The 80s classic 'Top Gun' catapulted its cast to stardom, not least the character of Charlie, the flight instructor who became one of Tinseltown's most sought-after actresses. Fast forward three decades and Kelly McGillis, who portrayed Charlie, has faced her share of life's trials since her days in the Hollywood limelight.

Hailing from the well-to-do environs of Newport Beach, California, McGillis' pursuit of an acting career led her to New York City, where she encountered a series of harrowing events.

While honing her craft at the esteemed Julliard School during her second year, she experienced a terrifying mugging at gunpoint. Undeterred, she pressed on with her studies, determined to achieve her aspirations.

However, in 1982, a mere four years before her breakthrough role in 'Top Gun', McGillis endured a nightmarish attack when two intruders broke into her apartment and subjected her to a knife-point rape.

Her ordeal only ended when a neighbour's alertness brought the police to the scene, causing the assailants to flee. They were eventually apprehended, with the primary perpetrator receiving a three-year prison sentence, reports the Mirror US.

In a candid interview with People Magazine in 1988, McGillis recounted the chilling details: "I'll never forget the way they smelled. Like alcohol and old sweat...While one watched, the taller one got on top of me and held the knife to my right eye...Then the other one got on top of me. They kept switching and telling me they were going to beat me until I was dead."

At that time, sharing her home with another woman, McGillis interpreted the horrific experience as divine "punishment" for her sexual orientation.

Despite facing personal challenges, McGillis pursued her acting career and in 1985 landed a significant role alongside Harrison Ford in Witness.

Her next notable performance came in 1988 when she portrayed a prosecutor in The Accused, a drama about seeking justice for a rape victim, a part she hoped would help her reconcile with her own past experiences.

In 1989, McGillis entered into her second marriage with Fred Tillman, a yacht salesman. However, during this period, she was grappling with her sexuality, which led to tensions in their relationship.

The couple had two daughters, but their family life was rocked when Tillman was caught hiring a prostitute, who turned out to be an undercover policewoman.

Seeking respite from the New York spotlight, they relocated to Florida and opened a bar called Kelly's. It was there that McGillis developed a romantic connection with bartender Melanie Leis.

Leis, who is openly gay, reflected on their time together: "We were partners in crime and were both drinking and abusing drugs."

By 2002, McGillis had divorced Tillman and stepped away from the glitz of Hollywood to focus on raising her children with Leis in rural Pennsylvania, later moving back to New Jersey to work as a rehab counsellor.

She returned to the screen in 2008 with a role in the lesbian TV drama The L Word and publicly came out in 2009. In an interview with SheWired.com, she declared: "I'm done with the man thing.

"Life is a journey and it's about growing and changing and coming to terms with who and what you are and loving who and what you are."

Unfortunately, in 2016, she endured a terrifying ordeal when an intruder broke into her North Carolina residence.

Then in 2022, with the casting for "Top Gun: Maverick" underway, McGillis was noticeably absent from the list to return for the sequel, a decision she attributes to her rejection of plastic surgery and refusal to revert her hair to the iconic blonde — claims that director Joseph Kosinski has since refuted.

In a candid conversation with ET, the 62 year old actress didn't mince words about the stark realities of industry expectations, declaring: "I'm old, and I'm fat and I look age-appropriate for what my age is. And that is not what that whole scene is about. I'd much rather feel absolutely secure in my skin and my age than place any value in all that other stuff."