Tom Cruise breaks silence after death of Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer
Tom Cruise has broken his silence after the death of one of his castmates.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Hollywood legend Val Kilmer had died on April 1, at the age of 65. The actor passed away from pneumonia, amid over a decade of health issues.
Val was initially diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. His treatment for the disease – which included a tracheostomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy – subsequently had a severe impact on his speech abilities.
As well as Batman Forever, the actor was also best known to fans for his role in the 1986 hit Top Gun, starring as Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky.
Tom Cruise appeared opposite Val as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, and the pair reprised their roles for the smash-hit 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. Val’s cameo in the movie has since become his final on-screen appearance.
A few days after his passing, Tom Cruise has now taken the opportunity to pay a heartfelt tribute to his late friend.
Yesterday, the 62-year-old appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, to promote his upcoming film Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is due to hit cinemas next month.
During his presentation on stage, Tom addressed the audience about Val’s passing.
“I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer,” he began, before going on to reflect on their final screen performance together.
“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,” Tom praised.
“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,” Tom suggested to the audience, leading a moment of silence.
“Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him. I wish you well on the next journey,” he concluded in his tribute to Val.
Val is survived by his daughter Mercedes (33) and son Jack (29), whom he welcomed with his ex-wife, Joanne Whalley.
