While Val Kilmer’s family asks to mourn privately, Tom Cruise makes his grief public
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Val Kilmer’s family and friends are looking back at the actor with love and pride after his death.
From Tom Cruise at CinemaCon to Kilmer’s son and daughter, Jack and Mercedes, the sentiment was the same.
Val Kilmer rose to fame in the 1980s as a Juilliard-trained prodigy with leading-man potential on par with ‘Top Gun’ co-star Tom Cruise. At his peak, he made $6 million per movie and earned a reputation for being difficult to work with.
“We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated,” the family said Thursday in a statement obtained by People.
They asked to be allowed to grieve privately.
But Cruise put his grief out there and invited others to join him Thursday during an appearance at CinemaCon, the conference of movie theater owners held annually in Las Vegas.
Before getting exhibitors excited about Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” coming out next month in the United States, the movie star talked about Kilmer, his “dear friend” and occasional co-star.
As ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ rules the summer box office, Val Kilmer opens up about its most talked-about scene.
“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,’” Cruise said, per Variety. “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.”
He asked those present to think about good times with Kilmer during a moment of silence.
Kilmer was 65 when he died Tuesday after what his daughter Mercedes told the New York Times was a bout of pneumonia. He had previously battled throat cancer, which took away most of his voice.
The star of “The Doors” told The Times via email in 2022 that he and Cruise were in touch and exchanged Christmas presents every year.
When “Top Gun” and “Batman Forever” heartthrob Val Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer a few years ago, he denied the reports on social media.
“Tom and I get along really well. We giggled like little kids in school between takes. I consider him a real friend. We shared intimate stories and challenges about our different lifestyles!!” he wrote.
Regarding working together on “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kilmer said, “We talked quite a bit about what was best for the story and I think they got it right at the end.”
The movie’s director seemed to agree.
“You’ve got two masters at the top of their game playing the most iconic characters of their careers. I think there is a lot of Maverick in Tom, and Iceman in Val, so what you are seeing onscreen is an authentic friendship that has lasted over 36 years,” Joseph Kosinski told The Times.
Some of the best acting work in the sequel happens because of returning star Val Kilmer. And not just Kilmer’s acting work.
“After one of the takes (we only did a few), I noticed that both Tom and Val had tears in their eyes. It felt like a genuine moment between two old friends.”
Kilmer seemed genuinely blown away by reaction to the movie and to his brief role in it.
“I can’t believe how kind the whole world has been. I get hundreds of fan letters every week. It’s very humbling,” he said, adding that he was “so great” and “feeling stronger every day.” He dreamed about playing Frankenstein, with Werner Herzog directing, he said.
In the end, “Top Gun: Maverick” was Kilmer’s final film.
Former staff writer Michael Ordoña contributed to this post.
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