Tom Cruise paid tribute to his late friend and co-star Val Kilmer during his recent appearance at CinemaCon.
The Top Gun actor passed away at the age of 65 earlier this week following his battle with pneumonia. Since then, several Hollywood stars and fans have paid tribute to the late star and honored his legacy.
Tom Cruise Honors Val Kilmer with Emotional Tribute at CinemaCon
Cruise appeared in Paramount Pictures' CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas to discuss his upcoming film Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
He opened his presentation by taking a moment to pay tribute to Kilmer and shared his thoughts about his passing.
"I'd like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I really can't tell you how much I admired his work, how much I thought of him as a human, and how grateful and honored I was when he joined [the] first Top Gun and came back for Top Gun: Maverick. He gave a lot to all of us with his performances," Cruise said.
Then, he asked the audience to take a moment of silence for the late actor. He concluded his tribute with, "Thank you, Val. I wish you well on your next journey."
It was the first time that Cruise publicly addressed his late friend and co-star's passing, and the audience at the event knew how emotional it was for the actor during the moment.
Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer's Emotional Top Gun: Maverick Reunion
As most fans know, Cruise and Kilmer starred together for the last time in Top Gun: Maverick, reprising their iconic roles of Maverick and Iceman.
Their reunion scene was considered to be one of the highlights of the sequel as it was an emotional moment that served as closure for the characters. It was also Kilmer's last on-screen appearance.
In an interview, Cruise admitted that he cried during the filming of their reunion scene.
"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," he said.
"I was crying, I got emotional. He’s such a brilliant actor, and I love his work."
We can safely say that Cruise was not alone, as audiences worldwide also cried during their reunion scene, and it's a great sendoff for Kilmer, who still managed to give a terrific performance despite the health issues that he was facing.
What do you think of Cruise's tribute? Let us know in the comments!
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