In a touching tribute at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Tom Cruise honored his late co-star Val Kilmer, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 65. Requesting a moment of silence from the packed audience in The Colosseum theatre, Cruise expressed his admiration for Kilmer’s talent and valued their friendship. “I can't tell you how much I admired his work, how much I thought of him as a human being and how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun,” Cruise shared, referring to their iconic roles from the original film released in 1986.
Kilmer's last film appearance was in the 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. The actor, celebrated for various roles, including Batman and Jim Morrison in The Doors, succumbed to pneumonia after battling throat cancer. In his heartfelt remarks, Cruise bowed his head and concluded, “Thank you, Val—wish you well on your next journey.”
During the Paramount Pictures presentation, Cruise also provided a sneak peek of his upcoming film Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. He took the opportunity to honor director Christopher McQuarrie, who was named CinemaCon's director of the year.
Cruise had previously expressed his emotional reaction to Kilmer joining the set for Top Gun: Maverick. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he revealed he was moved to tears. “I was crying, I was crying. I got emotional,” he admitted, praising Kilmer’s brilliance as an actor.
As tributes from Hollywood poured in for Kilmer, Cruise remained one of the few stars to publicly express his sorrow for the actor’s death. Kilmer’s family shared that his passing came after a prolonged battle with illness, which included two tracheotomies, ultimately affecting his ability to speak. In a poignant scene from Maverick, Kilmer’s character, Iceman, communicates with Cruise's character through a screen, parting with an embrace and a tease about their piloting skills.
Kilmer's last film appearance was in the 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. The actor, celebrated for various roles, including Batman and Jim Morrison in The Doors, succumbed to pneumonia after battling throat cancer. In his heartfelt remarks, Cruise bowed his head and concluded, “Thank you, Val—wish you well on your next journey.”
During the Paramount Pictures presentation, Cruise also provided a sneak peek of his upcoming film Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. He took the opportunity to honor director Christopher McQuarrie, who was named CinemaCon's director of the year.
Cruise had previously expressed his emotional reaction to Kilmer joining the set for Top Gun: Maverick. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he revealed he was moved to tears. “I was crying, I was crying. I got emotional,” he admitted, praising Kilmer’s brilliance as an actor.
As tributes from Hollywood poured in for Kilmer, Cruise remained one of the few stars to publicly express his sorrow for the actor’s death. Kilmer’s family shared that his passing came after a prolonged battle with illness, which included two tracheotomies, ultimately affecting his ability to speak. In a poignant scene from Maverick, Kilmer’s character, Iceman, communicates with Cruise's character through a screen, parting with an embrace and a tease about their piloting skills.
