Two years before Val Kilmer’s death, Tom Cruise revealed just how emotional his reunion with his old co-star was on the set of Top Gun: Maverick.
The American actor, also famed for his performances in Willow, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Tombstone and as Jim Morrison in The Doors, died at the age of 65 on April 1. The cause of death was pneumonia, his daughter confirmed.
Kilmer, who appeared alongside Cruise in the 1986 original Top Gun, was diagnosed with cancer in 2015. After successfully undergoing chemotherapy and two tracheotomies, Kilmer spoke with the use of a voice box.
W hen he reunited with Cruise in Maverick, his character, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, was seen speaking through a computer due to an unspecified illness.
“I just want to say that was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades,” Cruise said while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2023.
Cruise previously revealed that he “rallied hard” to get Kilmer into the first action movie.
Top Gun: Maverick was the top-grossing film of 2022; it was the 11th highest-grossing movie in history worldwide and was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
At the Academy Awards nominees luncheon that year, Steven Spielberg credited Cruise with saving “Hollywood’s ass.”