From 'Top Gun' fame to embracing her body: The remarkable transformation of Kelly McGillis
Kelly McGillis, who catapulted to stardom with her portrayal of Charlie in the 1986 hit movie 'Top Gun', has lived a life as captivating off the camera as the characters she has played on it. Hailing from Newport Beach, California, McGillis embarked on her acting journey in the late 1970s. She first gained significant attention in 1985 with her role in 'Witness', which garnered her nominations for both a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. Her fame further escalated the next year when she co-starred with Tom Cruise. The Charlie actress apparently believed that there's a different explanation for not being called back for 'Top Gun: Maverick': her age and looks. She has also become a subject of weight loss speculations, with media like House and Whips saying the actress unapologetically acknowledged the natural process of aging and her inability to maintain the physique she had more than three decades ago. Let's take a look at the incredible transformation of the prominent actress from the 90s.
Kelly McGillis in the 90s
After her first appearance in the film 'Reuben, Reuben' in 1983, McGillis gained recognition for her portrayal of an Amish mother in the movie 'Witness' in 1985, earning nominations for both the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards. Following this, she achieved further prominence in the 1986 fighter-pilot film 'Top Gun', where she played the role of flight instructor Charlotte Blackwood (call sign "Charlie"), alongside Tom Cruise. In 1979, McGillis tied the knot with Boyd Black, a fellow student from Juilliard. However, their marriage ended in divorce in 1981. She then walked down the aisle with Fred Tillman in 1989, and the couple was blessed with two daughters. Their marriage, too, ended in divorce in 2002.
Also Read: Top Gun's Cast Then and Now: Cult movie's lead stars through the years
Kelly McGillis took a break from acting
Following her role in 'Morgan's Ferry' in 2001, McGillis decided to take a hiatus from acting that lasted five years. She made a comeback in 2007 with her appearance in the documentary 'Girl 27'. However, her return to acting roles happened a year earlier, in 2006, when she filmed a B-horror movie titled 'Supergator', which was released in the subsequent year, per Screen Rant. She also returned to television in 2006, and in 2007, she joined the cast of Showtime's 'The L Word' for its fifth season.
Kelly McGillis came out as lesbian
The actress reportedly came out as a lesbian in 2009 and told the SheWired vlogger that she is interested in women. The actress also shared that accepting her sexual orientation has been a continuous journey since she was 12 years old, and she previously believed that being gay was a form of divine punishment.
Kelly McGillis in 2013
McGillis is reportedly a resident of Hendersonville, North Carolina. She began teaching acting at the New York Studio for Stage and Screen (NYS3) in Asheville, North Carolina in 2013, per Yahoo!
Kelly McGillis: 2014 - present
In 2014, Kelly McGillis graced the screen in several productions including 'Grand Street', 'Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio' (marking her third portrayal of an Amish character), 'Z Nation', and an episode of 'Sisters of Mercy'. She also emerged as a strong advocate for survivors of sexual assault, leveraging her personal experiences and public platform to support others who have endured similar hardships. During this time, she expressed the challenges she faced in coming out, particularly while raising her children in a conservative Pennsylvania town, per The List.
Kelly McGillis' 'Mother of All Secrets'
McGillis was involved in a number of notable projects in 2018. She starred in the thriller 'Maternal Secrets', also known as 'Mother of All Secrets', for which she received a nomination for Supporting Actress in a Feature at the Southampton International Film Festival and won Best Supporting Actress at the California Women's Film Festival. This role was her most recent major film appearance. Beyond her on-screen performances, McGillis has also explored the realm of voice acting. She provided the voice for the character Rachel in the 2018 animated series 'Charlie', per Silver Screen. In 2019, during the production of 'Top Gun: Maverick', McGillis, who was diagnosed with alpha one antitrypsin disorder about five years ago, suggested to Entertainment Tonight that her age was the reason she wasn’t invited back. "I'm old, and I’m fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is," McGillis told ET in 2019. "And that is not what that whole scene is about. To me, I’d much rather feel absolutely in my skin and who I am at my age as opposed to placing a value on all that other stuff." As her fame grew, so did her struggles with self-esteem and body image. In a 2021 interview with 'It Came From…', she shared an experience of rewatching one of her films at a charity event. Upon seeing her younger self on screen, she confessed her inability to comprehend why she had once believed she was too unattractive for the silver screen. "I really had issues," she conceded. "It was very interesting to me, because I remember making the film, I felt like I was fat and ugly, and I thought, 'I wonder why I thought that so much back then?'"
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