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Chapter Text

Google FAQ "What is the most watched Oscar of all time?"

The highest audience for the Oscars in its history was for the 1998 edition, in front of 57 million television viewers. The ceremony is famous for several reasons: "Titanic" won eleven awards, a record previously held by "Ben-Hur" (1959). Two films were tied for second place that night, the drama "Good Will Hunting” and the neo-thriller "Heat," with nine awards. Undoubtedly, the most remembered thing about that March 23, 1998, was Tom Cruise's Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in "Heat," for his portrayal of Charles Polesti, a cybercriminal, and partner of bank robber Chris Shiherlis, played by Val Kilmer.

Fragment of the chapter "Take the Heat" in Val Kilmer, A Memoir, 2020

Cinema is all about timing, logistics, and the mysteries of fate. In the last days of 1995, Warner Bros changed course. The original plan -to take two years before starting the next Batman film- was scrapped. The studio now insists on doing it immediately to build on the success of "Batman Forever." I just couldn't. That's because I had already committed to doing "The Saint" in London and had been asked to do "Heat," which was in pre-production and would coincide with the filming of "Batman and Robin."

My agent strongly recommended that I pass on "Heat."

"Are you kidding?" I asked.

"Val, the pay is less than your per diem for "Batman."

"But it's Michael Mann directing. And it's Pacino and De Niro. If I do the movie, I'll be able to call them Al and Bob for the rest of my life."

"Financially it makes no sense."

But I wasn't thinking finances. I was thinking folklore. I wanted to be with those two acting beasts.

…

While reading the script, I discovered a change in the story that caught my attention: in the end, Chris Shiherlis was saved by his wife, Charlene, but according to my research, the actual character, Miklos Polesti, was not married. The police simply caught him days after the robbery, and he ended up in prison.

I called Michael to ask why to add Charlene into the mix, who frankly struck me as one of those hollow female characters Hollywood is so fond of. With some hesitancy, Mann confessed to me that it was the only way he could find to acknowledge that Miklos had been in a committed relationship at the time, just with a man. His partner, Charles Shane, was a mild-mannered clerk at a Los Angeles department store, and their relationship had survived Polesti's imprisonment.

I felt like the world stopped, and the ghosts surrounded me.

With a tremendous effort, I forced myself to be reasonable.

"Michael, if Miklos is gay, then Chris Shiherlis must be too. After all, the story no longer takes place in the sixties in Chicago but in the nineties in Los Angeles."

Michael agreed but feared introducing an openly gay character into this type of story would make production more difficult. He was specially concerned about De Niro and Pacino's reaction. They were men from another generation who might show reservations about being associated with supporting gay rights.

Finally, I suggested that he discuss it with them. If they didn't accept, I wouldn't say anything else.

The first reading was in February 1996. Bob flew in from Vegas, where he was shooting "Casino." And Al was shooting "Finding Richard," his documentary about creating the Shakespearean role he is married to, Richard III. As we had agreed, Michael asked for a moment with the two of them in a separate office before beginning the reading with the cast.

It was one of the toughest waits of my entire career. I couldn't walk away from the project because the opportunity to work with De Niro and Pacino wouldn't present itself again. Still, if they said no to acknowledging my character's identity, my image of them would be tarnished forever.

Finally, they got out. Bob came walking right up to me and said so everyone could hear.

"If a criminal and ex-Alcatraz inmate born in 1915 could work with a gay man, I will not be less."

I looked at him in surprise and cast a startled look around. I was never homophobic, but at that moment, I was not above the fear of "what will they say." Bob immediately understood the misunderstanding his words could cause and turned to the rest of the room.

"I'm talking about the character, of course. Val hasn't told me that I'm more attractive than Al... yet."

That made the whole team burst out laughing and relaxed the atmosphere.

…

We had a round of discussions about adding my boyfriend to the story. A nondescript shopkeeper wouldn't do, of course. Especially since it would be a reprise of Eady's character, Neil McCauley's partner. With his background as Michael Corleone, Pacino suggested adding him to the crew.

"This team works well, they have been operating for a long time, and nobody catches them. Right?"

"Yes," Michael said.

"Then they must have someone to launder their money, an accountant, a financial adviser, it could even be a hacker since its a contemporary story."

De Niro nodded thoughtfully. Bob is like Vermeer. He carefully lays down one brick after another until the construction is rock solid. What he said next would end up defining the character.

"A financial advisor would be a sophisticated man with other ties. That could be what the police use when trying to force him to rat out Shiherlis, as is now the case with the wife character."

It was agreed that Michael would work on a new script version. Pre-production would go ahead… And I was given the thankless task of finding the actor for the character Charles Polesti.

…

The filming of "The Saint" in London during the spring and summer of 1996 was a period of contrasts. I had a lot of fun on set with Elizabeth Shue and the makeup team. At night, I thought about "Heat” and the still undefined face of cybercriminal Charles Polesti.

I must remind you that it was the nineties. Playing a gay character could make or break an actor, but the latter was far more likely. Also, it was an action movie, not a psychological drama. The day we filmed the confrontation between Simon Templar and Ilya's gang, which ends with a car exploding, I thought this was a scene very similar to the newly released "Mission Impossible," my friend Tom Cruise's 1996 blockbuster, but with a definitely humorous tone.

It was a revelation: Tom was the man to play Polesti.

Tom Cruise and I had never worked together before. I met him through my younger brother Wesley, but we kept in touch even after he died in 1987. The more I thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed and the more daring. Cruise had built an image as an action actor with "Days of Thunder" and "Mission Impossible," but everyone had seen him in "Rain Man" and "Born on the Fourth of July." Bob and Al would not doubt his dramatic ability. What I wondered was if he'd be interested in taking a chance on a gay character in a low-cost thriller.

It is true that in "Interview with the Vampire," the relationship between Louis and Lestat is homoerotic, and nobody has said anything. But Lestat was a monster who used his sexuality as a weapon. In Hollywood, bad gays are not a problem.

…

It was the anniversary of my brother's death, alcohol gave me the courage, and I called Tom on the phone. As soon as he answered, I told him.

"I want you to play my boyfriend in a film about a bank robbery."

There was a silence on the other end, I thought I had been too direct, and all was lost, but Tom is an exceptional man.

He asked me many questions about the project. The presence of Bob and Al made a great impression on him. It occurred to me that I might have started there. Near the end of our conversation, Tom referred to the elephant between us.

"And you call me on the anniversary of Wesley's death to ask me this."

"I've spent months gathering the courage to call you. Ever since I saw you in that scene hanging from a harness and doing something on a computer, I knew you were the actor for this character."

"I'll have my agent contact Michael Mann," he told me after a moment and hung up.

…

Tom had three conditions for playing Charles Polesti: First, he wanted a scene where he discussed his work laundering money through cybercrime, with De Niro asking him questions if possible -he also wanted some screen time with one of those beasts. Second, he didn't want to run, for Polesti was a sophisticated guy, aware of his value. Third, he wanted something concrete to justify his betrayal of Shiherlis since "we will tell your friends that your boyfriend is a thief" seemed like a vain argument, reinforcing the cliché of superficial and unreliable gay men.

Thus "Heat" changed from having a couple of gay criminals -which would have been quite daring- to presenting a full-blow homoparental family, where two men in a stable and loving relationship take care of an orphan with special needs.

We premiered on September 19, 1997. The rest, as they say, is history.

Chapter Text

Cruise's directorial debut dominates the box office

By Tim Masters
BBC Entertainment Correspondent
May 20, 2016

The talk of Hollywood this week is Tom Cruise. Not because new details were revealed about how he did his impressive underwater scene in "Mission: Impossible. Rogue Nation" last year, not because of a leak about his relationship with the Church of Scientology, but because of his directorial debut. The war drama "Top Gun" dominated the box office this weekend (May 13-15) with a gross of $17.9 million. Considering that the budget was 33 million - a low-budget film in today's Hollywood landscape -everyone agrees on two things: this film will be a success, and no one expected a story so well told by a man most people only think of as the protagonist of action films.

“Top Gun” is an action drama film that takes place between June and August 1986. It stars Milles Teller as Lieutenant Richard "Broadway" Norton, a young naval aviator, and Jake Picking, who plays his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO), Junior Lieutenant Louis "Coyote" White. When Navy leadership sends them to train at the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun), they discover more about themselves than they could have imagined. The story is an adaptation of the novel, little-known until this week: "Fly with Me," where retired aviator Leonard Wolfe fictionalizes parts of his life. Both the book and the film pay attention to how the tensions of the Cold War, homophobia, and a lack of interest in mental health impact four talented but tormented aviators.

Previous reviews had been positive. Richard Brody of The New Yorker wrote: "The film successfully fuses the paranoid atmosphere of the Cold War of 1986 with current debates about queer people in the military." Clarrise Loughery, editor-in-chief of The Independent, wrote that the film is "as thrilling as any Marvel spectacle, keeping you on the edge of your seat and making your fists pump. At the same time, the emotional blows its characters take pack a punch are unexpected. We leave them with a melancholic tear in your eyes.”

But the fact that it is a drama about the homosexual awakening of two soldiers made us think that not even the name of Tom Cruise could turn this into a mass phenomenon. After all, Marvel and DC have dominated the box office for the past seven years. It was supposed to be a low-key movie, with enough buzz to cover its cost and sneak into awards season. As is often the case regarding Cruise, we were wrong.

Critics have praised the performance of Milles Teller, Jake Picking, Tom Holland, and Glen Powell, who carry the weight of the film with their confrontations on the ground and in the air. Their interpretations are careful, complex, and of a similar level. In promotional interviews, they agree to credit Tom Cruise's precise direction. "He's a detailed guy, who sits with you and is willing to listen to you for hours speculating about the character's motivations," said Holland, who plays the tormented pilot Patrick "Windbreak" Malone.

"He knows what he wants, and his experience as a method actor allows him to explain it," Teller told CNN. The star of "Whiplash" (2014) and "Bleed for This" (2016) has known Cruise since 2010 when he starred in "Rabbit Hole" with Nicole Kidman, the star's then-wife. "Cruise would come to the set, but he didn't hang out next to Nicole. Rather, he sat near the director of photography and listened carefully to the discussions. I think he used his marriage as an excuse to take film classes," Teller concluded.

“I was very intimidated, because he is, you know, Tom Cruise, but everything turned out very well,” Picking told Hollywood Reporter. “He put a lot of emphasis on Coyote's inner world and how his life hopes would be different from mine. He did not want a contemporary interpretation of the conflict, but rather for me to expose the fears of gay men of that time, related to the fear of the HIV-AIDS epidemic and the loss of social status that being outed could imply.”

If “Top Gun” does not have a box office drop in its second week, it could be one of the cinematic revelations of the year. In an ecosystem dominated since the end of the last decade by fantasy IP adaptations and digital animations for children, a historical war drama attracting audiences is almost a sure ticket to the Oscars. For now, two songs from its soundtrack, "I Ain't Worried" by OneRepublic and "Hold My Hand" by Lady Gaga, are breaking records on the radio and streaming charts.

Tom Cruise has surprised us again, which is very difficult in this city.

Oscar nominations 2017: Hollywood surrenders to Tom Cruise with eight nominations for “Top Gun”

By Tim Masters
BBC Entertainment Correspondent
January 24, 2017

"Top Gun" marks Tom Cruise's triumphant return to the Oscars, a ceremony he hasn't bothered to attend since 2005. The Academy's recognition of his directorial debut is overwhelming, with eight nominations.

The announcement marks the fifth time the Academy has recognized Cruise throughout his long career. He was previously nominated for his work as an actor in "Born on the Fourth of July" in 1989, "Jerry Maguire" in 1996, "Heat" in 1997 (his only statuette so far), and "Magnolia" in 1999. His action films, such as the Mission Impossible series and "Edge of Tomorrow," have been nominated in technical categories, such as sound, editing, or special effects. Still, it is known that the Academy usually ignores acting work in fantasy, science fiction, or action films.

That changed this year. "Top Gun" was a favorite with audiences and critics. The film achieved a total domestic gross of $387 million. Despite not being shown in China, Iran, and other countries due to its plot about homosexual people, it grossed $387.6 million internationally. "Top Gun" ended up grossing $774.7 million. It was the tenth highest-grossing film of 2016 and the only one on the "Top Ten 2016" list that was not a sequel, a remake, or an animated movie for children.

In addition, it is known that Hollywood loves stories of patriotism and love stories, so since June, everyone expected "Top Gun" to be included in the awards season.

"Top Gun" received eight nominations at the 2017 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Lead Actor for Milles Teller, Best Supporting Actor for Tom Holland, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best Sound, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing. The film has already received several awards: It was named one of the ten best films of 2016 by the American Film Institute. The Chicago Film Critics Association recognized its director of photography, Claudio Miranda. The Film Critics Association of the United States and Canada awarded the film in the categories of Best Actor to Jake Picking, Best Cinematography to Claudio Miranda, Best Editing to Eddie Hamilton, and Best Original Song to Lady Gaga.

After the announcement, Tom Cruise published a short video of gratitude: "These nominations recognize the collective work of a fantastic team. They are also a positive sign that supports the production of films with realistic and committed subjects. Thank you."

The 89th Oscars ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on February 26, 2017.

Oscar 2017: "Moonlight" and "Top Gun" share the glory

BBC Editorial
February 27, 2017

This Sunday's 89th edition of the Oscars ended with a victory for auteur cinema: "Top Gun" and "Moonlight" dominated the night.

When Warren Beatty announced the Oscar for Best Picture for Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, and Jerry Bruckheimer, Cruise, who was the surprise of 2016 by revealing himself as an excellent director, made all the people who worked in the film in the theater come up on stage. He approached the microphone and pointed to the group behind him: "It's just one statuette, but it belongs to these people and many others who can't afford these fancy clothes and spend three hours in a theater. Thank you."

"Top Gun" ended the night with six statuettes, including the most important for Best Film and one of the most popular: Best Original Song for Lady Gaga and BloodPop for "Hold My Hand."

"Moonlight," for its part, won four statuettes, including Best Direction by Barry Jenkins; it was also recognized for Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali, and Nicholas Britell received the statuette for Best Soundtrack.

These are the main winners of the 2017 Oscars:

Best movie: “Top Gun.”

Best Director: Barry Jenkins for “Moonlight.”

Best Actress: Taraji P Henson for “Hidden Figures.”

Best Actor: Denzel Washington for "Fences."

Best Original Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan for "Manchester by the Sea."

Best screenplay adapted: Christopher McQuarrie, Richard Wenk, and Edward Zwick for “Top Gun.”

Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis for “Fences.”

Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali for “Moonlight.”

Best foreign language film: "The Salesman" by Asghar Farhadi from Iran.

Best soundtrack: Nicholas Britell for “Moonlight.”

Best Original Song: Lady Gaga and BloodPop for "Hold My Hand" from "Top Gun."

Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda for “Top Gun.”

Cinema with politics

The Oscars were expected to be another occasion for the film community to show its rejection of US President Donald Trump's policies. Still, the speeches were more subdued than at recent awards shows.

The ceremony presenter, Jimmy Kimmel, made multiple references to the political situation.

"I want to thank President Donald Trump, seriously. Remember when they said the Oscars were racist?" Kimmel said in his opening speech.

But the most potent political statement of the night was made by someone who was not present at the ceremony.

It was the Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for "The Salesman," who did not attend the gala in protest of Trump's executive order (at this time frozen by court order) prohibiting entry to the US from citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran.

Anousheh Ansari, the woman who accepted the award for Farhadi and read his statement, stressed in the press room that it was very difficult for the Iranian director to decide not to attend the ceremony, especially considering it is his second Oscar.

"He did it in solidarity with those affected by President Donald Trump's travel ban," she said.

For his part, actor Gael García Bernal, before presenting the award for Best Animated Film, won by "Zootopia," said: "As a Mexican, a Latin American, an immigrant worker, and a human being, I am against any wall that tries to separate us."

In the press room, Alessandro Bertolazzi, one of the winners of the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hair for "Suicide Squad," explained that he dedicated the award to immigrants because "art has no borders." And he concluded: "Long live life!"

Given the direct and indirect mentions of Trump, Kimmel was struck by the fact that the president had not yet tweeted about it.

"Hey, @realDonaldTrump, are you awake?" the presenter wrote via Twitter in the middle of the ceremony.

However, the acceptance speeches of the various winners were less combative than those of the Golden Globes or the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

There were more references to unity and many expressions of affection and gratitude.

Signals on clothes

The politicization of the awards could be seen on the red carpet.

Several actors appeared with blue ribbons to support the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), one of the social organizations that has increased its campaigns to defend immigrants in the United States since the arrival of Trump at the White House.

Among the actors who wore the ribbons were actress Ruth Negga (nominated for Best Actress for "Loving"), Casey Affleck (nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for "Manchester by the Sea"), and model Karlie Kloss.

For their part, Milles Teller and Viggo Mortensen, Oscar nominees for Best Actor for "Top Gun" and "Captain Fantastic," respectively, walked the red carpet with a pin from Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of reproductive services in the United States.

One of Trump's first actions as US president was to reinstate a decree that prohibits the granting of US aid to non-governmental organizations and health providers abroad that advise on abortion as a family planning option.

Here are the rest of the winners:

Best Makeup and Hair: Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini, and Christopher Nelson for "Suicide Squad."

Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

Best Documentary: "OJ: Made in America", by Ezra Edelman.

Best Sound Editing: Sylvain Bellemare for "Arrival."

Best Sound Mixing: Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, and Al Nelson for "Top Gun."

Best Animated Short: "Piper," by Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer.

Best Animated Film: "Zootopia," by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Clark Spencer.

Best Production Design: Hannah Beachler for "Moonlight."

Best editing: Eddie Hamilton for "Top Gun."

Best Visual Effects: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."

Best Documentary Short: "White Helmets," by Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara.

Best Live-Action Short: "Sing," by Kristof Deák and Anna Udvardy.

Top Gun (2016)

Article at Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia

"Top Gun" is a 2016 American action drama film directed by Tom Cruise and produced by Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Christopher McQuarrie, Richard Wenk, and Edward Zwick, based on the semi-autobiographical novel "Fly with Me," by Leonard Wolfe. It stars Milles Teller as Lieutenant Richard "Broadway" Norton, a young naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the summer of 1986. He and his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO), Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Louis "Coyote" White (Jake Picking), have the opportunity to train at the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, California.

BASIC DATA

Director: Tom Cruise

Screenplay: Christopher McQuarrie, Richard Wenk, and Edward Zwick

Based on: Fly with Me

by: Leonard Wolfe

Production: Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, and Jerry Bruckheimer

Starring: Milles Teller and Jake Picking

Cinematography: Claudio Miranda

Editing: Eddie Hamilton

Music: Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer

Production: Skydance

Distribution: Paramount Pictures

Release date: May 13, 2016

Duration: 130 minutes

Country: United States

English language

Budget: $33 million

Collection: $774.7 million

PLOT

Lieutenant Richard "Broadway" Norton (Milles Teller) is a naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the summer of 1986. He and his radar intercept officer (RIO), Lieutenant (junior grade) Louis "Coyote" White (Jake Picking), spend their days flying over the waters of the South Atlantic. Although they have not had any encounters with the enemy, the strain of the Cold War is felt by the ship's personnel, and Norton has mild symptoms of post-traumatic stress. One afternoon, upon returning from their patrol, Rear Admiral Charles "Axe" Calhoun (Ed Harris) calls them into his office to announce that they have been selected to train at the United States Navy's famous Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.

Although it is not a leave, Broadway tells Coyote that being on dry land and doing exercises instead of patrols over the sea will be a good change. They both speculate about who else will be in the course.

Upon arriving in Top Gun, Broadway and Coyote befriend tormented pilot Patrick "Windbreak" Malone (Tom Holland) and his RIO Nathan "Branta" Brownstein (Nicolas Hoult). It's clear to the group that their instructors consider perfectionist Thadeus "Snowman" Kruger (Glen Powell) the course's star. The flying styles of Windbreak - risky and spontaneous - and Snowman - calculating and respectful of the rules - make them develop a fierce rivalry. Kruger calls this behavior "silly," "dangerous," and worse than the enemy, to which Malone responds, "I'm dangerous."

Norton and White spend the nights locked in their apartment at the Miramar base because they do not want to see themselves in the middle of this rivalry. One such night, they joke about the ideal attributes of their future wives. When he finishes his enumeration, White sees Norton looking at him with annoyance. Broadway tells him that he just described him and accuses him of being homosexual. Ashamed and surprised, Coyote denies it and flees to his room. Where he has a panic attack.

The next day, Norton awkwardly apologizes, assuring him that he doesn't think he's gay. However, White notices that his pilot is unfocused and maintains an unusually tense physical distance from him.

Norton learns Brownstein invited his wife Carla (Jessica Stroup) and young son Benjamin to visit Miramar. To ease tensions, he convinces Reuben "Boomerang" Keynes (Brad Beyer) to organize several activities for that day involving the entire group, hoping that if Malone and Kruger interact outside the base, they relieve tension. At first, everything goes well, with a picnic and a game of beach volleyball in which Windbreak and Snowman are forced to play against Branta and Boomerang. The problem arises when Chelsea Boole (Cobie Smulders), one of the Top Gun instructors, comes to see the game, and Snowman realizes that Windbreak has a romantic relationship with her. Kruger accuses the other aviator of trying to score points in bed, and they almost come to blows. Only the crying of Benjamin Brownstein, frightened by the screams, makes Malone react.

A few days later, Malone and Kruger pursue an A-4 in Drill 31 of the course. As Snowman has trouble hitting the A-4, Windbreak pressures him to move out of the way so he can move into firing position. As Kruger pulls away, Malone flies through his jetwash, both plane engines fail, and they enter an unrecoverable flat spin. Windbreak and Branta eject, but the RIO's neck collides with the plane's deck, and he dies in the arms of his pilot.

After Brownstein's funeral, Norton and White get drunk and have sex. Upon awakening, Norton insists that it was just a mistake caused by pain and alcohol. He demands White to act as if it never happened before leaving. Alone, the RIO realizes he is in love with his pilot, making him doubt his place in the Navy.

Meanwhile, a board of inquiry clears Malone of any responsibility for Brownstein's death. Still, he is shocked and guilt-ridden and is considering resigning.

Malone and White meet at a gay bar far from the base. After the initial surprise, they discuss their reasons for considering leaving the Navy. Windbreak assures Coyote that there is nothing shameful about being queer and that he just needs to be discreet, but he shouldn't give up his career. White tells Malone that he can succeed if he regains his self-confidence. They return to Miramar together on Malone's motorcycle.

Immediately following their graduation from Top Gun, Snowman, Broadway, and Windbreak receive deployment orders to deal with a crisis situation despite clear signs of Windbreak's PTS and tension between Broadway and Coyote. They are sent to the USS Enterprise to provide air support for the rescue of the USS Layton, a disabled communications ship that wandered into hostile waters.

Snowman expresses his concerns to Commander Tyler "Prod" Jordan (Josh Brolin) about Windbreak's mental state but is told to just do his job. Snowman and Broadway take off to provide air cover, with Windbreak and RIO Houdini (Liam Hemsworth) on standby. Snowman and Broadway become involved in a dogfight with what initially appear to be two MiGs but turn out to be six. Broadway and Coyote's plane is shot down. Norton believes White has died in the water like Branta and admits his feelings. Windbreak arrives at the battle and shoots down three MiGs. Snowman destroys a fourth, and the remaining two MiGs retreat. A helicopter rescues Broadway and Coyote. The doctors tell Norton that his RIO is just unconscious. When they wake him up, the pilot cries with happiness. Back on the Enterprise, the three teams hug each other as an expression of mutual respect.

Back at the Nimitz, finally confident in their feelings, Norton and White promise to let their relationship develop.

CAST

Miles Teller as LT Richard "Broadway" Norton: United States Navy aviator.

Jake Picking as LTJG Louis "Coyote" White: Hollywood Radar Intercept Officer (RIO).

Tom Holland as LT Patrick "Windbreak" Malone: United States Navy aviator. He is the youngest airman ever to have been accepted into Top Gun.

Nicolas Hoult as LTJG Nathan "Branta" Brownstein: Windbreak's radar intercept officer and best friend.

Jessica Stroup as Carla Bradshaw, wife of LTJG Nathan "Branta" Brownstein.

Glen Powell as LT Thadeus "Snowman" Kruger: One of Top Gun's students and Windbreak's rival turned sidekick.

Brad Beyer as LTJG Reuben "Boomerang" Keynes: Snowman's radar intercept officer.

Milo Ventimiglia as LT Connor "Stone" Portland: Naval aviator and Top Gun student.

Aldis Hodge as LTJG Milton "Impervious" Waters: Chipper's radar intercept officer (later Windbreak during the end of training).

Cobie Smulders as Chelsea Boole: Top Gun instructor.

Liam Hemsworth as LTJG Scott "Houdini" Wallace: Enterprise's radar intercept officer.

Josh Brolin as CDR Tyler "Prod" Jordan: Commander of the USS Enterprise Carrier Air Group

Ed Harris as Rear Admiral Charles "Axe" Calhoun: Commander of the USS Nimitz

Jon Hamm as CDR Maurice "Snake" Miller: Commanding officer and Top Gun instructor. A Vietnam War veteran who served with Duke Malone, Windbreak's father.

Robert Knepper as LCDR Rupert "Merry" Hollow: Naval aviator and Top Gun instructor.

RECEPTION

Box Office

The film quickly became a hit. It would be two months before the number of theaters fell below that of its first week. It was number one in its first weekend (May 13-15) with a gross of $17.9 million and reached a total domestic gross of $387 million. Despite not being shown in China, Iran, and other countries due to its plot about homosexual characters, it grossed $387.6 million internationally. "Top Gun" ended up grossing $774.7 million. It was the tenth highest-grossing film of 2016 and the only one on the "Top Ten 2016" list that was not a sequel, a remake, or an animated movie aimed at children.

Critic response

Richard Brody of The New Yorker wrote: "The film successfully fuses the paranoid atmosphere of the Cold War of 1986 with current debates about queer people in the military." Clarrise Loughery, editor-in-chief of The Independent, wrote that the film is "as thrilling as any Marvel spectacle, keeping you on the edge of your seat and making your fists pump. At the same time, the emotional blows its characters take pack a punch. unexpected. We leave you with a melancholic tear in your eyes.”

Awards

It was named one of the ten best films of 2016 by the American Film Institute.

Chicago Film Critics Association Award: Best Director of Photography to Claudio Miranda.

American and Canadian Film Critics Association Awards:

Best Actor, Jake Picking

Best photography, to Claudio Miranda

Best editing, Eddie Hamilton

Best original song to Lady Gaga.

2016 Golden Globe Awards:

Best Director: Tom Cruise

Best Drama Actor: Milles Teller

Best Screenplay: Christopher McQuarrie, Richard Wenk, and Edward Zwick

Best soundtrack: Lorne Balfe, Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, and Hans Zimmer

Best Original Song: "Hold My Hand," composed by Lady Gaga and BloodPop.

2017 Oscar Awards:

CATEGORY — RECIPIENTS — RESULTS

Best Picture – Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie and Jerry Bruckheimer — WINNER

Best Adapted Screenplay — Christopher McQuarrie, Richard Wenk, and Edward Zwick on "Fly With Me" by Leonard Wolfe — WINNER

Best Leading Actor — Milles Teller — NOMINATED

Best Supporting Actor — Tom Holland — NOMINATED

Best Original Song — “Hold my Hand” – Lady Gaga and BloodPop —- WINNER

Best Sound – Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, and Al Nelson — WINNER

Best photography – Claudio Miranda — WINNER

Best Editing – Eddie Hamilton — WINNER

Results of the 89th edition of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards, Oscar 2017

Best Picture

WINNER: Top Gun – Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie and Jerry Bruckheimer

NOMINEES

Fences – Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington, and Todd Black

Hacksaw Ridge  – Bill Mechanic and David Permut

Hell or High Water – Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn

Hidden Figures – Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi

The Arrival – Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder, and David Linde

Lion – Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, and Angie Fielder

Manchester by the Sea – Casey Affleck, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Becky, and Kevin J. Walsh

Moonlight – Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleinera

Best Director

WINNER: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight

NOMINEES

Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea

Denis Villeneuve – The arrival

Mel Gibson - Hacksaw Ridge

Best Actor

WINNER: Denzel Washington – Fences as Troy Maxson

NOMINEES

Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea as Lee Chandler

Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge as Desmond Doss

Milles Teller – Top Gun as Richard "Broadway" Norton

Viggo Mortensen – Captain Fantastic as Ben Cash

Best Actress

WINNER: Taraji P Henson - Hidden Figures as Katherine Johnson

NOMINEES

Isabelle Huppert – Elle as Michèle Leblanc

Ruth Negga – Loving as Mildred Loving

Natalie Portman – Jackie as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Meryl Streep – Florence Foster Jenkins as Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Supporting Actor

WINNER: Mahershala Ali – Moonlight as Juan

NOMINEES

Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water as Marcus Hamilton

Tom Holland – Top Gun as Patrick “Windbreak” Malone

Dev Patel – Lion as Saroo Brierley

Michael Shannon – Nocturnal Animals as Bobby Andes

Best Supporting Actress

WINNER: Viola Davis – Fences as Rose Lee Maxson

NOMINEES

Naomie Harris – Moonlight as Paula

Nicole Kidman – Lion as Sue Brierley

Octavia Spencer – Hidden Figures as Dorothy Vaughan

Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea as Randi

Best Original Screenplay

WINNER: Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea

NOMINEES

Taylor Sheridan – Hell or High Water

Matt Ross – Captain Fantastic

Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Fillippou – The Lobster

Mike Mills – 20th Century Women

Best Adapted Screenplay

WINNER: Christopher McQuarrie, Richard Wenk, and Edward Zwick - "Top Gun" based on "Fly with Me" by Leonard Wolfe

NOMINEES

Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney – "Moonlight" based on "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue" by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Eric Heisserer – "Arrival" based on "Story of Your Life" from Ted Chiang

August Wilson – "Fences" based on "Fences" by August Wilson

Allison Schroeder & Theodore Melfi – "Hidden Figures" based on "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Best Animated Film

WINNER: Zootopia – Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer

NOMINEES

Kubo and the Two Strings – Travis Knight and Arianne Sutner

The Red Turtle – Michaël Dudok de Wit and Toshio Suzuki

The Life of Zucchini – Claude Barras and Max Karli

Moana – John Musker, Ron Clements, and Osnat Shurer

Best Foreign Language Film

WINNER: The Salesman (Iran) in Persian – Asghar Farhadi

NOMINEES

Tanna (Australia) in Nauvhal – Martin Butler and Bentley Dean

Toni Erdmann (Germany) in German – Maren Ade

A Man Called Ove (Sweden) in Swedish – Hannes Holm

Land of Mine (Denmark) in Danish – Martin Zandvliet

Best Documentary - Feature

WINNER: OJ: Made in America – Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow

NOMINEES

13th – Ava DuVernay, Spencer Avericky, and Howard Barish

Fire at Sea – Gianfranco Rosi and Donatella Palermo

I Am Not Your Negro – Raoul Peck, Rémi Grelletyy and Hébert Peck

Life, Animated – Roger Ross Williams and Julie Goldman

Best Documentary - Short

WINNER: The White Helmets – Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

NOMINEES

Extremis – Dan Krauss

4.1 Miles – Daphne Matziaraki

Joe's Violin – Kahane Cooperman and Raphaela Neihausen

Watani: My Homeland – Marcel Mettelsiefen and Stephen Ellis

Best Live Action Short Film

WINNER: Sing – Kristóf Deák and Anna Udvardy

NOMINEES

Ennemis intérieurs – Sélim Azzazi

La Femme et le TGV – Timo von Gunten and Giacun Caduff

Silent Nights – Aske Bang and Kim Magnusson

Timecode – Juanjo Giménez

Best Animated Short Film

WINNER: Piper – Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer

NOMINEES

Blind Vaysha – Theodore Ushev

Borrowed Time – Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou- Lhadj

Pear Cider and Cigarettes – Robert Valley and Cara Speller

Pearl – Patrick Osborne

Best Original Score

WINNER: Moonlight – Nicholas Britell

NOMINEES

Jackie – Micachu

Lion – Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka

Passengers – Thomas Newman

Moana – Mark Mancina, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa'i

Best Original Song

WINNER: "Hold My Hand" from Top Gun – Music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop

NOMINEES

"I See Victory" from Hidden Figures – Music and lyrics by Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams

"Can't Stop the Feeling!" from Trolls – Music and lyrics by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Shellback

"How Far I'll Go" from Moana – Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda

"The Empty Chair" from Jim: The James Foley Story – Music and Lyrics by J. Ralph and Sting

Best Sound Editing

WINNER: Arrival – Sylvain Bellemare

NOMINEES

Deepwater Horizon – Wylie Statesman and Renée Tondelli

Hacksaw Ridge – Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright

Florence Foster Jenkins – Dafydd Archard

Sully – Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman

Best Sound Mixing

WINNER: Top Gun – Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, and Al Nelson

NOMINEES

Hacksaw Ridge – Kevin O'Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi – Greg P. Russell,b Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Mac Ruth

Arrival – Bernard Gariépy Strobl and Claude La Haye

Rogue One: one Star Wars story – David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson

Best Production Design

WINNER: Moonlight - Hannah Beachler

NOMINEES

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Stuart Craig and Anna Pinnock

Hail, Caesar! – Jess Gonchor and Nancy Haigh

Arrival – Patrice Vermette and Paul Hotte

Passengers – Guy Hendrix Dyas and Gene Serdena

Best Cinematography

WINNER: Top Gun – Claudio Miranda

NOMINEES

Arrival – Bradford Young

Lion – Greig Fraser

Moonlight – James Laxton

Silence – Rodrigo Prieto

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

WINNER: Suicide Squad – Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson

NOMINEES

Star Trek Beyond – Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo

A Man Called Ove – Eva von Bahr and Love Larson

Best Costume Design

WINNER: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Colleen Atwood

NOMINEES

Allies – Joanna Johnston

Florence Foster Jenkins – Consolata Boyle

Jackie – Madeline Fontaine

Suicide Squad – Kate Hawley

Best Film Editing

WINNER: Top Gun - Eddie Hamilton

NOMINEES

Hacksaw Ridge – John Gilbert

Hell or High Water – Jake Roberts

Arrival – Joe Walker

Moonlight – Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon

Best Visual Effects

WINNER: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel and Neil Corbould

NOMINEES

The Jungle Book – Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon

Deepwater Horizon – Craig Hammeck, Jason Snell, Jason Billington and Burt Dalton

Doctor Strange – Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli and Paul Corbould

Kubo and the Two Strings – Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean and Brad Schiff

Chapter Text

This is the last known image of Rachel Levoi. A week later, she went on a camping trip with her brother and did not return home. The family never filed a missing person report. The father, Colonel Levoi, received relocation orders shortly after that. They left no forward address. 

Chapter Text

Ray Levoi (Los Angeles, California, March 17, 1960).

Biological father: Samuel Seresin (Sioux Indian), unemployed, deceased.

Biological mother: Karin Kowalsky (second-generation Russian), housewife.

Adoptive father: Matthew Levoi (white), coronel of the US Army.

Ray Levoi went to college at the University of Oregon, where he graduated with a Major in Political Science and a minor in Criminology. He was an active member of the university theater group. He entered the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in 1981 and had a successful career as an agent for six years. His internship in the theater was beneficial, as he specialized in covert missions. He responded to FBI headquarters in Washington, DC.

In April 1987, Ray Levoi was assigned as an assistant special agent in the investigation of the murder of Leo Fast Elk, a tribal council member of the Oglala Sioux Nation, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota. His supervisor, William Dawes (future FBI director), chose him because of his mixed Sioux heritage, which could aid the investigation as they interviewed residents of the reservation. It is in the record that, when informed of his assignment, Agent Lavoi reported that he was disconnected from his heritage and did not speak Lakota.

Agent Levoi traveled to South Dakota as an assistant to veteran Agent Frank " Cooch " Coutelle. Coutelle had been dealing for some time with the Aboriginal Rights Movement (ARM), a radical group with Marxist influence. He deduced that the murder of Leo Fast Elk had to do with Siuox Indian infighting, as the ARM opposed the tribal council's efforts to modernize the reservation. Thanks to his investigative work, he had already narrowed the list of suspects to Maggie Eagle Bear, a violent political activist and school teacher on the reservation, where he indoctrinated his subversive agenda, and Jimmy Looks Twice, leader of the radical conservative faction of the tribal council. Both were well-known members of the ARM.

Agent Levoi was expected to assist in collecting material evidence and testimonies that would prove Agent Coutelle 's theory. Instead, within a few days, he began to display a strange pattern of insubordination and question the chain of command. He repeatedly challenged Coutelle 's thesis and proposed that the murder was related with a conspiracy to discredit the ARM and take control of reservation land.

Further investigation revealed that Levoi spent time with Walter Crow Horse, a reservation tribal police officer. Crow Horse's agenda was to prove that the murder had been committed by a white person from outside the reservation to protect the image of his community. He convinced Agent Levoi to have unsupervised meetings with him and Samuel Reaches, aka Grandfather. Everything indicates that during these meetings, Agent Levoi was manipulated, hypnotized, and perhaps given drugs without his consent.

In the end, the two agents were somewhat correct. After the arrest of Jimmy Looks Twice, agent Levoi and Officer Crow Horse found the subversive Maggie Eagle Bear's body on the Red Deer Table, where signs of illegal uranium mining were also found. Later that day, was discovered the lifeless body of ex-convict Richard Yellow Hawk at his home in Allen. He had committed suicide. In the note he left behind, he explained that during his time in prison, he had interacted with members of organized crime interested in illegal mining and drug trafficking who wanted to use the territory of the reserve. By orders of these people, he had killed Leo Fast Elk and Maggie Eagle Bear.

After reviewing the evidence, it was decided to release Jimmy Looks Twice, although the FBI kept him under surveillance for several years.

Ray Levoi sent his written resignation to William Dawes and stayed to live in Allen. He changed his name to Ray Seresin (his biological father's last name) and agreed to work for tribal police while studying Lakota and exploring his indigenous heritage. Due to suspicions that the ARM might try to use him as an advisor in their attempts against the political stability of the Oglala reservation and other indigenous reservations in the country, he, too, was kept under surveillance.

Ray Levoi has not left the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation since 1988.

Chapter Text

WIRED’s Autocomplete Interviews. YouTube, November 15, 2019.

“Hello. I am Tom Cruise.”

“And I am Val Kilmer and we´re doing a Wired autocomplete interview.”

They both smile.

Autocomplete suggests the most common searches on the internet.

“Let´s go.” Cruise looks slightly tense.

So WIRED asked the stars of After the Winter the Internet´s burning questions

Kilmer looks off-screen, supposedly to the team, with his fingers already in the tape covering the first question.

“You guys ready?”

Panel 1 Val Kilmer

Where did Val Kilmer grew up

I grew up between the San Fernando Valley in California and New Mexico. Lots of contact with nature.

Where did Val Kilmer meet his wife

“I developed a teenage style crush on Joanne Whalley after seen her on stage at London, playing Dewey Dell in “As I Lay Dying” at the Cottesloe Theatre, in 1985. I carried the torch, pinning.”

“It was sad and funny to see.” Cruise says giggling, with a kind expression.

“Then, we met while working together on the film Willow, in 1988. She played warrior princess Sorsha, and I was Madmartigan, a mercenary that discovers romantic love and parental love at the same time. I made a fool of myself several times, until she realized I was madly in love with her and madly sad after losing my brother. So, she gave me time to get my act together.”

Where did Val Kilmer go to school

“In 1978 I was accepted into the Juilliard School's Drama Division, I´m a member of Group 10, the tenth graduation, from 1981. I was eighteen years old when left my house and got a bachelor diploma, so, I think it counts as going to college?”

What really happened to Val Kilmer

Kilmer raises his eyebrows, stares straight to camera with seductive pose.

“Well… I got sick and then got better.”

Panel 2 Tom Cruise

Can Tom Cruise really sing

“Well yeah. I mean, I did all my singing in Rock of Ages, so yes, I sing.”

“I see him do it.”

Can Tom Cruise rock climb

“Yes, I trained for a long time, many years actually, in rock climbing. I used to go with you.”

“Yes, we did. We should do it again.”

Can Tom Cruise play guitar

“I love playing guitar and the uke. I definitely need more practice, but I enjoy playing guitar.”

Can Tom Cruise hold his breath for 6 minutes

“Yes, I can hold my breath for six minutes. You were there when I was doing it.”

“You were in the tank in the studio in London. You´d swim back and forth in the bottom of the tank like four or five laps.”

“McQ ideas!”

“I´d be up on the surface with googles watching him. I wasn´t even working in the movie.”

“No, right, you were in London with your Mark Twain play.”

“Yes, but I wanted to watch Tom Cruise hold his breath for six minutes.”

Tom laughs.

Panel 3 Val Kilmer

What was Val Kilmer´s last movie

“Before the cancer diagnosis, my last movie was 2014´s Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, directed by Jo Kastner. After that, I made my third tour with the theater play Citizen Twain, saw you hold your breath for six minutes, and returned to my wife and children. After I recovered from cancer, I made The Super, a 2017 horror movie. My character is involved in black magic and other evil stuff.”

“I didn´t watch it. Sorry.”

“It´s okay. You were busy. So, this year we finally reunited with Michael Mann and made After the Winter, a sequel to Heat. I play Chris Shiherlis, boyfriend of Tom Cruise´s Charles Polesti.”

Cruise snorts.

“More like husband, at this point.”

What was Val Kilmer´s famous line in tombstone

“The line is “I’m your huckleberry”. I did not say, “I’m your huckle bearer.” In the context of the movie, “I’m your huckleberry” means “I’m your man. You’ve met your match.”

What was Val Kilmer´s best role

“Uh! That´s a hard one. I would say that the hardest characters I had played were Chris Shiherlis in Heat, Jim Morrison in his biopic, and William MacPherson, in Conspiracy.”

“I liked Conspiracy. The thing you did with your body to mimic the artificial leg.”

“My hip wasn´t happy, let me tell you. But Morrison got really inside me, it was difficult to let him go after.”

“It looked like you had a good time filming Heat.”

“Yeah, but the guy is an addict, always about to fall of the wagon, and madly in love. It´s a difficult character.”

What was Val Kilmer´s diagnosed with

“I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, a type of breast cancer. Since breast cancer is unusual in men, it a was late diagnose. Almost too late.”

Panel 4 Tom Cruise

What was Tom Cruise first movie

“The first movie I worked at was Endless love, by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt. Most people remember it for the song. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie sang a hit. The first character I truly feel like mine was David Shawn in Taps.”

What was Tom Cruise real name

“Thomas Cruise Mapother IV”

“It sounds like an aristocratic name.”

“Meh. Lack of imagination, nothing more.”

What was Tom Cruise´s first wife´s name

“My first wife was Nicole Kidman. Great Australian actress. Check her work!”

“You know?” says Kilmer thoughtful. “I suspect that question refers to Mimi.”

“Mimi Rogers? We were never…” he seems to realize something. “Oh!” Cruise looks at the camera. “No, Mimi Rogers and I are only friends. I had a terrible personal loss in 1987 and she is a fellow member of my church. The church assigned her as my mourning companion. It was necessary, I was really, really wounded,” he looks briefly to Kilmer, who gives him a sad smile. “In 1989 my therapist said I was out of depression and the church relieve her from the mission.”

What was Tom Cruise´s big break

“Usually, critics say it was Risky Business. I feel that I broke from the pack in The Outsiders, you know? Working with Coppola puts all of us in the map.”

“Nah, I was told by a very reliable source that your butt dance in Risky Business was paramount to your career.”

Cruise covers his face with a hand while laughing.

Panel 5 Val Kilmer

Is Val Kilmer still alive

He smiles to the camera.

“Yeah.”

Is Val Kilmer married now

“I am, lucky me! Joanne and I married in 1989. We divorce in 1996. In 2005 she decided I had grown enough to deserve a second chance. We have been together ever since.”

Is Val Kilmer still acting

“Again, yeah. I stop to deal with cancer, of course, but here I am.”

Is Val Kilmer´s son an actor

“Yes. Jack is an actor. He had work mostly in short films. Last year he was in Lords of Chaos. He played a fictional version of Per Yngve "Pelle" Ohlin, a Swedish musician, lead vocalist and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem.”

“So, he played this Pelle Ohlin character like you played Jim Morrison?”

“I mean…” Kilmer seems shocked by the question. “Jonas Åkerlund isn´t Oliver Stone,” he smiles awkwardly to the camera.

Panel 6 Tom Cruise

Why is Tom Cruise always running

“I´m usually in a big hurry to get places, lots to do in the day.”

“But not when you are Charles Polesti.”

“No. Charles Polesti is a sophisticated guy. He never runs, except...”

“Except for Dominik, of course. It makes me jealous.”

“Don´t be silly Chris. I love you too.”

Why is Tom Cruise always named J ack

“Because is easy for me to remember and for others to remember. So, makes it easier for the crew and the director.”

Why did Tom Cruise become a director

“I just love movies and I wanted to make movies. I remember as a kid I used to create characters and write skits and did outrageous physical stunts.”

“I can only imagine what would be for your mother. Just look out the window while you’re doing the dishes and there´s your seven-year-old son like trying a stunt and breaking an arm or a leg.”

Tom laughs.

“You say that because you had that experience.”

“Yes, but I was twenty-five, an actor used to crazy things going on, and you still scared me to death. You were injuring yourself all the time.”

“My mother most definitely had incredible patience. Then, one day you send me a book you said it would be a great movie. I agreed with you but couldn’t find a director to do it. After another frustrating rejection I thought, well, I´ll do it myself.”

Did Tom Cruise really hang off the plane

“Yes, I did hang off the A-400. I remember the second take, actually, I got hit by just a little, little, rock. I mean, it must have been about that big and, honestly, it was like getting hit by a bullet. But the thing I was most concerned about was the fuel. You know, the fumes from in the air that was hitting me, particularly on them when we were taxing on the runway because it had nowhere else to go. It´s quite an adventure. Don´t necessarily recommend it for everyone.”

Val snorts. Tom ignores him.

Panel 7 Val Kilmer

Does Val Kilmer have cancer

“No anymore. I am happily cancer free since 2016. It was a brutal process, but here I am.”

Does Val Kilmer sing in The Doors

“Yes, I do. I have a vocal register very similar to Morrison´s. I was fascinated by domestic video cameras at the time and wanted the role, so to convince Stone that I was right for the role, I made an eight-minute audition video, singing and looking like Morrison at various stages of his life. After I got the role, I lost weight and spent six months rehearsing and meeting with Morrison´s colleagues.”

“I remember when Stone got the Doors to hear your recordings of the songs they will use in the film. They could not tell whether it was yours or Morrison's voice.”

Does Val Kilmer have a daughter

“My beautiful Mercedes. Smarter than her dad. She is actress and producer.”

Does Val Kilmer sing in Top Secret

“Yes, I do. To this day I have difficult explaining Top Secret plot or genre. I play an American rock star way out of touch with political reality, and in some point of the movie he sings to save his life.”

Panel 8 Tom Cruise

Does Tom Cruise see Suri

“Yes, of course I see her, she is my daughter. Katie and I share custody and arrange Suri´s schedule in each house to support each other careers.”

Does Tom Cruise have kids

“Yeah, I have three children: Isabella Jane, Connor and Suri.”

Does Tom Cruise have a girlfriend

“No.”

Does Tom Cruise have an Oscar

“I have two Oscars, actually,” he is clearly proud. “The first was in 1998, for my role of Charles Polesti in Heat. Thanks to Michael Mann, the amazing cast and crew. The second was the 2017 Best Movie Oscar for Top Gun, that I directed.”  

Does Tom Cruise own a P-51

“Yes. I love flying and bought a P-51 Mustang plane a few years back.”

Panel 9 Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer movies

“A lot?” he laughs. “I honestly can't tell how many out of the blue.”

Val Kilmer Batman

“I made Batman Forever in 1995. It was the third movie of the character. I took the torch from Michael Keaton, but the experience wasn´t very happy.”

“That´s an understatement. You would call almost every night to complain.”

“What can I say? Schumacher and I had creative differences. The suit was torture. The script was silly. I had started full of joy, thinking of playing my childhood hero, but the magic, the dark thrilling aura Tim Burton had put in the first two films had evaporated under Warner Brothers greed. Halfway through filming just I give up and just did it like a TV soap opera. Which, for my eternal confusion, became sort of iconic.”

“Yeah, that thing you do with your hands in your waist.”

Val Kilmer Tombstone

“Tombstone is a western I made in 1993. An estrange experience because the first director was fired and we end up in a four hands directorial arrangement between Kurt Russell, who had never directed before, and George Cosmatos, the director assigned by the studio. Kurt Russell plays Wyatt Earp, and I was one of his sidekicks, Doc Hollyday. It was a great movie, with Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, and Dana Delany. It was a gamble. In those days, the western was supposed to be dead, and the script overall tone was grim. Is not a happy ending epic western. But people like it.”

Val Kilmer height

He seems honestly dazed for the first time.

“People goggles the most bizarre things. I´m five feet and twelve inches. For our international audience, that´s one hundred and eighty-two centimeters.”

Val Kilmer Doc Hollyday

“Well, Doc Hollyday is the character I played in Tombstone. He was a real person, John Henry Holliday a dentist, gambler and gunfighter, close friend of Wyatt Earp. He was diagnosed tuberculosis in his early twenties and lived around fifteen years with the disease. In my take on the character, I gave him a genteel Southern accent and some arbitrary pauses in the speech, because he was always out of breath.”

Panel 10 Tom Cruise

Is Tom Cruise married

“No, I´m not married now.”

Is Tom Cruise a pilot

“Yes. I fly airplanes. I´m a multi-engine instrument-rated commercial pilot.”

Is Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder

“Yes. I play Les Grossman, a studio executive. He is bald, fat, ill-tempered, profane, loves to dance and sexually harass his clients. He is a monster.”

Kilmer gives Cruise a knowingly look.

“You know? Now you can say it.”

Cruise raises his eyebrows, surprised.

“You´re right!” He looks at the camera very seriously. “I based Les Grossman in Harvey Weinstein.”

Is Tom Cruise gay

Cruise looks dumbfounded to the panel, then above the camera, to the team. Kilmer shakes from poorly contained laughter.

“I told you about this,” he says, clearly amused.

“Yeah, you did,” admits Cruise staring at the panel in disbelief. “But I didn´t believe you.”

He looks out of camera again.

“You didn´t like…edit it?”

Off-screen voice.

“No, mister Cruise. It´s the real Google autocomplete question.”

Cruise shakes his head, clearly upset. Kilmer looks worried now.

“If you´re uncomfortable…” but Cruise speaks before he can finish.

“I´m not gay. I´m bisexual.”

Is Tom Cruise dating anyone

Cruise sights.

“Not a surprise at this point. Yes, I´m dating again after seven years. He is very smart and very sweet.”

“I like him. He makes you happy.”

Cruise rolls his eyes, but smiles.

“He doesn´t need more ego boost, Val.”

Panel 11 common

Are Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise friends

“Yeah. We had been friends since… 1983. Wow, it´s weird to say it aloud.”

“You were doing All the right moves, in New England.”

“Johnstown, Pennsylvania, yeah.”

“And my brother was a producer assistant there. So, I was waiting for the Top Secret´s principal photography to start and went to visit him. He knew I had liked The Outsiders, like, a lot, and offer to introduce us.”

“We had dinner in my hotel room, because it was supper late.”

“Terrible dinner. Wonderful conversation.”

Cruise shrugs.

“Story of my life with your family.”

They look at each other and laugh.

Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise kissing in Heat

“That isn´t a question,” states Cruise.

“It’s a reference,” Kilmer says while he nods. “We do kiss in Heat. I mean, we were playing a couple in the honeymoon phase, so, yeah, we kiss and touch a lot.”

Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise relationship

Cruise looks kind of confused. Kilmer giggles.

“I mean, we´re friends? Is this related to people googling if I´m gay?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Cruise shakes his head.

“Man, this is so weird.”

Are Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise lovers

Cruise swallows dry and looks at the floor. Kilmer answers looking straight to the camera.

“No, we play lovers in Heat and our new movie, After the Winter, but we are not lovers. Never been.”

Cruise seems to recover and raise his head.

“That would be super awkward. Considering I was your brother-in-law.”

Kilmer smiles.

“And my wife would be very annoyed,” he throws away the last panel.

Cruise hums.

“My boyfriend would be to. But Joane liked the movie?”

“Yes, definitely. She and I love playing dramas and deep, complicated characters. And the thing I loved in Heat, and now in After the Winter, is the interest first and foremost in character development.”

“Val,” he smiles “you are obsessed with Shiherlis and Polesti´s story. You annoy me, your wife, your agent, my agent, Michael Mann, our friends, and everyone in Hollywood for literally nineteen years, until we made a sequel.”

“I wanted to work again with you and Michael,” he looks to the camera. “When you are with Tom Cruise in a movie you know you´re gonna get something incredible from it. Always.”

“That´s what we try. We just want to entertain you. That really is the purpose so, you know, we hope you came to see After the Winter. The long…”

“Very long-awaited sequel,” cuts Kilmer.

“... of Heat. After the Winter will be in theaters this Christmas.”

“Because it´s a family movie.”

Cruise looks at Kilmer stunned. Then to the camera with dazed expression.

“Sure! What he said.”

Chapter Text

Please, Justin, tell us how you found out about the “After the Winter” project.

Well, one afternoon in June 2017, Milo called me, Milo Ventimiglia, who plays my father in "This is Us", and he asked me without saying hello or anything.

“Justin, do you know how to surf?”

I'm confused, you know? What kind of question is that? So I say.

"To surf? Well, more or less. Let me think, when I played Oliver Queen I learned not to fall off a board. But it was more than ten years ago. I'm not…"

Milo cuts me, all nervous.

"Oh shit. Oh, hell. You have to learn. I don’t care what you’re doing, go to your personal trainer tomorrow morning and tell him to connect you with a surf coach.”

He's talking all fast and nervous, which is very unusual for him, you know?

“Milo, Milo, calm down. Why do I have to learn surfing?”

It occurred to me that since Milo is a producer of "This is Us", maybe there are some ideas for the series' second season. After all, my character, Kevin Pearson, is an actor; they can do anything with him. So I asked him.

“Hey man, does this have to do with Kevin?”

“No, no,” he answers immediately. “Tom is looking at new people for a film and he called me to ask if you knew how to surf and I said yes.”

I thought it was a great opportunity. I immediately started thanking him.

"Man, thanks. I won't make you look bad. Tomorrow I'll start surfing. Is he working in another sports drama?"

There was an awkward silence. I got a little scared. Had I said something inappropriate?

"What are you talking about?" Milo finally asks.

"Well, about the film. You just told me that Tom Ackerley, the producer of "I, Tonya", asked you about me."

More silence. I'm really starting to freak out.

“No, who said anything about Tom Ackerley?” he says finally. “Tom, Tom Cruise called me to ask if you knew how to surf.”

And the phone fell out of my hand.

A week later, my agent received the script for "After the Winter." They wanted me to play Colter Shaw. I read the script, Shaw is a tracker, a private detective specialized in missing persons, who moves around the country in a trailer and likes to surf. I fell in love.

Chapter Text

Journalist: Do you have any funny anecdotes about the production?

The actors look at each other with a knowing expression.

Holland: Shall we tell about the waitress?

Powell: Well... (with a falsely reluctant expression) It's good publicity, right?

Holland : (laughing) Yes, I'm sure you want to tell it because it's good publicity. (looks at the interviewer) Well, it's a studio filming day. As usual, there's a buffet table to the side and a couple of waitresses on duty. We are reading our scripts, but one of the actors says, "I'm hungry," and goes to get food.

Powell: We really weren't paying attention at the time. Until Tom arrived.

Holland: Tom is a guy who is super aware of his surroundings, like Ethan Hunt, you know? We? Not so much. (Powell shakes his head in agreement) We were working on an intense scene with Alison Brie, who plays my sister Suzanne, but Glen had asked his PA to let us know when the director arrived.

Powell: My PA says he's coming. We turn to greet him. Tom arrives, all smiles, but he stops dead, turns his head towards the buffet table, and... I swear his face changes in an instant.

Holland: Yeah, he went from hugs and hearts to (he snaps his fingers) where's my gun? All eyes turn, and we see that this actor has one of the waitresses cornered against the wall and saying something to her. We couldn't hear him, but his expression was super nasty. The girl is silently crying as she nods with a defeated expression. It was…

Powell: It was horrible to watch. Tom didn't hesitate, he went there, pushed the actor away, stood as a shield in front of the girl and oh! He told him all kinds of things. You have no right to treat anyone like that. Who do you think you are? I'm going to help her file a harassment lawsuit. I don't want you in my film. I'm going to get you blacklisted from Hollywood. You're going to have to do deodorant commercials or go play a stupid white man in Bollywood films, you bastard.

Holland: It was epic, really. I have never before seen a film director jump like this to the defense of a service person. They don't defend their actors from abuse, and she wasn't even on the film's staff, but for Tom, that wasn't important. He sees a person in trouble and jumps, like, like…

He looks at Powell, unsure.

Powell: Like a terrier, small and cute until you mess with something he considers his. I swear, I thought he was about to attack the actor because the guy didn't seem embarrassed or anything. He just endured the scolding with a severe face. When Tom gets tired of yelling at him, the man answers, "Thank you very much."

Journalist: Thank you very much?

Holland: Yes, and continues, "Thank you very much for defending my cousin like this. But I was scolding her because she didn't go to our grandmother's birthday last week. I think I have the right to that, right?"

Powell: But Tom didn't let himself be embarrassed. He immediately asked, "Did you offer to pay for her ticket?" The colleague was taken aback. "Pay for her ticket?" "Yeah. You are a famous and well-paid actor, and your cousin is a waitress. If you want to ensure that she goes to family gatherings, help her." The actor shook his head with a smile, "Grandma lives an hour south of Los Angeles."

Journalist: Whoops?

Holland: Not at all! In that moment, he showed that he is an actor capable of improvising under any circumstance. He turned to the waitress, said in a fake whisper, "Girl, you're on your own," and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Chapter Text

WatchMojo.com, December 23, 2019

VOICE: Rebecca Brayton WRITTEN BY: Andy Hammersmith

He's been one of Hollywood's biggest stars since the 1980s and continues to thrill on the big screen. His performances have spanned several genres, and he's played everything from a dapper hacker to a Vietnam War veteran to a hitman, a vampire, a sports agent, a loudmouth movie executive, and a superspy. But his real life seems to be even more surprising than his characters. This is WatchMojo.com, and today we’re bringing you our picks for the most revealing moments from actor Tom Cruise's much-talked-about Wired Autocomplete interview, as well as several details that have emerged in the weeks since the "Heat" and "Mission: Impossible" star broke the internet last November 15 [Chapter 5: Tom Cruise & Val Kilmer Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions].

Number ten: The sequel to "Heat" is the result of Val Kilmer's persistence

In this day and age of sequels, prequels, reboots, and spin-offs, a sequel to the hit "Heat" was, if not expected, then certainly predictable. When Val Kilmer's official IG account revealed that the script was finished and filming would begin in the spring of 2019, the news was met with some skepticism. After all, Kilmer's career hasn't had much in the way of box office or critical acclaim in recent years. When Cruise confirmed he was returning to his role as Charles Polesti, the project's cachet rose, but questions still lingered. Sensitivities have changed since "Heat" was released in 1997, so there were those who accused the film of queerbaiting, given that at the time, it was widely believed that the two leads were both straight men.

We were wrong: "After the Winter" isn't a new project. Kilmer started talking about a sequel at the same Oscar party in March 1998. Cruise says in the interview, "You annoy me, your wife, your agent, my agent, Michael Mann, our friends, and everyone in Hollywood for literally nineteen years, until we made a sequel." It was Cruise who put the brakes on and demanded they wait until they got the story right. Professional reviews and audience reactions to pre-screenings have been overwhelmingly positive, indicating that Tom Cruise’s caution has once again aided film history.

Number nine: Even Tom Cruise gets projects rejected when the subject is homosexuality.

This is a little frustrating, but it is a good reminder of how much progress still needs to be made to achieve respectful representation for the LGBTQA+ community.

When asked, "Why did Tom Cruise become a director?" he said he wanted to find a director for a project but couldn't, and frustration drove him to sit behind the camera. The comment might be casual, except that the only film Cruise has directed is Top Gun, the story of sexual self-discovery by two U.S. Navy aviators.

It's common knowledge that Cruise loved Leonard Wolfe's novel "Fly with Me" so much that in 2009, he paid Edward Zwick out of his own pocket for a script concept and requested an estimate of production costs from his studio Skydance. Casting for "Top Gun" didn't begin until 2014 and principal photography took place in the fall of 2015. That means Cruise had that script under his arm for nearly five years, and not even his prestige persuaded the unknown directors to take a chance on the story.

We can only be grateful for their cowardice, even though we don't know their names. Thanks to them, Cruise's talent as a director was revealed. Who knew that fighter jets could be so sexy? We definitely won.

Number eight: Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer have been friends since 1983

In the interview, Cruise and Kilmer recall how they met: Wesley Kilmer, Val's younger brother, was a production assistant on "All the Right Moves," starring Cruise, in 1983. Cruise had acted in "The Outsiders," a film Kilmer greatly admired, and his brother arranged for the two young actors to spend an evening eating lousy food and discussing movies. Wesley Kilmer died in a tragic accident in 1987, but their relationship survived. Their bond is documented through photos and videos showing them at their respective film premieres over the decades, but it is much more intimate.

Kilmer mentions washing dishes in his kitchen at home and seeing Cruise practicing flips in the yard through the window. At another point, Cruise mentions that Kilmer called him “almost every night” during the filming of “Batman Forever" to complain. When Kilmer was in London in 2011, he went to the "Mission Impossible. Ghost Protocol" set to watch his friend "hold his breath for six minutes." Because of this close relationship, Kilmer offered Cruise the role of Charles Polesti in "Heat" in 1997, for which Cruise took home his first Oscar.

Number Seven: The Church of Scientology is more progressive than we imagined

To be fair, this one is not in the video, but the Vanity Fair report that revealed previously unknown aspects of the institution was prompted by the interview, which sparked renewed interest among people or entities close to the star. The Church of Scientology was founded in 1953 by L. Ron Hubbard and has generated mixed reactions since its inception. Cruise is undoubtedly its most famous member today. He joined in 1981 when he was taking his first steps in Hollywood, a bold move at the time. Why risk a public backlash by renouncing Catholicism for the faith of his friend Mimi Rogers? Vanity Fair's report argues that Cruise found there a friendlier and more respectful space for his true identity, considering the importance that Scientology has given to the acceptance of LGBTQA+ people within it and to the mental health of its members in general since its founding.

As an organization born in the 1950s, the leadership of the Church of Scientology carried out these two objectives covertly, aware of the potential stigma that mental illness and sexual diversity could bring to its membership. Its famous audits are religious practices, yes, but according to a report from the church itself to which Vanity Fair had acces, between 1955 and 1995, more than half were real therapy sessions. The arranged marriage services by missionaries and auditors, another of its most criticized programs, actually connected queer people so they could maintain their public images of heterosexuality.

But the most astonishing revelation of the Vanity Fair exposé is, by far, that the Church of Scientology has been performing same-sex marriages since the early 1960s. Although they had no legal value, the ceremonies allowed the couples, their families, and friends to feel recognized and respected. Clearly, such controversial practices required secrecy, which earned the organization the moniker of "a cult."

This is one of those rare cases where a bad image served a good cause.

Number six: Tom Cruise was not in a relationship with Mimi Rogers

The first personal questions for Cruise are on the fourth panel of the interview, the second about him. He answers the first two casually, without providing any new details. With the third question, the interview takes its first unexpected turn. To "What was Tom Cruise's first wife's name" he automatically answers Nicole Kidman and even recommends her work. Of course, we are glad that these two have a good relationship, but the statement contradicts all the information about his life that has accumulated up to that point.

Wasn't Cruise's first wife Mimi Rogers?

The press and public assumed Cruise and Rogers were a couple when she went to live with Cruise in Jamaica during the filming of “Cocktail” in December 1987. Back in California, they continued to live together, and Cruise went with her to Jamaica in the summer of 1988 while Rogers was filming "The Mighty Quinn." Cruise’s contracts included an additional access clause for Mimi Rogers for the next two years. This dynamic of extreme closeness was then called romantic by some outlets and ridiculous by others. Although there was no record of a legal marriage, the details were ignored in favor of what was deemed factual evidence.

Luckily, Kilmer is there to represent the audience and explains to his friend who the searches are referring to. It's the first time in the interview that Cruise seems a little disoriented. Still, he quickly recovers and succinctly explains that he suffered "a terrible personal loss in 1987," which left him so shaken that the Church of Scientology assigned him Mimi Rogers as a "mourning companion," which sounds like a full-time suicide prevention watcher.

More about that "personal loss" later in this video.

Number five: Tom Cruise doesn't google himself

It may seem like a small thing, but in these days of digital content obsession, meeting a man who ignores what the internet has to say about him is refreshing and inspiring. Cruise uses his cell phone as a cornerstone of his professional and personal relationships. Everyone from Martin Scorsese to Miles Teller has commented that Cruise is a constant source of text messages, casual photos, and links. Glen Powell has even said that he's amazed at the speed at which he responds to personal texts, considering he always has two or three projects in various stages of development.

That's why it's so shocking to see during the interview how extremely bizarre the whole experience is for Cruise. Several of the questions about Val Kilmer and himself elicit immediate expressions of disbelief, evidence that he had no idea what the internet was talking about behind his back.

Oh, Tom, if only we had your willpower!

Number four: Les Grossmann is based on Harvey Weintein

The revelation of film producer Harvey Weinstein's crimes came as a shock to some but an open secret to many. But it hit Hollywood like an earthquake. Harvey Weinstein's Hollywood empire collapsed in 2017 when The New York Times and The New Yorker made public numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault against him. The revelations ignited the MeToo movement, in which many people came forward with their own experiences of misconduct. In total, more than 100 women accused Weinstein of harassing or assaulting them, with some dating back to 1980. As a result, multiple criminal charges against the producer were unsealed in New York and Los Angeles.

For years, prominent figures in news and entertainment tried to expose the Hollywood mogul, but Weinstein used his power to silence them, even destroying some careers. In the interview, Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer confirm a well-known conspiracy theory: the character Less Grossman, who he created for the 2008 comedy “Tropic Thunder”, was half parody and half exposé of the famed producer's most detestable traits. By joining the list of celebrities who tried to warn us about Harvey Weinstein, Cruise is not only standing with those harmed by the former Miramax chief's years of sexual predation. It also proves how powerful he was, to the point that a superstar like him had to approach the issue ubiquitously.

Number three: Tom Cruise is bisexual

This was one of the moments that confirmed that Cruise does not Google himself, and that shook the world. It starts off casually when he discovers the fourth question of the tenth panel. His flabbergasted expression upon reading "Is Tom Cruise gay," coupled with Kilmer's barely contained laughter, is all we need to understand that the man does not have the poise of Ethan Hunt or Charlie Babbitt. He even asks the Wired team if they edited the questions and doesn't bother to hide his discomfort when they confirm that it is indeed what Google reports.

There is something disturbing about those seconds: the time Cruise takes to decide on his answer also allows us, as an audience, to recognize how tremendously intrusive the question really is. Why do so many people care? How sure can we be that they write these words with good intentions? As in the story of the "Top Gun" project being rejected for years, the ghost of homophobia casts a shadow over the exchange. But Cruise doesn't allow the interview to go off the rails with five perfectly pitched words to emphasize that it's no big deal: "I'm not gay. I'm bisexual."

This is coming out in style.

Full disclosure: We hesitated a lot between the first- and second-place choices but ultimately decided that the present was more important than the past. So...

Number two: Tom Cruise was in a relationship with Wesley Kilmer, Val Kilmer's younger brother.

Like number seven on this list, this isn't said in the video, but the revelation directly resulted from the interview. In fact, all the clues were there, and less than twenty-four hours later, various dedicated media outlets and Cruise fan social accounts had put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Let's see:

In the interview, Cruise and Kilmer recall meeting thanks to Wesley Kilmer in 1983. Then, at different points, they both mention suffering a devastating blow in 1987. Kilmer refers to it in an oblique way: his courtship of Joanne Whalley in 1988 was marred by depression following the death of his younger brother.

People familiar with Val Kilmer know of his brother, whom he frequently mentions in interviews as a source of tension between him and his father when he was a child, "I think he appreciated and loved more readily my younger's brother's talent," as a companion in discussions and dreams when both decided to dedicate themselves to films and, after his death, as an inspiration for artistic choices and civic endeavors. For Kilmer, there is no doubt that Wesley was destined for glory. He has repeatedly described his brother as a "genius" and claimed he could have been the next Steven Spielberg or George Lucas.

Cruise, for his part, only says that he suffered "a terrible personal loss in 1987," which left him so shaken that the Church of Scientology assigned Mimi Rogers as his "mourning companion" for more than two years. The third clue comes in the final seconds of the interview, when the two deny having been lovers, and Cruise adds, "That would be very strange, considering I was already your brother-in-law." This statement is key because... Val Kilmer doesn't have sisters.

As we said before, the internet went crazy for the next twenty-four hours, with speculation of all kinds. But it was all speculation until a week later when The Hollywood Reporter surprised the world with the headline "Wesley Kilmer, Tom Cruise's first husband." The issue's cover is a photo of Tom Cruise during the 57th Academy Awards on March 25, 1985. Cruise is sitting in the theater, still sporting the long hair of his character in "Legend." Next to him is a young man with a wide jaw, short blond hair, and eyes remarkably similar to Val Kilmer's: Wesley Kilmer.

In the report, THR claims that Wesley and Tom fell in love on the "All the Right Moves" set in 1983. Of course, the relationship was kept secret. The couple married in a private ceremony at the Church of Scientology headquarters in August 1984 in Riverside County, California. Cruise had just finished "Legend," and Wesley was on a break from filming "Beverly Hills Cop." The entire Kilmer family was in attendance, but no one from the Cruise side.

The romance would take a tragic turn. On September 12, 1987, Wesley had seizures related to his chronic epilepsy, fell into the family pool, and drowned. He was twenty-six years old. Cruise was in New York, training for a role. His publicist knew about the relationship and forbade him from attending the funeral, as there was a chance that the cameras would be there, and he would not be able to explain his presence. It is hard to understand now, but in 1987, Tom Cruise was not one of the biggest stars in Hollywood; he was one of many pretty faces under the control of his agent and dependent on the goodwill of the studios. He had to obey. In the winter of 1987-1988, he made one of the worst films of his career: “Cocktail”.

At the time, reports emerged from the set of “Cocktail” that the usually cheerful Cruise was oddly reserved and distracted. Dramatic scenes would bring him to tears; he would spend hours practicing bottle-throwing with only Mimi Rogers for company, and he even asked for the love scene to be changed so that the bodies would be hidden under the sheets. Although “Cocktail” was commercially successful, critics called his performance uneven and overwrought, drawing attention to the lack of chemistry between him and Elisabeth Shue. Not surprisingly, he was nominated for a Golden Raspberry. The man had just been widowed!

Though Cruise has been married twice more — to Nicole Kidman from 1990 to 2001 and to Katie Holmes from 2006 to 2012 — and was romantically involved with Penelope Cruz from 2001 to 2004, now that we know about his first husband, some things that seemed like star mannerisms make sense. Of course, the most notable of these has to do with the "Mission: Impossible" franchise.

In an interview in the late 1990s, Val Kilmer mentioned that his brother Wesley was a fan of the classic TV show “Mission: Impossible” and dreamed of reviving it in film format. Cruise founded Cruise/Wagner Productions in 1992 and decided on “Mission: Impossible” as its inaugural project. Finally, the Twitter account @TomCruiseNavy noted that Wesley Kilmer was born on May 13, 1961, and all the films in the series were released during the second week of May.

What a way to honor the memory of a loved one!

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Number one: Tom Cruise has a boyfriend, who!?

One of the most famous things about Cruise is the ironclad discretion he maintains regarding his personal life. Even information about his heterosexual relationships and his children was always carefully controlled. That's why the casual mention that he is in a romantic relationship was as explosive, if not more so, than the confirmation of his sexual orientation. But there are far fewer clues than in his relationship with Wesley Kilmer.

What do we know so far?

It's a new relationship: Cruise says he's "dating again after seven years." That indicates he hasn't been in a relationship since his divorce from Katie Holmes until now. Another sign that the romance is new is Kilmer's comment that he "likes" the man because he makes his friend happy.

It's pretty serious: Cruise is a man who is cautious with his words, an attitude cemented by his decades in the media spotlight. Yet at the conclusion of the Wired interview, he calls this mysterious man "my boyfriend" and says he would be upset if Cruise and Kilmer were lovers. In other words, they are exclusive.

What do we guess?

Cruise often falls in love on the job, as evidenced by his previous relationships with Wesley Kilmer, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, and Katie Holmes. That's why there's a consensus that this man must be part of the cast or production crew of "Top Gun Maverick," "After the Winter," or "Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning," his three most recent projects. So, ever since the interview came out, fan accounts and a few tabloids have been posting tables, cross-reference lists, and all sorts of charts, trying to deduce the identity of this man by exclusion. Photos from public events don't help. Cruise has made it his style to pose in groups with his work crews for years. He only poses for solo photos with Christopher McQuarrie, his MI franchise co-producer, or Val Kilmer.

Who are the candidates?

For now, the most mentioned names, for a variety of factors too long for this video, and which include frankly bizarre elements, are the musician Lorne Bafle and the actors Jon Hamm, Greg Tarzan Davies, Glen Powell, and Miles Teller.

What do you think?

Do you agree with our selection?

Let us know in the comments!

Reference:

Kennedy, Dana. “A Long-Lingering Grief Serves a New Role,” New York Times, April 21, 2002. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/21/movies/film-a-long-lingering-grief-serves-a-new-role.html