Tom Cruise breaks silence on 'dear friend' Val Kilmer's death with emotional tribute to Top Gun co-star

3 April 2025, 21:42 | Updated: 3 April 2025, 22:19

Tom Cruise has spoken out for the first time after the death of his Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer.

Cruise said Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, was "a dear friend".

The two co-starred in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick, over three decades apart.

Kilmer played Iceman, a rival pilot to Cruise's character, Maverick, in the iconic first film. In the second, he had a smaller role, with Iceman having progressed to become an admiral - and the two characters had become friends.

Kilmer's Iceman famously told Cruise's Maverick at the end of the first film: "You can be my wingman any time."

"I'd like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer.

Read more: Top Gun and Batman star Val Kilmer dies aged 65

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"I can't tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured 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."

Cruise said it was "pretty emotional" when Kilmer returned for Top Gun: Maverick, his final role.

"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," he said.

Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, discussing his diagnosis and recovery in his 2020 memoir, I'm Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime Documentary Val.

He underwent both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as a tracheostomy, which damaged his vocal cords.

"I obviously am sounding much worse than I feel," Kilmer said in the documentary.

"I can't speak without plugging this hole (in his throat). You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat

"It's an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me."

In a post on Instagram, actor Josh Gad paid tribute to Kilmer.

He said: "RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon."

Actor Josh Brolin, son of James Brolin, said he was going to miss his "pal".

"You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker," he said in an Instagram post.

"There's not a lot left of those. I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts."

Born on New Year's Eve in 1959 in Los Angeles, Kilmer's father Eugene was a real estate developer, while mum Gladys stayed at home to raise her three sons.

Middle child Val attended Chatsworth High School at the same time as Kevin Spacey and Mare Winningham and, at the age of 17, was reported to be the youngest person to be given a place at New York's prestigious Juilliard drama school.

He got his big break in 1984 comedy Top Secret!, in which he also sang, and he also starred in the comedy Real Genius the following year.

He married British actress Joanne Whalley in 1988, whom he met while working on the Ron Howard-directed film Willow, which also saw him star alongside Warwick Davis.

The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.

Other films he starred in included 1993 Western Tombstone, alongside Kurt Russell and Bill Paxton, and he also won praise from critics for his turns in The Salton Sea and Kiss Kiss, Bang, Bang.

He also starred in Michael Mann's 1995 crime drama Heat with Hollywood heavyweights Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.