Kelly McGillis is a famous American actress. More than three decades have passed since the 1986 premiere of Top Gun, a film that propelled Kelly McGillis, who portrayed Charlie, into the limelight as Tom Cruise’s love interest.
She is also famous for appearing in many other films, such as Witness (1985), Made in Heaven (1987), The House on Carroll Street (1988), and The Accused (1988).
Many people are interested in knowing Kelly McGillis’s age and other things about her. In this article, we will discuss all details about her life.
Full Name | Kelly Ann McGillis |
Date of Birth | July 9, 1957 |
Age | 66 years old |
Nationality | American |
Spouse | Boyd Black (m. 1979; div. 1981), Fred Tillman
(m. 1989; div. 2002) |
Boyfriend | Melanie Leis (2010–2011) |
Children | 2 |
Height | 1.78 cm/ 5 Feet and 8 Inch |
Weight | Approximately 78 Kg |
Kelly McGillis Age & Education
McGillis was born in Southern California, on July 9, 1957. As of 2023, Kelly McGillis age is 66 years old, and will be 67 years old, in 2024.
She is the eldest daughter of three daughters. Her parents are Virginia Joan, a homemaker, and Donald Manson McGillis, a physician.
She attended Newport Harbor High School for her secondary education and later pursued a college education at Allan Hancock College’s Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, California.
After dropping out of high school in 1975, she obtained her GED and moved to New York City to pursue acting at the Juilliard School, graduating in 1983 as part of Group 12.
Film Career
Kelly McGillis started her acting career in 1983, with her film debut in Reuben. Her breakout role was that of an Amish mother in the film Witness (1985), for which she earned Golden Globe and BAFTA awards nominations.
Her next breakthrough role was that of flight instructor Charlotte Blackwood in the 1986 film “Top Gun,” which starred Tom Cruise.
In 1987, She appeared in the romantic movie “Made in Heaven,” by Lorimar Productions. She played the caretaker for Miss Venable in 1988’s film “The House on Carroll Street,” which also starred Jeff Daniels.
After 1988’s The Accused, she acted in “Cat Chaser,” a film she despised, discouraging her from continuing her acting career. Before taking a break from acting for a few years, she appeared in dozens of television and film roles throughout the 1990s.
McGillis also acted in The Babe (1992). From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, she acted in Winter People (1989) and North (1994).
In 1999, McGillis co-starred with Val Kilmer for a second time as his overprotective sister in the film At First Sight. She also acted in The Monkey’s Mask, an international lesbian cult film, in 2000.
After taking a few years break, she has appeared in films including “Stake Land” in 2010, “The Innkeepers” in 2011, “We Are What We Are” in 2013, “Tio Papi” in 2013, “Grand Street” in 2014, and “Love Finds You in Sugarcreek” in 2014.
An Uncommon Grace on Hallmark Channel was McGillis’s fourth Amish-themed film. In 2017, she led in “Mother of All Secrets”.
Television Career
McGillis’s early television roles included a role on the daytime soap One Life to Live in 1984. She appeared in the TV movie “Sweet Revenge with Alec Baldwin,” in 1984.
Other television films during the 1980s, such as “Private Sessions” in 1985 and “Santabear’s First Christmas”. In 1995, she narrated the documentary Out of Ireland for PBS.
After taking a few years off, she began working in television again in 2006, and in 2007, she joined the cast of “Showtime’s The L Word” for its fifth season.
She also acted in a breast cancer documentary drama, “1 a Minute”, in 2010. She also starred in Z Nation, an episode of “Sisters of Mercy” (2014) and Blue (2015).
Personal Life
Kelly McGillis is currently divorced. From 1979 to 1981, she married Boyd Black, an associate Juilliard student. In 1989, she married Fred Tillman, and they had two daughters, Sonora and Kelsey Tillman, before divorcing in 2002.
During a 2009 interview with SheWired, McGillis affirmed her identity as an LGBTQIA+ member. She entered a civil partnership in 2010, engaging with Melanie Leis, a Philadelphia sales executive. But the pair broke up in 2011.
Net Worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Kelly McGillis’s net worth is around $4 million as of 2024. She has earned a great deal of wealth throughout her acting career. She previously owned The Centurion, a 110-foot schooner valued at $1.5 million.