Tom Cruise was moved to tears during the filming of Top Gun: Maverick as he reunited with Val Kilmer, who died Tuesday at the age of 65 from pneumonia.
Kilmer, despite his many starring roles, was arguably best known for playing fighter pilot Iceman in the 1986 classic Top Gun, a role which he reprised for the 2022 sequel.
Following the release of Maverick, Cruise sat down with Jimmy Kimmel in February 2023 to discuss what it was like to jump back into a role decades later. The two watched a clip from the movie in which Cruise’s character, Maverick, reunited with Iceman.
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“I just want to say, that was pretty emotional,” said Cruise. “I’ve known Val for decades, and for him to come back and play that character—he’s such a powerful actor that he instantly became that character again.”
“Did you cry when you guys shot that, or was it just me?” Kimmel quipped in response.
“I was crying,” said Cruise while laughing. “I was crying. I got emotional. He’s such a brilliant actor, and I love his work.”
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent a tracheostomy which permanently altered his speaking voice.
The actor later beat cancer and made a return to the big screen in Top Gun: Maverick, and detailed his road to recovery in the 2021 documentary, Val.
His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, broke the news of his death to the New York Times on April 1 and confirmed he had died of pneumonia.
Shortly after his death was confirmed, the official Top Gun X account posted a tribute to the Hollywood legend, writing: “Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman.”
