Tom Cruise paid tribute to his friend Val Kilmer, with whom he starred in iconic scenes in the two movies “Top Gun,” and he did so with a rare appearance at CinemaCon being held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
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The 62-year-old actor was present to present exclusive material from the upcoming movie “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning”, but the first thing he did when he appeared on stage was to remember Kilmer.
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The actor’s appearance was greeted with a great ovation by the audience gathered at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
What did Tom Cruise say about Val Kilmer?
“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer for a moment,” he expressed to an audience that responded with applause and then continued saying, “I can’t tell you how much I admired his work,” and added that he deeply valued Kilmer as a human being, recalling with gratitude his emotional cameo in “Top Gun: Maverick,” where the character “Iceman” also couldn’t speak due to a throat illness.
Before continuing with the presentation of his new movie in the “Mission: Impossible” saga, Cruise asked the audience for a moment of silence. “If we just all take a moment to remember the wonderful time we had with him — let’s just take a moment,” said the actor who portrayed “Maverick” in “Top Gun.” And he closed his tribute with an emotionally charged phrase: “I wish you well on your next journey.”
The day continued with the presentation of one of CinemaCon’s most outstanding awards to director Christopher McQuarrie, creative partner and close friend of Cruise. The Hollywood star was in charge of presenting him with the recognition on behalf of Paramount and Skydance, highlighting his career and commitment to the industry during challenging times.
Val Kilmer achieved great fame thanks to “Top Gun”
Kilmer died on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends, as reported by his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, in a statement.
The actor passed away due to pneumonia. He had recovered after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, which required two tracheotomies.
The actor, who followed the Suzuki method of arts training, fully committed to his roles.
One of his most iconic roles, that of the star pilot Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, antagonist of “Maverick” played by Tom Cruise, almost didn’t happen.
Kilmer was courted by director Tony Scott for “Top Gun” but initially showed reluctance. “I didn’t want the role. I didn’t care about the movie. The story didn’t interest me,” he wrote in his memoirs. He accepted after being promised that his role would improve from the original script. The movie was a success and thanks to Cruise’s insistence, Val Kilmer also participated in the 2022 sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” with an emotional scene. That was his last film.
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