Penny Benjamin is the new love interest of CAPT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell turned girlfriend. Briefly mentioned in Top Gun and makes a physical appearance in Top Gun: Maverick.
Biography[]
Top Gun[]
Penny is not seen in Top Gun; she is only mentioned by Stinger, Goose, and Carole.
Penny is first referenced when Maverick and LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw were getting chewed out by CDR Tom "Stinger" Jardian (after the LT Bill "Cougar" Cortell incident), who indicates that Maverick has been previously disciplined (twice by Stinger himself) for "a history of high-speed passes over five air control towers and one admiral's daughter!" Goose then whispers Penny Benjamin's name to Maverick as if to remind him of who she was.
Goose also told his wife about the incident, who then repeated it back to Maverick:
- "He told me all about the time you went ballistic with Penny Benjamin."
- - Carole Bradshaw to Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick[]
Penny owns a bar in proximity to the TOPGUN detachment's location and is a single mother to a daughter named Amelia Benjamin; Penny is presumably divorced, with Amelia mentioning that her father now lives in Hawaii with a different wife. Maverick runs into her when he goes back to TOPGUN to teach. They flirt and Penny tells Maverick that they're not going to go down the same road they always go again - she just wants to stay friends. Maverick reluctantly agrees. Penny owns a bar in town and Maverick has to buy everyone drinks when he leaves his phone on the bar, one of Penny's rules.
Penny lives alone with her daughter, Amelia. She and Maverick continue to flirt and advise each other on life. Maverick helps Penny move a sailboat. Eventually, they go on a secret date and Maverick has to sneak out Penny's window at the end of the night.
At the end of the film, when Maverick makes it back from the mission alive, he goes to find Penny, but she's gone. Eventually, she comes back and reunites with Maverick, who then takes her on a plane ride in his P-51 Mustang.
Notes[]
to be added