: Cannes Film Festival (Out of Competition) Distribution: Paramount Production companies: Skydance, Jerry Bruckheimer Films Cast: 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 Director: Joseph Kosinski Screenwriters: Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie Story: Peter Craig, Justin Marks, based on characters created by Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr. Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison Executive producers: Tommy Harper, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Chad Oman, Mike Stenson Director of photography: Claudio Miranda Production designer: Jeremy Hindle Costume designer: Marlene Stewart Music: Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer Editor: Eddie Hamilton Visual effects supervisor: Ryan Tudhope Aerial coordinator: Kevin LaRosa II Casting: Denise Chamian

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Tom Cruise Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Tom Cruise is an actor and film producer from Syracuse, New York, U.S. He is known worldwide for his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in the action spy film series Mission: Impossible.  His first film as a producer was also Mission Impossible (1996). Since then, he has produced many films including the entire  MI film series. Tom also provided his vocals to the soundtrack of the 2012 film  Rock of Ages . Overall, he has shown an all-around performance in his field.

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV

Tom Cruise, TC

Syracuse, New York, U.S.

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Nationality

American

Tom Cruise did 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades from Robert Hopkins Public School  in Ottawa, Canada. Then, he completed 6th grade from Henry Munro Middle School , part of the Carleton Board of Education.

In totality, Tom went to 15 schools in 14 years.

Actor, film producer, director, writer

  • Father – Thomas Cruise Mapother III (Electrical Engineer)
  • Mother – Mary Lee (née Pfeiffer) (Special Education Teacher)
  • Siblings – Lee Anne Mapother (Older Sister), Marian Mapother (Sister), Cass Mapother (Sister)
  • Others – Patrick Russell Cruise (Paternal Great-Great-Great-Grandfather)

He is signed with  Creative Artists Agency .

His publicist is 42 West.

5 ft 7 in or 170 cm

67 kg or 148 pounds

Girlfriend / Spouse

Tom Cruise dated –

  • Cher – Singer Cher and Tom Cruise dated for some time in the mid-1980s.
  • Rebecca De Mornay (1982-1985)
  • Mimi Rogers (1986-1990) – Tom Cruise started dating American actress and competitive poker player, Miriam Mimi Rogers in January 1986. They married next year on May 9. They ended their three-year relationship in 1989 due to a lack of physical intimacy. Their divorce was finalized on February 4, 1990.
  • Nicole Kidman (1989-2001) – A pretty long marital relationship was maintained   by Nicole Mary Kidman and Tom after starting dating in December 1989. The duo met on the set of the 1990 movie Days of Thunder  for the first time. They married a year later on December 24, 1990. Australian actress, Kidman and Cruise adopted a daughter named “Isabella Cruise” and a son named “ Connor Cruise “. This relationship saw an end in 2001.
  • Penelope Cruz (2001-2004) – In 2001, Tom started dating Spanish actress Penelope Cruz after they met on the set of the movie Vanilla Sky (2001). It was a long-distance relationship as they used to spend the majority of their time working apart. As a couple, they were seen for the first time publicly during the movie premiere of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001) in August 2001. They dated for nearly 3 years and split in January 2004.
  • Nazanin Boniadi (2004-2005) – In November 2004, Tom Cruise started dating Iranian actress and activist, Nazanin Boniadi. She was one of Cruise’s girlfriends and a potential wife vetted by the Church of Scientology. However, she got to know about the enter thing only after she landed in New York and had previously just been told that she was going for an important task. Later, Nazanin Boniadi revealed that “at the beginning of the relationship [he] was very romantic but as the relationship progressed he began to have temper tantrums. He began to show violent tendencies”. As their affair dissolved within just a few months in January 2005, she confessed to a friend how devastated she felt at the moment. She was later punished by the Church for this act and “had to dig ditches at midnight and scrub floor tiles… She was placed on a curfew… escorted everywhere she went” which made her feel like “she was a victim of white slavery because she traveled across state lines under false pretenses”.
  • Katie Holmes (2005-2012) –   Tom, commenced dating actress Katie Holmes in April 2005. Just a couple of months later, the couple engaged in June 2005. Their marriage took place in November 2006. The couple, who is fondly called “TomKat” by the media has 1 daughter named “Suri Cruise” (b. April 18, 2006). The relationship ended in 2012, when a divorce was filed on July 9, 2012.
  • Yolanda Pecoraro  (2012) – Tom was rumored to be dating American actress, Yolanda in the past.
  • Cynthia Jorge  (2012) – Again in 2012, Cruise was romantically linked to an American businesswoman, Cynthia Jorge.
  • Jennifer Åkerman   (2012) – He was rumored to be dating model and actress Jennifer Åkerman in 2012.
  • Laura Prepon  (2013) – Tom had a fling with another actress, Laura Prepon, to whom he took to The Renaissance at The Manor Hotel in November 2013. Laura was picked by Tom in his vintage car and he also took along a wine bottle with him. After all this, Laura believed that Cruise was on ‘cloud nine’. It was later proved to be a RUMOR.
  • Annabelle Wallis (2016) – In 2016, after working together in The Mummy (2017), English actress Annabelle Wallis and Tom were rumored to be dating each other. But, these rumors were rejected by Gossip Cop.
  • Vanessa Kirby – Tom was rumored to be dating Vanessa in 2017 when he recommended the  Mission: Impossible producers to consider Vanessa for a role. Tom first got impressed by Vanessa by watching her perform in The Crown (2016–2017). He was also rumored to be thinking of making Vanessa as his fourth wife.
  • Hayley Atwell (2023) – In 2023, Tom and his Mission: Impossible co-star, Hayley Atwell were rumored to be dating. However, they later denied the rumors.
  • Elsina Khayrova (2023-2024) – In December 2023, Tom was rumored to be dating Russian socialite Elsina Khayrova after they were seen together during a party in London’s Grosvenor Square. On December 15, 2023, Tom booked an entire floor of London restaurant Novikov for a date night with her. In February 2024, it was reported that the couple had broken up.

tom cruise height in top gun

Race / Ethnicity

Tom has English, Irish, and German ancestry.

Sexual Orientation

Distinctive features, brand endorsements.

He has appeared in a Japanese Kure 5-56 commercial, Coca-Cola commercial, guitar hero advert, and many others.

Scientology

Best Known For

Acting in the “ Mission Impossible ” Series. Tom Cruise has acted in all Mission Impossible (MI) Movies from 1 to 6. Tom Cruise acts as “Ethan Hunt” in MI Series. He is well known for the risky stunts in the series including the Burj Khalifa scene in the Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol .

Endless Love in 1981 for his role as “Billy”.

Personal Trainer

Tom Cruise has been trained by “Benny The Jet Urquidez”.

Tom Cruise Favorite Things

  • Favorite Food – Italian particularly Pasta. He also likes strawberries, lobster, and flounder
  • Favorite Color – Green ( Since it is the color of money )
  • Favorite Sport – Football
  • Favorite Perfume – Clive Christian
  • Favorite People – L. Ron Hubbard

Tom Cruise Facts

  • Tom Cruise’s father is Thomas Mapother III (Electrical Engineer, born: 15-Oct-1934, died: Jan-1984). But, Tom (when he was 12) lived with his stepfather “Joseph South” and mother “Mary Lee Pfeiffer South”.
  • Tom Cruise has a pet cat named ‘Harvey’.
  • At the age of 14, he enrolled in a seminary to become a priest but dropped out after one year.
  • Both Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes wore an Armani dress at the time of their wedding.
  • He is a big fan of singer  Joss Stone .
  • Tom was raised in poverty.
  • Tom purchased his first motorcycle when he was just 12 using his savings.
  • October 10, 2006 was the “Tom Cruise Day” in Japan just because he visited Japan more than any other Hollywood star.
  • He was the world’s most powerful celebrity of 2006 as per Forbes.
  • Tom has been termed as “gay” on several occasions for which he also sued British tabloid “Daily Express,” p*rn star Chad Slater, and Bold Magazine publisher Michael Davis. Tom is heterosexual in reality.
  • He became the highest-paid actor of Hollywood in 2012.
  • In December 2020, his leaked audio clip went viral where he was heard threatening to fire crew members on the Mission: Impossible 7 set if they did not follow the COVID-19 safety protocols. Later, it was revealed that 5 crew members actually left.
  • Collectively, all his films (released until 2020) have earned more than $10 billion worldwide.
  • For War of the Worlds (2005), Tom reportedly earned a total of $100 million as he had decided to take 20% of the film’s profits.
  • Tom is left-handed.
  • In March 2021, he listed his Colorado-based 11,512 square-feet house for $39.5 million.
  • In August 2021, Tom’s $190,000 BMW X7 was stolen while he was filming for Mission Impossible: 7 in Birmingham, England.
  • For the movie Top Gun: Maverick , Tom Cruise’s base salary for just $13 million. However, he also reportedly received 10-20% of the net grosses from the theatrical run. The movie had already crossed the $1 billion mark in earnings.
  • Top Gun: Maverick was the most successful film of 2022 (until its release) and even Tom Cruise’s career.
  • The Iron Man movie franchise was first offered to Tom. But, he rejected it and it was offered to Robert Downey Jr , as we all know, who made it a billion-dollar franchise.
  • In January 2024, Tom announced a strategic partnership with Warner Bros. in which they aimed to develop and produce original and franchise theatrical films starring Cruise in 2024.

tom cruise height in top gun

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Thank you all for the tips.I just want to tell you that I found this site really useful to me. I will visit this blog regularly to read more.

I adore Tom Cruise!

There’s no way in hell he’s 77kg/170lbs! At 170cm he’d be obese at that weight. I think it should read 67kg.

Yeah, you are right Tom. It has been corrected.

The article said 148 lbs.

is there something wrong with the above picture of TC and Katie Holmes in the park, height?

small size but huge Tom

Actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are having a hard time convincing people of their sudden hot and heavy romance. In a poll taken in New York City’s Times Square, over 2/3 of the respondents believed that the Cruise and Holmes romance is a publicity stunt due to their upcoming movie releases (Cruise’s War of the Worlds and Holmes’ Batman Begins. Actors/actresses notoriously fall in and out of love in Hollywood, so why is there so much speculation about this romance. Why is this romance such a hard pill to swallow? Doesn’t anyone believe in love at first sight anymore?

Close up in M.I., his eyes are HAZEL! Top Gun = blue eyes. Internet says they’re green, which is it????????

Toms eyecolour is just like mine.Ever since I was a little girl,ppl.had a hard time telling what colour they were.(Even me)Toms eyes(Iris)are a darker ue/grey=green,with a touch of a light,golden circle around the pupil=A “colder” hazel.Some Ppl.guess a light brown,but most blue or green.Depends on the colour of clothes,hair,lights & so on.

What happened to his face in last pic?? Droopy eyes, huge mandibular jaw implants, looks like he’s been squished down/up! :-/

Hi tom , I am your biggest fans in Bangladesh . My name is Anup from Jessore . How are your imaginations of holiday or off time ? Please throw your comment for me . Love you tom . God bless you . Best of luck and take care your self .

Tom Cruise weight is atleast 70KG.

m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzFlMTJjYzUtMWFjYy00NjkyLTg1Y2EtYmZkMjdlOGQ1ZGYwL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg

Tom Cruise is a very fit actor but he would’ve looked better if he had build a physique like Brad Pitt.

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Tom Cruise at an event for Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

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  • 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 8 ( 2025 ) $13,000,000 + % of back end
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‘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

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Top Gun: Maverick - Variety Review - Critic's Pick

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.

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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).

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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.

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Tom Cruise’s Top Gun Aviators, Plus: Net Worth, Height, Family & Siblings, Filmography & More

tom cruise height in top gun

Last Updated on June 14, 2023 by Ash Salleh

Tom Cruise Info: Net Worth, Siblings, Height, Movies

Tom cruise’s aviators in top gun, other interesting personal info & history about tom cruise:, tom cruise’s style – how to dress like maverick himself, what’s tom cruise been up to in 2023.

  • Net worth: Tom Cruise’s net worth was estimated to be around $637 million in 2023. This is an estimate that changes over time.
  • Siblings: Tom Cruise has three sisters: Lee Anne, Marian, and Cass.
  • Children: Tom Cruise has three children. Isabella and Connor Cruise were adopted during his marriage to Nicole Kidman. Suri Cruise is his biological daughter with Katie Holmes.
  • Height: Tom Cruise is approximately 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) tall.
  • Risky Business (1983)
  • Top Gun (1986)
  • Rain Man (1988)
  • Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
  • A Few Good Men (1992)
  • The Firm (1993)
  • Interview with the Vampire (1994)
  • Jerry Maguire (1996)
  • Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
  • The Mission Impossible series (1996-present)
  • Vanilla Sky (2001)
  • Minority Report (2002)
  • The Last Samurai (2003)
  • War of the Worlds (2005)
  • Tropic Thunder (2008)
  • Valkyrie (2008)
  • Jack Reacher series (2012-2016)
  • Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

* Note that this list does not include all the movies he has acted in

  • Partner information: Tom Cruise has been married three times. His first marriage was to Mimi Rogers (1987-1990), followed by Nicole Kidman (1990-2001), and then Katie Holmes (2006-2012). As of my knowledge cutoff in 2021, he is not publicly in a relationship.

tom cruise height in top gun

  • Tom Cruise was born on July 3, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, USA.
  • He had a difficult childhood, moving around a lot due to his father’s job, and suffered from dyslexia.
  • Cruise began acting in high school and moved to New York to pursue a career in acting.
  • His breakout role was in “Risky Business” (1983), which led to a string of successful roles in the 1980s.
  • He has been nominated for several Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards.
  • Cruise is known for performing many of his own stunts, particularly in the “Mission Impossible” series.
  • He is a prominent member of the Church of Scientology.
  • Tom Cruise Fun Fact : Despite his smooth & tough guy persona in movies Tom Cruise has a fear of rats: Yes, the fearless actor in the face of deadly stunts, Tom Cruise has a strong fear of rats, which is known as musophobia. While he undoubtedly has a confident and adventurous spirit, these small creatures are something he prefers to avoid.

Tom Cruise’s style can be described as classic, polished, and at times, action-ready. His off-screen style leans towards the casual side, with an emphasis on comfort. He is often seen wearing jeans, fitted t-shirts, aviator sunglasses, and leather jackets, reminiscent of his iconic “Top Gun” character.

For red carpet events and public appearances, Cruise typically opts for tailored suits in classic colors like black, navy, or charcoal. His preference for timeless, well-fitted attire enhances his sophisticated and charismatic persona.

Cruise’s style extends to his grooming habits as well, usually sporting a clean-cut look with neatly styled hair. In summary, Tom Cruise’s style can be described as a combination of classic Hollywood glamour, casual comfort, and a hint of his on-screen action hero persona.

Tom Cruise has been busy filming his upcoming movie “Mission Impossible 8” overseas and will not be attending the Oscars 2023 ceremony despite his film being up for six honors, including Best Picture. He also made a surprise appearance in a pre-recorded message at the coronation concert of King Charles III.

Recently, he recently surprised The Flash director, Andy Muschietti, with a personal phone call to praise lead actor Ezra Miller & crew for producing an outstanding film which he was able to get an early preview of.

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Tom Cruise height: How tall is the Top Gun star now? (with photos)

Tom Cruise is a well-known American actor. He is one of the world's highest-paid performers and has earned several honours, including an Honorary Palme d'Or, three Golden Globe Awards, and four Academy Award nominations. However, the American actor's height has been a source of contention. What is Tom Cruise's height?

Tom Cruise height

Tom Cruise started his acting career in 1981 in the film Endless Love . He was later featured in several other films, such as Top Gun (1986) and The Last Samurai (2003). His celebrity status has grown over time, notably during the making of the original Top Gun . The actor reportedly wore lifts in his footwear for the shoot, which raised a few eyebrows.

Tom Cruise's profile summary

tom cruise height in top gun

Vanna White's net worth and salary: All the details about her salary, assets, and income

How tall is Tom Cruise truly?

Tom is unquestionably one of the most recognisable and well-known characters in Top Gun from 1986. Aside from his acting abilities and skills, he is also physically noteworthy due to his height. How tall is Tom Cruise without lifts? He is 5 feet 7 inches or 170 centimetres tall.

Tom Cruise height

How tall and heavy is Tom Cruise?

Is Tom Cruise 5' 8"? No, the American actor 's height is 5 feet 7 inches or 170 centimetres, and he weighs approximately 150 pounds or 68 kilograms. Tom's height has long been an issue of contention from Endless Love in 1981 through Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One in 2023.

While his small size was formerly seen to be a disadvantage, it's evident that today's fans appreciate the actor's on-screen solid appearance and impressive performances.

Tom Cruise height

Frequently asked questions

tom cruise height in top gun

Kelly McGillis Then and now: Everything about the Top Gun star

  • Who is Tom Cruise? He is an American actor widely recognised for his various roles in films and television shows such as Top Gun and Mission Impossible .
  • How old is Tom Cruise? He is 61 years old as of 2023. He was born on 3 July 1962.
  • Where is Tom Cruise from? He was born in Syracuse, New York, United States, to his parents, Mary Lee and Thomas Cruise Mapother III.
  • Who is Tom Cruise's current partner? He is not married currently. He had previously been involved in three marriages, all ending in divorce.
  • Does Tom Cruise have kids? He has three kids, namely Suri, Connor, and Isabella Jane.
  • What is Tom Cruise's net worth? The American actor has an estimated net worth of $600 million as of 2023.
  • What is Tom Cruise's height and weight? He is 5 feet 7 inches or 170 centimetres tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds or 68 kilograms.

tom cruise height in top gun

Meet Andrew Schulz's wife: Get to know Emma Turner's life and history

Tom Cruise's height is 5 feet 7 inches or 170 centimetres tall. Tom is an American actor, writer and producer widely recognised for his roles in various films and television series, notably Top Gun (1986).

Yen.com.gh recently published some interesting facts about Ariana Grande . Ariana Grande-Butera is a well-known American songwriter, singer, and actor. Her four-octave vocal range and notable use of the whistle register have gained her praise from analysts and the mainstream press.

Grande began her musical career at 15 in the 2008 Broadway musical 13. She rose to prominence as Cat Valentine in the TV series Victorious (2010–2013) and Sam & Cat (2013–2014). Her physical measurements have also recently become a hot topic of discussion among enthusiasts. Learn more in the article.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Tatiana Thiga (Lifestyle writer) Tatiana Thiga is a content creator who joined Yen in 2022. She is an English literature graduate from Kenyatta University. She has amassed sufficient knowledge working on a variety of topics, including biographies, fashion and lifestyles, guides, and more. In 2023, Tatiana finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her at [email protected]

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tom cruise height in top gun

Top Gun 2: Why Tom Cruise Wasn't Allowed To Fly An F-18 Fighter Jet

  • Tom Cruise insisted on prioritizing practical effects over CGI in Top Gun: Maverick , adding authenticity to the aerial action.
  • Cruise originally wanted to fly a real Boeing F-18 fighter jet in the film, but the US Navy denied his request due to insurance concerns and the high cost of the plane.
  • Cruise's dedication to doing his own stunts enhances the storytelling and creates a level of authenticity that can't be achieved in any other way.

Given the actor's reputation for wild stunts, it's not surprising that many viewers were wondering did Tom Cruise actually fly in T op Gun: Maverick . Joseph Kosinski's sequel has surpassed the original 1986 Top Gun with its box office success and a Best Picture nomination. Much of this has to do with how the movie prioritized practical effects over CGI, adding authenticity to the aerial action. That said, while it's no secret that Tom Cruise does his own stunts a lot, some of the tricks proposed for Top Gun: Maverick were a little too ambitious, even by Cruise's standards.

When it came to the long-awaited sequel, Cruise signed on for the project only with the assurance that the film's effects would not be reliant on CGI. Cruise was so ambitious, in fact, that he had initially hoped to fly a real Boeing F-18 fighter jet. A certified pilot, Top Gun: Maverick's Cruise is well-accustomed to high-octane aviation stunts . Many Cruise fans will already be aware that many of the more impressive helicopter stunts in 2018's Mission: Impossible - Fallout were performed by Cruise. However, Bruckheimer maintains that the US Navy ultimately denied Cruise's requests to fly the Super Hornet, which boasts a price tag in excess of $70 million.

How Fast Is Mach 10? What Speed Maverick Travels In Top Gun 2

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell becomes the fastest man alive as he travels faster than Mach 10, a speed that has never been achieved in real life.

Why Its Sensible That Tom Cruise Wasnt Allowed To Fly A Fighter Jet

The navy denied his application.

The Super Hornet jet does feature in the sequel, but Tom Cruise did not fly them in Top Gun: Maverick as those scenes were all completed with assistance from Navy pilots. According to producer Bruckheimer, Cruise does fly a P-51 propeller-driven fighter plane, as well as some helicopters. With the assistance of skilled editing, the action sequences are convincing to even the best-trained eye.

There's no confirmation about why the US Navy might have denied Cruise's aspirations to pilot a Super Hornet , even though the actor has experience flying Top Gun 's supersonic military aircraft . However, the most logical reason would be insurance concerns, which is always enough of a consideration to prevent actors from doing their own stunts.

The cost of the plane also figures into this – a real F-18 Super Hornet would make up roughly half of Top Gun: Maverick 's $152 million budget. That would be likely to create logistical nightmares for the insurance of the film. That's not even to mention insuring Cruise himself, who, though already a certified pilot, may not have the specific training required to fly the F-18 safely.

Insurance woes aside, should an inexperienced pilot such as Cruise lose control of a high-speed aircraft, it could also mean peril for civilians and/or military personnel on the ground. Besides, while Tom Cruise does his own stunts to great effect, the real Navy pilots in Top Gun: Maverick 's brought more than enough authenticity to the sequel.

Top Gun 2: All 6 Jet Fighter Planes That Appear In Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick put Tom Cruise back in the cockpit after three decades, but which specific jet fighter planes appear in the followup to Top Gun?

Why Does Tom Cruise Like To Do His Own Stunts?

A passion for story telling is why tom cruise doesn't use stunt doubles much.

The real reason why Tom Cruise does his own stunts is simple: it's the best way to tell whatever story is at hand . In the actor's own words, “It has to do with storytelling… It allows us to put cameras in places that you’re not normally able to do.” Indeed, if the lead actor in an action movie is able to physically perform the character's stunts, this removes the necessity to shoot from strange angles or use editing tricks to make dangerous scenes appear real. This ultimately translates to smoother action sequences and scenes closer to the writer, stunt coordinator, and director's vision.

Moreover, whenever Cruise puts himself in danger for a risky stunt, everyone involved - from the film crew to the audience - is much more invested in the results, a level of authenticity that simply can't be achieved in any other way. Outside of the Top Gun series, this stunning effect can also be observed in the stunt-filled Mission Impossible franchise .

The F/A-18 Super Hornet Requires An Advanced Pilot

The aircraft in top gun: maverick are among the hardest to fly.

While Tom Cruise did really fly in Top Gun: Maverick with certain aircraft, confirming his exceptional pilot skills, the F/A-18 Super Hornets are not the kind of plane just anyone can jump into and take off . It requires specially trained pilots to operate these aircraft given their immense power and the danger involved. Some of the impressive specifics about the plane (via: Military.com ) include its maximum speed of 1,190 mph and the ability to climb 45,000 ft per minute. Such power is needed as the Super Hornets have a 30,500 lb weight while empty which can increase to 66,000 lbs with its maximum weapons load.

It seems as though Tom Cruise will do anything for his stunts , and that likely includes the necessary training to handle an aircraft like this. However, even if he was denied that opportunity, the Super Hornets didn't come at a discounted price. It was reported (via Bloomberg ) that the movie r ented the Super Hornets from the U.S. Navy for over $11,000 an hour . However, given that Top Gun: Maverick more than surpassed box office expectations, it seems as though it was a price worth paying.

How Much Of Top Gun 2 Is Real & How Much Is CGI

Top Gun: Maverick features plenty of thrilling flying sequences and stunts. Here's what was done for real by Tom Cruise and the cast and what was CGI.

Top Gun: Maverick Isn't The Only Movie To Feature Tom Cruise Really Flying A Plane

Cruise really flew in mission: impossible - fallout and american made.

While Tom Cruise didn't get to fly an F18 in Top Gun: Maverick, he did get to pilot his own P-51 in the Top Gun sequel, and Maverick isn't the only movie that used real footage of him in the cockpit of an aircraft. He's flown various helicopters and planes throughout the Mission: Impossible franchise, for example. Notably, he spent hours learning to become an expert helicopter pilot for a single stunt in Mission: Impossible: Fallout in 2018. Marc Wolff, the aerial coordinator on Mission: Impossible - Fallout, revealed that Cruise spent upwards of 2000 hours in the cockpit training for the sequence ( via Quartz ):

Flying a helicopter takes a lot of skill, to put someone like Tom into a situation like this is almost impossible to imagine.

Another added:

Most pilots wouldnt attempt this, you make a mistake, somebodys going to die from it."

However, it's not just in his franchise movies like Top Gun: Maverick and the Mission: Impossible franchise that Tom Cruise flexed his skills as a pilot. In the 2017 action-comedy American Made, Tom Cruise played Barry Seal, a real airline pilot who became a drug smuggler for a cartel. While playing Seal, Tom Cruise performed several stunts flying a twin-engine Piper Smith Aerostar 600.

Tom Cruises's stunts in American Made came with some controversy though. While he wasn't directly involved in the incidents, two stunt pilots on set unfortunately passed away during a plane crash while filming. A lawsuit followed, and while Cruise wasn't directly implicated, the family did partially blame him and director Doug Liman for encouraging a culture of pushing boundaries at the expense of safety in order to get the best shots possible.

Tom Cruises Wildest Stunt

Top gun: maverick isn't his most dangerous filming experience.

By Tom Cruise's own reckoning, the wildest and most dangerous stunt he's ever performed is when he hung on to a moving plane in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation , the fifth movie in the MI series. Not surprisingly, for Tom Cruise, flying a Super Hornet would qualify as a less dangerous stunt, as that would have at least required the actor to be inside the plane.

Although Cruise was harnessed to the plane in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation , no amount of safety precautions could account for all the inherent dangers involved with a person wearing virtually no protection while hanging onto a moving aircraft. This just goes to show the level of sheer dedication Cruise brings to his movie projects.

However, recently Cruise has suggested a new stunt in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 might be his wildest stunt yet, which involves Cruise jumping a motorcycle off of a cliff and then parachuting to safety. It is a stunt that took years of planning and training to get right and promises to be another spectacle from the dedicated actor. Clearly, even if Tom Cruise didn't really fly the F-18s in Top Gun: Maverick , he is not slowing down at all when it comes to his onscreen stunts.

Top Gun: Maverick

Release Date May 27, 2022

Director Joseph Kosinski

Cast Manny Jacinto, Raymond Lee, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, Ed Harris, Monica Barbaro, Danny Ramirez, Jake Picking, Lewis Pullman, Tom Cruise, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell

Rating PG-13

Runtime 130 minutes

Genres Action

Writers Zack Stentz, Ashley Miller, Justin Marks, Peter Craig

Franchise(s) Top Gun

Top Gun 2: Why Tom Cruise Wasn't Allowed To Fly An F-18 Fighter Jet

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Every type of fighter jet used in the top gun movies.

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Top Gun 3: Confirmation, Cast & Everything We Know About The Maverick Sequel

Tom cruise has 1 far more daring movie coming up than top gun 3, 15 most rewatchable western movies of all time.

  • Top Gun planes play a vital role in bringing authenticity to both movies, serving as crucial characters alongside the pilots.
  • Real-life aircraft like the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Super Hornet are featured prominently, adding to the realism of the films.
  • The use of actual planes came at a high cost but contributed to the success of both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick , earning critical acclaim.

With incredible practical aerial sequels, the Top Gun planes are a vital aspect to the original movie and its sequel achieving an authentic feel. The original 1986 movie saw Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) attend the U.S. Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School, known to the skilled naval aviators who train there as " Top Gun ." Over three decades later, Top Gun: Maverick saw Maverick promoted to Captain and reassigned to the school as punishment for his rebellious ways. As both movies emphasize realism, the Top Gun planes are equally crucial to the franchise as the pilots who fly them.

Neither Top Gun movies disappoint when it comes to their choices of fighter jets that can impress mainstream audiences as well as aircraft aficionados. Top Gun: Maverick treats the jet fighters as characters in and of themselves. The F-14 Tomcat even receives a comeback similar to Maverick's own triumphant return. Tom Cruise even gets the opportunity in Top Gun: Maverick to show off his own P51-Mustang. It's not just classic aircraft that receives the spotlight either, Top Gun: Maverick highlights the speed and fluidity of modern fighters and even an impressive if fictional, prototype hypersonic jet.

Tom Cruise flew high in 2022 in Top Gun: Maverick. With its success, Top Gun 3 feels inevitable, and here's everything we know about the next Top Gun.

Grumman F-14 Tomcat

The original top gun plane returned for the sequel.

The original Top Gun hired real F-14 Tomcats from the U.S. Navy for production . To achieve the impressive aerial shots that Tony Scott wanted for the flying sequences, the manufacturing company, Grumman, was commissioned to construct pods on the Top Gun planes that could accommodate film cameras while being flown. The use of actual F-14s came at a high cost to Paramount Pictures, who had to pay for fuel and the aircraft's operating costs. It costs approximately $8000 an hour (modern equivalent to over $21,000) to use the F-14s in Top Gun .

Despite the U.S. Navy decommissioning them in 2006, the ending of Top Gun: Maverick made use of an F-14 as Maverick and Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller) escape the enemy in one of their own aircraft.

While filming Top Gun , Scott requested to film F-14s taking off from and landing on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, backlit by the setting sun. Scott requested that the captain of Enterprise adjust his course to accommodate the shot but was told that it would cost him $25,000 (just under $70,000 in 2022) to do so. Scott immediately wrote the captain a check and the aircraft carrier turned for the shot he wanted. The only problem arose when the captain tried to cash the check later, and it bounced ( via The Hollywood Reporter ).

Despite the U.S. Navy decommissioning them in 2006, the ending of Top Gun: Maverick made use of an F-14 as Maverick and Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller) escape the enemy in one of their own aircraft. F-14s are still in use by Iran's Navy, but the production team could not acquire any active aircraft for filming.

So instead, Top Gun: Maverick used an engineless F-14A from the San Diego Air & Space Museum for the enemy hangar scene. All the aerial sequences featuring the F-14 were created using visual effects. The depiction of the F-14 in Top Gun: Maverick fits perfectly with the film's theme of nostalgia.

Northrop F-5F/F-5E Tiger II

Used to portray top gun's enemy planes.

Top Gun utilized real-life Northrop F-5 aircraft to depict the fictional enemy MiG-28s. One small detail that reveals that the MiG-28s are fictional is that all aircraft designated as MiGs are given odd numbers in the real world. This is because the real TOPGUN uses the F-5s to simulate aggressor aircraft, a tradition that Top Gun kept by painting the F-5s black to portray the fictional enemy jet fighters.

In the fictional world of Top Gun, the MiG-28 is considered a formidable and highly mobile aircraft, and definitely a match for the various planes flown by Maverick and the other pilots. However, it also can't quite match the speed of the F-14 Tomcat, and it's this edge that ultimately gives the planes of the US Airforce an advantage. It's also interesting to note that the nationality of the pilots flying the MiG-28s is never specified, and rather than placing Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick in a specific conflict, the opposing combatants are simply referred to with terms like " the enemy".

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

Used as training planes to simulate enemy aircraft.

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was used in Top Gun to simulate enemy MiG aircraft in the training sequences. The A-4s are flown by TOPGUN instructors Lieutenant Commander Rick "Jester" Heatherly (Michael Ironside) and Commander Mike "Viper" Metcalf (Tom Skerritt) in the movie. Unlike the MiG-28, the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a real aircraft and was developed during the early 1950s. They saw a heavy amount of service in the Vietnam war, although today — as Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick rightly portray — they're used in a training capacity.

Maverick is chasing an A-4 when he flies into Lieutenant Tom "Iceman" Kazansky's (Val Kilmer) jet wash and crashes.

One depiction of the A-4 in Top Gun comes when Maverick flies under the 10,000ft hard deck to defeat Viper. The most important scene that these Top Gun planes are involved in is the death of Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards). Maverick is chasing an A-4 when he flies into Lieutenant Tom "Iceman" Kazansky's (Val Kilmer) jet wash and crashes.

Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II

Seen as a fleet aboard an aircraft.

While it was only seen briefly in Top Gun, the LTV A-7 Corsair II is another one of the real aircraft used in the franchise. It's also something of a vintage aircraft, though it was still in-use when the first Top Gun movie was released in 1986. The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II was brought in by the U.S. Navy in the 1960s to replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk .

Ironically, the use of the A-4 by the U.S. Navy outlasted the A-7 for over a decade. Both featured prominently in the Vietnam War, and in the post-war era the LTV A-7 Corsair II found its footing as one of the go-to aircraft for the Air National Guard. The A-7 was retired by the U.S. Navy only five years after Top Gun , in 1991. The A-4 was retired later in 2003. In Top Gun , a fleet of A-7s can be seen lined up on an aircraft carrier at the end of the movie.

Grumman KA-6D/A-6 Intruder

Seen on an aircraft in top gun's opening sequence.

Two variants of the Grumman A-6 Intruder are seen in the original 1986 Top Gun movie, though neither is as prominent as some of the more iconic aircraft like the F-14. Still, like all the planes in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, it is a jet with a fascinating history. The A-6 was developed as an all-weather attack aircraft for the U.S. Navy with nuclear capabilities. The U.S. Navy used it between 1963-97, and like many of the aircraft in Top Gun the Grumman A-6 Intruder played an integral part in the Vietnam War.

Following on from Vietnam, A-6 Intruders were a common sight during the Lebanon conflict of the 1980s. They were an essential operational support aircraft for the Multnational Force in Lebanon, a peace-keeping force consisting of resources from the U.S., France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The A-6 Intruder and its aerial refueling variant, the KA-6D, can be spotted in the aircraft carrier credits sequence in Top Gun ​​​​​.

A Fictional Hypersonic Jet In Top Gun: Maverick's Opening Scene

While the MiG-28 technically isn't a real plane, it's not fictional in the same sense as the Darkstar Jet from Top Gun: Maverick, which is the closest the franchise ever comes to aeronautic science-fiction. Although the prototype hypersonic jet, Darkstar, that Maverick pilots to Mach-10 on a doomed test flight at the beginning of Top Gun: Maverick is fictional, it is based on a real aircraft concept.

The Darkstar jet in Top Gun : Maverick is based on the conceptual Lockheed Martin SR-72.

The Chinese government thought the Mach 10-capable Darkstar was so realistic that they mistook it for a real military project. In a sense, they are correct, as the Darkstar jet in Top Gun : Maverick is based on the conceptual Lockheed Martin SR-72. Compared to the mind-bending speeds that the Darkstar attains in Top Gun: Maverick , the SR-72 is proposed to be the first aircraft capable of flying at Mach 6 (six times the speed of sound).

Top Gun 3 and the next Mission: Impossible provide great challenges for Tom Cruise, but he has a much more daring movie in development.

Boeing F/A 18E/F Super Hornet

Used in top gun: maverick's final mission.

Besides Tom Cruise, the Boeing Super Hornets are the stars of Top Gun: Maverick . The Super Hornets are used by Maverick and his students for their mission to destroy the enemy's underground uranium enrichment plant. Despite being newer hardware than the F-14s in Top Gun , the Super Hornets are slower, with a top speed of only 1915km/h. The F-18 is one of the most modern real planes in Top Gun, entering service in 1999 which, while decades ago, is still far more recently than the many jets that were first deployed during conflicts like the Vietnam War.

The F-18 Super Hornet is one of the most iconic and recognizable Top Gun planes used in Top Gun: Maverick, and are not only seen in the final mission but also in the incredible training dogfights. Despite being a certified pilot, Cruise wasn't allowed to fly an F-18 aircraft by the U.S. Navy. This makes sense, given the Super Hornet's price tag of $70 million.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

Seen flying from an aircraft carrier.

While they're only actually glimpsed during the second Top Gun movie, the F-35s are mentioned throughout Top Gun: Maverick as Maverick's desired planes for the mission. However, he is denied the use of them by his higher-ups. In real life, though, the F-35s planes were not used in Top Gun because they only seat a single pilot. The F-35 is especially notable among modern jets for its ability to hover in place and perform vertical landings — a feat that takes an incredible amount of engineering ingenuity.

Top Gun: Maverick 's aerial sequences were filmed mainly practically and thus required two people to occupy the plane: the actor playing the pilot and the actual, trained pilot, which is why the F-35 wasn't used. However, the F-35s can be seen aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln before Maverick and the team depart for their mission. Like many of the F-series planes in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, such as the F-18 and F-14, the F-35 is an easily recognizable vehicle for aircraft buffs. It's also an incredibly modern jet, having only entered service in the various branches of the military in the late 00s.

Sukhoi Su-57 Felon

Used as top gun: maverick's enemy planes.

The Sukhoi Su-57 Felon plays the villainous part of the unidentified enemy's highly advanced "fifth generation fighters" in Top Gun: Maverick . Although the enemy's identity is never revealed in Top Gun: Maverick , the Su-57 is a Russian aircraft. Much is made of the Su-57's impressive capabilities, especially compared to the Super Hornets. Maverick even warns his students not to dogfight with these planes, as the Su-57s are more than capable of outflying the Super Hornets with a top speed of 2,130km/h .

While the nationality of the enemy forces is deliberately kept vague, Su aircraft have been used on the opposing side of many conflicts the US has an active interest in.

The actual danger of the Su-57s is displayed in Top Gun: Maverick 's climax, when it avoided Maverick's missile lock and outflanked the F-14. The use of the Su-57 also added a touch of realism to Top Gun: Maverick. While the nationality of the enemy forces is deliberately kept vague, Su aircraft have been used on the opposing side of many conflicts the US has an active interest in. For example, they are currently employed by the Russian airforce for the invasion of Ukraine.

P-51 Mustang

Maverick's own classic plane.

While the various F-series jets in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick are instantly recognizable to viewers with knowledge of military aircraft, none can be said to be as iconic as the vintage P-51 mustang seen in Top Gun 2. The P-51 Mustang that Maverick flies in Top Gun: Maverick is not only actually piloted by Tom Cruise, but he also owns it.

The Mustang, called "Kiss Me Kate," was named after Cruise's then-wife Katie Holmes when he bought it in 2004. The Mustang was manufactured in 1946 before being restored by a previous owner in 1997. Not only did Cruise pilot the Mustang in the movie, but he also made a habit of flying to the set in it. The use of real planes in both movies shows their dedication to realism and the aircraft depicted in them.

Other Facts About The Top Gun Planes

Top gun: maverick paid steep prices for the use of real planes.

The biggest lure of both the original Top Gun and the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, was the death-defying flying sequences. The production of both movies made sure to use both real planes and those based on real planes to authenticate the experience. It also helped that Tom Cruise insists on doing as much as he can without doubles, and that included Cruise flying the P-51 Mustang in the movies, which is especially nice for the actor since he wasn't allowed to fly certain planes in the first movie for security reasons.

It also wasn't cheap to use real aircraft for the Top Gun planes. The U.S. Navy charged the Top Gun: Maverick production $11,000 an hour to use its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets (via Bloomberg ). That likely is part of the reason the budget hit $171 million. Luckily, the Navy worked hand-in-hand with the production to help get more realistic shots, as many of the take-offs and landings were from actual Naval training missions that the production team was invited to shoot on-site.

In the end, it was a massive success, with the Top Gun sequel making $1.4 billion (via The Numbers ) and several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

In this classic action flick, Tom Cruise stars as daring young pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Among the other students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school, he competes to be best in the class, and learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.

Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 original film starring Tom Cruise as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a top-tier pilot in the Navy. Thirty years after the original film's events, Maverick is asked to head up a section of the TOP GUN program to embark on a dangerous mission. Things become personal when the program includes the son of Maverick's late friend, forcing him to confront his past.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

COMMENTS

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