Tom Cruise paid tribute to his “Top Gun” co-star Val Kilmer, who died on Tuesday at the age of 65.
Cruise attended CinemaCon, the annual convention of movie theater owners, to hype up “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” which opens in cinemas over the summer. But before he got started, he asked the crowd of exhibitors to join him in a moment of silence for Kilmer.
“I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honored I was when he joined ‘Top Gun’ and came back later for ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’” Cruise said from the stage. “I think it would be really nice if we could just have a moment together, because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.”
Cruise concluded the moment of silence by saying, “I wish you well on the next journey.”
Cruise and Kilmer met on the set of 1986’s “Top Gun,” in which they played Maverick and Iceman, rivals-turned-friends at the U.S. Navy’s Fighter Weapons School. “Top Gun” was a huge commercial success, earning $350 million globally — the highest-grossing film of the year — and making Cruise and Kilmer full-blown movie stars.
In 2022, nearly four decades after the release of the first film, the two reunited in “Top Gun: Maverick” for an emotional scene which would become Kilmer’s final on-screen appearance. After being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, Kilmer had lost most of his ability to speak, so his voice was recreated using AI. In the sequel, Iceman is battling terminal cancer and Maverick confides in him one last time as he decides whether or not to send trainee Rooster (Miles Teller) on a potentially fatal mission. “It’s time to let go,” Kilmer’s Iceman types on his computer, before speaking: “The Navy needs Maverick. The kid needs Maverick. That’s why I fought for you. That’s why you’re still here.”
In an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after the film’s release, Cruise said he was “crying” and “emotional” while shooting the scene. “I just want to say that was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades,” Cruise said. “For him to come back and play that character… he’s such a powerful actor that he instantly became that character again. You’re looking at Iceman.”
“Top Gun: Maverick” went on to far surpass the commercial and critical acclaim of the original, making over $1.4 billion worldwide and earning six Oscar nominations, including best picture. A third “Top Gun” film is currently in the works.
