During the casting calls, “Top Gun” was the movie that every up-and-coming Hollywood star wanted to be a part of. It seemed like every young star wanted to have some sort of role in the movie, including Charlie Sheen, who was willing to take even a small role. Some of the other high-profile stars who auditioned for the roles of Maverick included Sean Penn, John Cusack, Emilio Estevez, Michael J. Fox, and Patrick Swayze. However, it is believed that the screenwriters of the film then wrote the role of Maverick with Tom Cruise specifically in mind.
While Tom Cruise was at first hesitant to accept the role of Maverick, he immediately changed his mind after spending time up in the air with the Blue Angels. Although he wasn’t originally sold on accepting the role, he eventually agreed and of course, it was a major boost for his career. He is now known for his love of action parts and also takes pride in doing many of his own stunts. In fact, he is so good at the stunts that the Telegraph has published an article called “12 Times Tom Cruise has Cheated Death”.
Two Officers
While Kelly McGillis’ character Charlie was always written as Maverick’s love interest in the movie "Top Gun", in the original script, she was supposed to be an officer. It's obvious to see why the scriptwriters would have wanted this to be the storyline; can you imagine the conflict underlying the relationship between two officers falling in love with each other in such a high-stakes career environment?
The Navy, which was very involved in the writing of the script, and assisted the moviemakers in staying within the budget, put its foot down. They wouldn't approve of a script that involved two officers becoming involved. The U.S. military prohibits fraternization between officers and enlisted personnel. Because filmmakers depended greatly on the Navy's involvement, they rewrote Charlie's profession to that of a Navy consultant who assesses pilot performance.
The Top Gun Aesthetic
The film had a very specific look and feel, something that helped secure its role in cinema history. The look of the movie is rumored to have been inspired by photographer Bruce Weber, who is famous for his provocative fashion and celebrity photography, as well as black and white graphic shots of the human body. His first book of photos, "Looking Good: A Guide for Men, served as the inspiration for the look of the Navy pilots in "Top Gun".
The volleyball scene was the scene that Scott admitted to struggling with the most. And he wasn't the only one who was worried about it; Paramount executives were nervous about it, too, apprehensive that Scott may have taken too much inspiration from Weber — whose artistic photos of nude and scantily dressed men were most popular within the gay community at the time.
Goose’s End
The writers of "Top Gun" said that it was a tough decision to end Goose's life, but they needed to add an emotional element to the movie. The first (and often changed) script called for Goose’s passing to be the result of a midair collision. Because the Navy didn't approve of a midair collision, screenwriters changed the scene to a more realistic situation, depicting an accident that actually happened.
In the film, Goose and Maverick must eject out of their fighter jet. During Goose's ejection, something goes wrong and Goose is flung against the cockpit opening. When Maverick swims toward Goose's body, buoyed in the ocean by his gear, he cries out to his friend. However, Goose lost his life before he ever hit the water. This is a pivotal turning point in the movie.
The “Real” Top Gun School
"Top Gun" was based on an actual flight school named U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School or TOPGUN, which used to be based at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego. The school was founded in the latter part of the 1960s as a way to combat losing the air war in Vietnam. Because of base realignments and closures, TOPGUN was relocated to Fallon, Nevada in 1996, and later renamed the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor.
A bonus fact: Anytime a staffer quotes or references the movie, the school fines them $5. So students there need to be careful not to let out the lyrics, "You never close your eyes anymore / when I kiss your lips" or else they owe the dough. And if you ever "feel the need, the need for speed" while at school, you may want to keep that to yourself.