Tribute : Tom Cruise breaks silence on ‘dear friend’ and Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer’s shock death aged 65….Read More

Val died from complications related to pneumonia following a long battle with health issues

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.

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 on Tuesday 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.

After undergoing aggressive treatment, which included a tracheotomy, chemotherapy and radiation, Val was left with a permanent change to his voice, but his spirit remained unbroken.

And in 2022, he treated fans to the most heart-tugging reunion when he made a near-miraculous comeback in Top Gun: Maverick alongside his old sparring partner, Tom.

Grown men were left in tears watching the American star return to the role that first made him famous in 1986.

The original transformed the then-unknown Val into Hollywood’s hottest hunk, whose high-profile flings included Cher, Cindy Crawford, Daryl Hannah, Ellen Barkin, and Angelina Jolie.

But a reputation for being difficult to work with, financial woes and a brush with death appeared to wreck all hopes of ever seeing Val in a blockbuster again.

Thanks, though, due to radical new artificial voice technology the actor was able to talk again.

Despite that, convincing the sequel’s producers that he was fit to return to active duty was a tough task for the never-say-die movie veteran.

Val insisted, rightly, that there was no Top Gun without Iceman.

He stated: “Tom was Maverick, but Maverick’s nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper.

“It didn’t matter that the producers didn’t contact me. As the Temptations sang in the heyday of Motown soul, ‘ain’t too proud to beg.'”

That certainly wasn’t Val’s attitude when he read the script for the original.

He thought it was “silly” and had to accept the role because he was under contract with the studio.

At that point Val had only appeared in two comedies, Top Secret! And Real Genius.

The precocious, then 26-year-old, newcomer didn’t play it safe, choosing to ad-lib lines and deliberately create off-screen tension with Tom.

He reportedly formed a team Iceman camp to rival anyone on the Maverick side and went off partying while Tom diligently learned his script.

Val said: “Tom refrained from our revelry, with good reason. From day one, he was laser-focused on a singular goal – to become the greatest action hero in the history of film.”

Reluctantly taking the role proved to be a fortuitous break because Top Gun was the biggest box office hit of 1986 and Val’s line “you can be my wingman any time” is part of pop culture.