Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw is a naval aviator trained on the F/A-18E Super Hornet and a graduate of TOPGUN. He is the son of LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw and Carole Bradshaw. He was about 2-years-old when his father died. He is a minor character in Top Gun and the deuteragonist of Top Gun: Maverick.
Biography[]
Top Gun[]
Bradley and his mother Carole would fly to TOPGUN on a family day to see Goose and Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Both men would greet mother and son when they got off the airplane. Eventually the four would go to a local diner with Charlotte Blackwood. Someone, presumably his father, would place him on the upright piano inside a diner as his father played and sang "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis.
After Goose's death, Bradley would be given a book to read while Carole tells a grief-stricken Maverick how much Goose loved flying with him before becoming overwhelmed with emotion and leaving the room.
Between the Movies[]
Maverick would keep in touch with Carole and Bradley during the intervening years. In time, Bradley apparently made it known that he wished to follow Goose's example in joining the Navy and eventually becoming a fighter pilot, but Carol was secretly against this. Unbeknownst to him, before she died Carole made Maverick promise to do what he could to prevent Bradley from flying, as she didn't want for him to possibly share his father's fate. This led to Maverick pulling Bradley's admission papers to the Naval Academy, causing a deep rift to form between the two. Maverick also decided to never tell Bradley his true reasons for doing so, as he felt that there was no point in causing Bradley to also resent his mother's memory. He would go to the University of Virginia and majored in Political Science. After he graduated he would become a Navy pilot, but Maverick's interference set his naval career back by four years.
Top Gun: Maverick[]
- My dad believed in you. I won't make the same mistake ."
- - Rooster to Maverick
Rooster is an elite TOPGUN graduate selected to return and train as a candidate for a secret mission to destroy a uranium enrichment facility.
When Rooster finds out that CAPT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is teaching the training course for the mission - he's upset. Not only does Rooster hold a grudge against Maverick for his father's death, but also for Maverick pulling his admission papers from the US Naval Academy years earlier; which set Rooster back in his career four years. Rooster and Maverick butt heads, however Maverick doesn't hold this against him in training and tries to show him a thing or two. He tells him not to think - to do what his instincts tell him - some advice that sticks with Rooster.
During basic fighter maneuver (BFM) training, Rooster was challenged against Maverick to see who could shoot the other down first. Rooster was shot down by Maverick, and as a result, had to do two hundred pushups (the agreed upon amount set by LT Reuben "Payback" Fitch); the fulfillment of this lost bet was overseen by CWO-4 Bernie "Hondo" Coleman, who stood-in as an impromptu drill instructor.
At the end of the training period, Rooster was selected by Maverick to be his wingman while paired with Payback and LT Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia. Rooster seems honored and tries to thank Maverick, who instead tells him that they'll talk after the mission (a small morale boost that gives hope of returning alive from what seems like an improbable task with a high chance of death).
During mission egress, after successfully bombing the uranium enrichment facility, Rooster runs out of anti-missile countermeasures. Because of this, Maverick sacrifices himself to block an incoming SAM from hitting Rooster, causing Maverick to get shot down. VADM Beau "Cyclone" Simpson makes the call for the remaining three F/A-18's to leave Maverick behind (whom Cyclone believes is dead) and return to the carrier. Rooster instead "doesn't think" and flies back to find Maverick, who he believes survived the crash. Rooster shoots down an enemy attack helicopter that is hunting Maverick, saving Maverick's life. Unfortunately, this return favor results in Rooster getting shot down by a SAM. Rooster is found by Maverick in the snowy forested enemy territory. Maverick then has the crazy idea for them to steal an enemy F-14A Tomcat to escape. They manage to do it successfully (albeit losing the front/nose landing gear during takeoff) and after an intense dogfight against three Su-57s, get back to the carrier with LT Jake "Hangman" Seresin's aid. Rooster hugs Maverick and they make up. They both celebrate with other special mission group members and deck crew.
His participation in the bombing mission sees him credited with three aerial kills. While flying as the impromptu Radar Intercept Officer, he shares credit for the two Su-57s shot down by his F-14A. The destruction of the Mi-24 is also counted as an aerial victory.
Later at Maverick's hanger, Rooster is seen working with Maverick on Maverick's P-51 Mustang engine. After, Rooster looks at a picture of his success with Maverick, as well as a picture of his father and a younger Maverick on their success years before.
Ribbons[]
In order of precedence:
| Air Medal | Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal - Two 5⁄16 inch gold star devices denotes third award | |
| Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal - Two 5⁄16 inch gold star devices denotes third award | National Defense Service Medal | Afghanistan Campaign Medal |
| Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Sea Service Deployment Ribbon - Two 3⁄16 inch bronze star devices denotes third award |
Development[]
The character's original callsigns were 'Rascal' and 'Boomer'.[2] Since the cast was given freedom to change their callsigns, his actor, Miles Teller came up with 'Rooster' instead.[3]
Notes[]
- Prior to the special mission detachment, Rooster was assigned/attached to strike fighter squadron VFA-87 Golden Warriors.
- According to Hangman, Bradley's callsign 'Rooster' comes from his tendency of waiting during the fight for the right moment, just like a rooster that waits for the sun to rise.
- Just like his father Nick Bradshaw, Bradley has: a mustache, a bird-related callsign, a talent of playing a piano and singing, and a habit of wearing Hawaiian t-shirts.
- Rooster's fighter jet as part of the mission training group is an F/A-18E modex #410.
- While in Dagger Squadron during the special mission, Rooster is assigned aircraft callsign 'Dagger-02'; F/A-18E modex #02.
- In real life, Maverick "pulling" Bradley's papers would not necessarily have set him back four years, if he attended a civilian university and enrolled in Navy ROTC, or graduated and then attended OCS. He would enter as an officer, thus making it possible for him to compete for selection as an aviator.[4]
- According to Bradley's military file he graduated from The University of Virginia in 2009.[5] It also shows four years of prior enlisted service, rising to the rate of HT2. There is, however, a contradiction in that the start of his active enlisted service is listed as 2006.
- Bradley majored and got his Bachelor's degree in Political Science.[5]
- Bradley also took Spanish 1010[5] (SPAN 1010 and 1020 are courses reserved exclusively for true beginners, students who have never studied Spanish before entering UVA. SPAN 1010 and SPAN 1020 are offered during Summer Session only.)
Gallery[]
.jpg "Top Gun Maverick Promotional Still - Rooster (1).jpg (1.53 MB)")
References[]
- ↑ "Bradley Bradshaw's personal file" Kosinski, J. (Director). (2022). Top Gun: Maverick [Film]. Paramount Pictures.
- ↑ Clint Schultz (July / August 2022). Helmet Graphics Top Gun: Maverick. Perspective: The Journal of the Art Direction Guild. Retrieved on June 27, 2023.
- ↑ Caroline Darney (2022-05-27). How the stars of Top Gun: Maverick got their call signs. usatoday.com. Retrieved on June 27, 2023.
- ↑ Maverick pulling Rooster's papers
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Bradley Bradshaw's personal file" Kosinski, J. (Director). (2022). Top Gun: Maverick [Film]. Paramount Pictures.