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The Navy thanked the action hero, who it said had "increased public awareness and appreciation for our highly trained personnel and the sacrifices they make while in uniform". Cruise starred as the pilot Maverick in Top Gun, a movie about Cold War flying aces, and it was so influential that the Navy even set up recruitment tables in theatres. The Oscar nominated star reprised his role as Lieutenant Pete Mitchell in the 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which the Navy said "reinvigorated" military interest from younger audiences.