TOM Cruise has broken his silence after his ‘dear friend’ and Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer’s shock death, aged 65.
Actor Tom, 62, played Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell alongside Val’s Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the 1986 classic, with the pair reuniting onscreen for 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick.
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At CinemaCon 2025, held at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Tom took a moment to honor his late friend.
According to Variety, he said: “I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val 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.”
“I think it would be really nice if we could 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. I wish you well on the next journey.”
Tom, visibly emotional, lowered his head and clasped his hands as he spoke on stage.
The action star had been at the event to promote his upcoming film, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is set to open on May 23.
In 2022, Tom had spoken about how pleased he was to have Val join him on Top Gun: Maverick.
He said on Jimmy Kimmel Live: “I just want to say that was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades.
“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.”
Val, who rose to fame in the 1980s with roles in films such as Batman Forever and The Doors, died from complications related to pneumonia following a long battle with health issues.
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, he spent the later years of his life mostly out of the public eye.
Val is survived by his daughter, Mercedes, and son, Jack, from his marriage to actress Joanne Whalley.
His passing was confirmed by Mercedes on Tuesday.
