Tom Cruise Holds Moment of Silence in Honor of Beloved Friend Val Kilmer | Entertainment & Arts News
Tom Cruise honored Val Kilmer, expressing his wishes for his Top Gun co-star to be “well on the next journey”.
Cruise spoke at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, requesting a moment of silence to remember the “wonderful” experiences shared with the actor, whom he referred to as a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who passed away from pneumonia on Tuesday at the age of 65, rose to fame alongside Cruise in the iconic 1986 film Top Gun, portraying Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a competing fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise stated, ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His final appearance was a cameo in the 2022 blockbuster sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.
On stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, Cruise remarked: “I’d like to honor a dear friend, Val Kilmer. I cannot express how much I admire his work and how grateful I am that he joined us for Top Gun and then returned for Top Gun: Maverick.”
“It would be lovely if we could take a moment together, as he cherished movies and contributed so much to our lives. Let’s reflect on all the amazing memories we created with him.”
“I wish you well on your next journey.”
This moment of silence was preceded by an outpouring of tributes from Hollywood personalities such as Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas, and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes, informed the New York Times on Wednesday that her father succumbed to pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Kilmer, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, shared his journey through illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir, Your Huckleberry, and the Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and had a tracheostomy, which affected his vocal cords, leaving him with a permanently raspy voice.
Kilmer portrayed Batman in the 1995 movie Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his role as rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 film The Doors.
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He also featured in True Romance, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and played the criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 film Heat, as well as Doc Holliday in the 1993 picture Tombstone.
In 1988, he wed British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met on the set of the fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before their divorce in 1996.
