Top Gun's Volleyball Scene References Arnold Schwarzenegger

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Actor Rick Rossovich has revealed that he included references to genre star Arnold Shwarzenegger in the iconic volleyball scene from action classic Top Gun. Tom Cruise stars in the film as a hotshot fighter pilot accepted into the titular Navy Fighter Weapons School in San Diego, California. Cruise led an ensemble roster that included Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Val Kilmer and Kelly McGillis.

Inspired by the similarly titled articles in California magazine, the film was co-written by writing partners Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., directed by Tony Scott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Top Gun received generally mixed reviews from critics upon release, but was a box office smash, grossing over $356 million against its $15 million budget and brought home an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Berlin's "Take My Breath Away." Despite the mixed reviews, the film has lived on as a fan-favorite and generally considered one of Cruise's most iconic films and spawned multiple spoofs and parodies, including 1991's Hot Shots, and the long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick.

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While chatting with Screen Rant for the 35th anniversary re-release of Top Gun in Dolby theaters, Rossovich revealed he included a nod to action genre legend Schwarzenegger during the volleyball scene. Having worked with the 73-year-old actor on The Terminator, Rossovich expressed having a great admiration for Schwarzenegger and their shared past and wanted to use the sequence to pay homage to the star. See what Rossovich had to say below:

"I was kind of a bodybuilder as a kid, and Arnold Schwarzenegger was my idol growing up. I got to do Terminator with him and, beyond that, we did a couple other projects. So, that was really my homage to Arnold, and a throwback to when bodybuilding was kind of a holistic and beautiful thing."

If to look at Rossovich's character, seen above, there are certainly plenty of similarities between he and Schwarzenegger's T-800. While everyone in the film sports the Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses popular at the time, the bigger physique Rossovich displays and Slider's hairstyle are very reminiscent of the James Cameron and Gale Ann Hurd-created character. Even if it seems a bit more obscure to some, it's a nice nod from Rossovich to not only a fellow collaborator but an idol as well.

For those looking at taking back to the skies with Cruise's Maverick and crew, this week will mark the return of Top Gun to theaters in celebration of its 35th anniversary and Top Gun Day. But if not feeling ready to return to the public venues just yet, viewers can also pick up the recently-released 4K UHD copy of the action classic on shelves now. Whichever path audiences choose, it's a good time to revisit the blockbuster ahead of Maverick's release on November 19.