Kelly McGillis rose to prominence as Tom Cruise’s love interest in the smash Top Gun. The blonde bombshell lost little time capitalizing on her success from the iconic action thriller, going on to participate in acclaimed films such as The House of Carroll Street and the Oscar-winning courtroom drama The Accused.

Despite being on top of the world and one of Hollywood’s most talked-about stars, McGillis got disillusioned with the entertainment industry by the 1990s and chose to take a sabbatical from show business. 

She notably avoided major cinema productions in favor of lesser ones, appearing in innumerable made-for-TV pictures throughout the decade before retiring. 

In this blog, we will tell you all about Kelly Mcgillis and where is she right now? 

Who Is Kelly Mcgiilis?

McGillis at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival

Kelly McGillis is an American actress. She gained widespread recognition for her role as Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood in the 1986 film “Top Gun,” opposite Tom Cruise. McGillis has appeared in various other films and television shows throughout her career.

Age 

Kelly McGillis is 66 years old as of 2023. Her birthday is on July 9, 1957. The actress was born under the sign of Cancer. 

Early Life 

Source

The actress was born in Newport Beach, California, to Donald Manson and Virginia Joan McGillis. Her father, Donald, was a medical practitioner, and her mother, Virginia, was a housewife. 

She is of Caucasian race and has American nationality. Her ancestors are Scots-Irish on her father’s side and German on her mother’s side; she also has Welsh relatives.

She graduated from Newport Harbour High School. In Santa Maria, California, she attended Allan Hancock College’s Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. 

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Kelly McGinnis Family Members 

Kelly Mcginnis is the first of her three siblings to be born. Her father, Donald Manson McGillis, was a doctor, and her mother, Virginia Joan, was most likely a housewife. 

Kelly said in an interview that she is of mixed race due to her Scottish father and German mother. She is of Welsh descent. Karen McGillis and Kathleen McGillis are her two younger sisters.

Who Is Kelly McGinnis’ Husband?

Many people are undoubtedly interested to know more about this. So, in this section, we’ll go over some of the juicy facts of her love life. Kelly has married twice throughout her life. 

• According to sources, she married Boyd Black for the first time in 1979. However, in 1981, the couple decided to divorce.
• She later married Fred Tilman and had two children, Sonora and Kelsey. Kelly, on the other hand, divorced her affluent husband in 2002. Fred had multi-million dollar ships and hotels. 
• She met Melanie Luis, with whom she fell in love while working as a bartender. 
• Kelly confirmed her sexual orientation as a lesbian and began dating Melanie Luis in 2009. However, there is no information on whether or not the pair lives together. We can expect them to getting married shortly. 

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Kelly McGinnis’ Career

Kelly McGillis graduated from the elite Juilliard School of Drama in 1983 and made her big screen debut later that year in the dramedy Reuben, Reuben, before securing her breakthrough role starring Harrison Ford in the neo-noir crime thriller Witness. 

The actress plays a young Amish mother who sees a terrible murder and is protected by a dedicated police officer in the gripping film. McGillis’ critically lauded performance won her a Golden Globe and a BAFTA nomination for her fascinating portrayal in the critically acclaimed film.

McGillis, who had already established herself as an up-and-coming Hollywood wonder, became a bona fide superstar when she starred as flight instructor Charlotte Blackwood in the summer blockbuster smash Top Gun with Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and Tom Skerritt. Her character Charlotte emerged as the love interest of Cruise’s Maverick, and the role catapulted her to international fame.

Rise To Fame 

When Top Gun initially debuted in theaters in May 1986, it captivated fans worldwide, grossing over $353 million at the box office and becoming the year’s highest-earning picture. While the fantastic visual effects and dramatic narrative (as well as iconic music) wowed audiences, fans were fully gripped by Charlotte and Maverick’s relationship, and the performers’ unmistakable chemistry was lauded by reviewers and spectators alike.

Top Gun filmmakers chose a lesser-known actress to play the clever astrophysicist and instructor over other ’80s queens, Ally Sheedy, Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah, and Diane Lane. The Oscar-winning Tony Scott picture helped make McGillis a household figure and paved the way for several television and cinema productions that displayed her exceptional acting abilities.

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Continued Success On Screen

McGillis’ career was in full swing after the tremendous and overwhelming success of Top Gun, and she acted in a wide range of films, including Made in Heaven, Unsettled Land, and The House on Carroll Street. 

In the controversial 1988 judicial drama The Accused, her character, attorney Kathryn Murphy, set out to take on the rapists who savagely abused a young waitress (the excellent Jodie Foster). 

The moving and boundary-pushing film was a critical and economic success, and it has since been lauded for its bold and genuine portrayal of its challenging subject matter, as well as Foster’s transcendent performance.

So, What Happened To Her Glorious Run In Hollywood?

Despite her ordeal on the set of Cat Chasers, McGillis went on to play Babe Ruth’s wife, Claire Merritt Ruth in the 1992 biographical sports movie The Babe and subsequently in Rob Reiner’s star-studded dramedy adventure North. 

In the 1990s, she moved her attention to smaller projects, appearing in a slew of made-for-TV films such as Remember Me, We the Jury, and The Third Twin, and reuniting with her Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer in the 1999 love drama At First Sight. 

Her most recent notable role came in the 2000 international thriller The Monkey’s Mask, which has since become a lesbian cult classic.

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Where Is Kelly McGinnis’ Now?

• McGillis has only appeared in a few television and film roles in recent years, most recently in the 2018 made-for-TV drama Maternal Secrets. 
• She now resides in South Carolina, running a small acting studio.

Final Thoughts

Despite all her struggles, Kelly McGillis will always be remembered as a famous pop culture personality from the 1980s, and her reputation as a gifted performer will live on. 

FAQ

Who is Kelly Mcginnis?

Kelly McGillis is her full name. She is a well-known actress well remembered for her performance in the film “Top Gun.”

What is Kelly Mcginnis’s height?

She stands 5 feet 10 inches tall.

What is Kelly Mcginnis’s age?

Kelly is now 66 years old.

What is Kelly Mcginnis’ net worth? 

Her estimated net worth is $8 million.