Prominent actress and '80s sensation Kelly McGillis skyrocketed to stardom when she played the love interest of Tom Cruise in the blockbuster Top Gun. The blonde bombshell wasted no time capitalizing on her popularity from the classic action flick, going on to appear in lauded films like The House on Carroll Street and the Oscar-winning legal drama The Accused.
Despite being on top of the world and one of Hollywood's most buzzed about stars, by the time the '90s rolled around McGillis became disillusioned by the entertainment industry and decided to take a break from show business. She largely turned her back on major movie productions in favor of smaller projects, going on to star in countless made-for-TV films throughout the decade before stepping away altogether.
By the late 2000s, the actress decided to return to Tinseltown and took on roles in shows like The L Word and independent horror flicks such as The Innkeepers and We Are What We Are. Fans were hoping to see McGillis make an appearance in the 2022 smash hit Top Gun: Maverick, but she was notably absent. Let's take a look at what Kelly McGillis has been up to since she first shot to fame.
After graduating from the prestigious Juilliard in 1983, Kelly McGillis made her big screen debut later that year in the dramedy Reuben, Reuben, before ultimately landing her breakthrough role alongside Harrison Ford in the neo-noir crime thriller Witness. In the riveting picture, the actress portrays a young Amish mother who witnesses a brutal murder and is given protection by a determined police detective. The critically-acclaimed film was only McGillis' second cinematic performance, and she earned both a Golden Globe and BAFTA nomination for her captivating portrayal.
Already establishing herself as an up-and-coming Hollywood sensation, McGillis became a bona fide superstar when she appeared as flight instructor Charlotte Blackwood in the summer blockbuster hit Top Gun, sharing the screen with a stacked cast including Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and Tom Skerritt. Her character Charlotte appeared as the love interest of Cruise's Maverick, and the role led to her achieving worldwide popularity.
When Top Gun first soared into theaters in May 1986, the spectacular action flick took audiences across the world by storm and grossed over $353 million at the box office, claiming the title as the highest-earning film of the year. While moviegoers were dazzled by the breathtaking visual effects and exciting storyline (as well as an unforgettable soundtrack), fans were completely captivated by the romance between Charlotte and Maverick, and the actors' undeniable chemistry was raved about by critics and viewers alike.
Related: Here's Why Top Gun Remains Such an Iconic Classic
McGillis beat out fellow '80s queens like Ally Sheedy, Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah, and Diane Lane for the career-defining role, with Top Gun producers opting to cast a lesser-known actress as the savvy astrophysicist and instructor. The Oscar-winning Tony Scott film helped make McGillis a household name and led to a slew of television and film projects that further showcased her impeccable acting prowess.
After the massive and overwhelming success of Top Gun, McGillis' career was in full swing, and she appeared in a diverse assortment of movies including Made in Heaven, Unsettled Land, and The House on Carroll Street. Her role as attorney Kathryn Murphy in the controversial 1988 legal drama The Accused attracted praise, as her character set out to take on the rapists who brutally assaulted a young waitress (the phenomenal Jodie Foster). The poignant and boundary-pushing picture was a critical and commercial hit and has since been singled out for its fearless and realistic depiction of its difficult subject matter and for Foster's transcending performance.
Related: 10 Jodie Foster Films We Can't Live Without
McGillis continued riding her wave of popularity, but it was her involvement in Abel Ferrara's 1989 heist film Cat Chaser that caused the actress to reassess her career path and step away from the limelight. Her negative experience during the production of the picture caused McGillis to stop appearing in major Hollywood productions. In 2001, she opened up about her decision and filming with Ferrara.
"It was the most hateful experience of my life, and I said, if this is what acting is going to be, I will not do it. On the last day of shooting, I said to Abel 'Are you done with me?' He said, 'Yeah.' I walked in my trailer and shaved my head. I said 'Screw you, I never want to act again.'"
Despite her awful experience on the set of Cat Chasers, McGillis portrayed Babe Ruth's wife Claire Merritt Ruth in the 1992 biographical sports drama The Babe and later appeared in Rob Reiner's star-studded dramedy adventure North. She ultimately shifted her focus to smaller projects in the '90s and had countless roles in made-for-TV films including Remember Me, We the Jury, and The Third Twin, and reunited with former Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer in the 1999 romantic drama At First Sight. Her last major appearance was in the 2000 international thriller The Monkey's Mask, which has since gone on to become a lesbian cult film.
McGillis took a major step back from Hollywood during this period, but she did not stop acting. She remained a constant presence at the esteemed Shakespeare Theatre Company, appearing in lauded plays like A Midsummer Night's Dream, Measure for Measure, and The Graduate, the latter of which she toured across the country and portrayed Mrs. Robinson.
Following an extensive break from the mainstream acting world, McGillis slowly began to dip her toe back into the industry and landed a guest role as Colonel Gillian Davis on the popular Showtime drama The L Word. She then embraced the horror genre and had prominent parts in chillings films like Stake Land, The Innkeepers, and We Are What We Are in addition to an appearance in the zombie series Z Nation. She once again opened up about her highly-anticipated return and her hiatus from Hollywood, speaking to the HuffPost.
"Well, I took time off for two reasons -- to get sober and I wanted to be single, full-time parent to my kids; to be the best mom I could be, and when they moved out to be on their own, I started doing little things [in film and TV] again...Acting is a love in my life, but it isn't all that I am. It isn't who I am. It does not define me. I am very content with what comes my way and I love that."
In recent years, McGillis has only popped up in a handful of television and movie roles, with the 2018 made-for-TV thriller Maternal Secrets being her latest performance. She now lives in South Carolina where she teaches acting in a small studio. Fans were shocked over her exclusion from the big-screen extravaganza Top Gun: Maverick, though its director Joseph Kosinski claimed it wasn't intentional and they wanted to focus on Maverick's training of Goose's son Rooster (Miles Teller). McGillis had a far more blunt take on her not being asked to return, which is also a criticism of show business itself.
"I'm old, and I'm fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is. And that is not what that whole scene is about."
Regardless of her feelings towards the sequel, there is no denying that Kelly McGillis will remain a beloved pop culture figure from the '80s and her legacy as a talented performer will forever remain intact.