At CinemaCon on Thursday Tom Cruise paid tribute to Val Kilmer who passed away at 65 during a touching speech just days after his death.
At CinemaCon Cruise appeared before an overflowing crowd of theater owners to express his emotions about Kilmer while reflecting on their work in “Top Gun” from 1986 and “Top Gun: Maverick” from 2022.
The performances of Val Kilmer along with his character as a person deeply impressed Tom Cruise who expressed profound gratitude to work with Kilmer both in “Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Following a brief pause for contemplation the actor requested audience members to recall their joyful memories spent with Kilmer while declaring his love for cinema and his remarkable movie contributions throughout his acting career.
The tribute from Cruise highlighted Kilmer’s essential role in both Top Gun movies while the two actors reenacted their fighter pilot rivalry between Maverick and Iceman. The iconic romantic connection between these actors in their recent movies moved viewers everywhere.
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The memorial occurred shortly after Kilmer passed away on Tuesday which caused a strong impact both among Hollywood professionals and Top Gun fandom.
With his final words Cruise expressed gratitude to Val before leaving. I hope the best for you on your upcoming life journey.
The director Tony Scott fought to cast Kilmer for the Top Gun role yet the actor resisted taking the part. According to his 2020 memoir “I’m Your Huckleberry” Kilmer stated he did not want the role during auditions and attempted to ruin his own test for Top Gun because he thought the film did not interest him.
