Staying Alive
How is John Travolta related to Top Gun? Well, you know many names were in line for grasping the role of Maverick. Apparently, the “Saturday Night Fever” star was in line too. Could you imagine Travolta playing the role? Neither can we.
This idea of Travolta playing Maverick crumbled down as soon as the production team realized that hiring him would cost them much more than initially anticipated.
Pete Pettigrew
You can usually tell how old a person is by their reaction to the name Peter Pettigrew. People born in the 90s or later would usually tell you it's the name of a character from the Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling. Those who were born earlier might know Pettigrew as an aviation superstar.
Peter ('Viper') Pettigrew is a former Navy pilot and a Top Gun instructor. He fought in the Vietnam War, during which he shot down a MiG. The man was a technical consultant for the filmmakers and even had a short cameo as Charlie's date.
An Improvised Kiss
You know that scene where Charlie chases Maverick's motorcycle with her convertible and drives like a crazy person because he wouldn't let her finish her sentence? That same scene that ends in her telling him she is falling for him? That same scene in which they have their first kiss? That one.
Well, as it turns out, that kiss was totally off-script. In fact, Cruise had a line to say at this point but he simply forgot what it was and just kissed McGillis instead. The director loved it and decided to keep the scene that way.
The German Soundtrack
There are not too many movies with such an iconic soundtrack. "Take My Breath Away" IS Top Gun. The song was written by Tom Whitlock and Giorgio Moroder and was initially offered to the band "Motels" who didn't find any interest in it.
Eventually, Terri Nunn's "Berlin" (the band, not the city) was chosen to do the act. She contributed her tragic and rough tone of voice and sang the song with such grieving characteristics. "Take my Breath Away" is Berlin's best-performing song until today.
15 Minutes of Fame
Not too many know who John Semcken is. To most of us, the name means absolutely nothing. Semcken was a technical adviser working for the US Navy and joined the production team of the movie. He had more than a behind-the-scenes role and can be seen in the movie itself.
In the well-known "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" scene, sung by Maverick in the O's club, Semcken is seen singing alongside him, relishing in his 15 minutes of fame.