Off The Record
Tom Cruise Speaks Out Following The Passing Of ‘Top Gun’ Star Val Kilmer
The 62-year-old actor transformed a commercial moment into something intensely personal at a film conference by pausing the exhilaration to consider a personal tragedy.
On April 3, 2025, at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Tom Cruise paid a heartfelt homage to his “Top Gun” co-star Val Kilmer, two days after Kilmer died of pneumonia at the age of 65.
Cruise urged the crowd to pause and remember Kilmer while promoting “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” at Caesars Palace. He described Kilmer as a man who loved movies and offered a great deal to the film business and people around him.
“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer,” Cruise stated. “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.'” The homage concluded with his words, “I wish you well on the next journey.”
In response, the crowded auditorium fell silent for a minute, silently paying tribute to Kilmer.
Cruise and Kilmer played competing fighter pilots Maverick and Iceman in the 1986 action film, which was their debut appearance together. The movie became the highest-grossing release of the year with $350 million worldwide.
They appeared on screen together again in the 2022 sequel, which was Kilmer’s last on-screen appearance, almost forty years later.
In a 2013 interview with Larry King, Kilmer reflected on working with Cruise during the original production. He said, “That was a lot of fun. It was a great camaraderie in the film and of course, you know, two of the three. I would say Tom is the… you know, ended up being the glue to the project. You know, he wasn’t that superstar yet…[sic]”
When King asked if he liked working with Cruise, Kilmer replied, “Yeah. It was fun. You know, hard worker. My guy didn’t like him, but you know, it was fun to not like him.”
In 1986, Kilmer also spoke about the strength of the creative team behind the film, “I think the actors and the direction and the producing. It was a really good group, and they worked together very well and you can tell when something works or it doesn’t, when you’re doing it.”
Decades later, Cruise shared how strongly he advocated for Kilmer to be in the original film, “You know, in the first one, I really rallied hard for him to make the movie because I wanted him in the film. He’s such a tremendous actor. I was like, you just gotta go and tackle this guy, ’cause I was like, ‘Val, you gotta make this movie, you’re gonna be amazing.'”
In the sequel, Iceman supported Maverick at a pivotal moment. He explained that he fought to keep Maverick in the Navy because he believed Maverick was still needed. Reflecting on the scene, Cruise said, “And a kind of talent that he has, and you see that scene, it’s very special. It’s just very special.”
Cruise’s moving remembrance of Kilmer comes after singer Cher and actress Michelle Pfeiffer both sent touching messages.
On April 2, Pfeiffer paid tribute to him in a post on her official Instagram Stories. The black-and-white image Pfeiffer posted was from their 1985 collaboration on the ABC Afterschool Specials show “One Too Many.”
The former “Ladyhawke” star may be seen in the picture resting next to Kilmer on her side. She is putting her arm lightly over his shoulder and grinning at him.
The episode debuted on May 1, 1985, and featured the two as co-stars. The drama centered on the lives of four friends from high school, whose paths are changed after one of them gets into a terrible car accident while intoxicated.
In his 2020 memoir, “I’m Your Huckleberry,” Kilmer talked about the relationship he developed with Pfeiffer while they were coworkers.
He wrote, “that Michelle and I shared created an intimacy between us. She had no one else to talk to about Peter; I had no one else to talk to about my parents. Plus, I had an all-consuming crush on Michelle’s younger sis [sic]…”
In a November 16, 2018, Facebook post, Kilmer also recalled the period with fondness. He wrote that he had met Pfeiffer thanks to her ex-husband, Peter Horton, and actress Mare Winningham, whom Kilmer referred to as his first girlfriend in high school.
He described “One Too Many” as a “morality play” intended to educate young audiences, highlighting the exceptional experience of collaborating with all three on the same production.
According to him, “Michelle was so incredibly beautiful and talented and fun, she must have been surprised that I had a crush on her little sister Lori instead!”
He added that the cast shared enjoyable moments during the shoot, including time spent in the Pecos wilderness in New Mexico. Reflecting on their careers since then, the “Willow” star wrote, “Mare has I think 15 Emmys and Michelle has at least one Oscar and I have very fond memories of way too much fun…”
Together with Kilmer’s memories, Michelle Pfeiffer’s message emphasizes their brief but significant relationship.
The same day Pfeiffer posted her homage, Cher made her public acknowledgment of her ex-partner’s passing in a heartfelt post on X. The singer, who dated Kilmer in the 1980s, paid tribute to the actor’s legacy by showcasing his humor, creativity, and fortitude during his illness.
In her social media post, the singer wrote, “VALUS Will miss u, U Were Funny, crazy, pain in the ass, GREAT FRIEND, kids💜U, BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness [sic].” She affectionately referred to him as “Valus,” a nickname from their time together.
The two developed a deep and lasting friendship after their romantic relationship ended, one that persisted for more than 40 years. In a past interview, she expressed deep fondness for many of her former partners, like Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman. But about Kilmer, she admitted, “When we kissed, I thought my head would shoot right off my body.”
They first crossed paths at a birthday celebration thrown by one of Cher’s pals in the early 1980s. Despite their different ages—she was in her 30s and Kilmer was in his early 20s—the two hit it off right away because they had similar senses of humor and inventiveness.
She once said they were just friends at first who laughed constantly, but that soon turned into a romance. In a 2021 People interview, the singer reflected on their unique connection, “He’s like nobody I’ve ever known. He is exasperating and hysterical. Thrilling and funny, and doesn’t do what anyone else does.”
he also explained how the relationship evolved, “It went from madly in love and laughing hysterically to respecting each other’s ability.” The two often gave each other playful nicknames, including Sid and Ethel, and later, Valus Maximus and Cherus Reprimandus.
On “The Howard Stern Show,” in 2024, Cher was asked what kind of man would ever abandon her. “A couple of men, including Kilmer,” she said bluntly. She reiterated that she was “madly in love” with him, as she had in previous interviews, but their relationship ended.
When the talk show host pressed further, she explained, “Sometimes you’re only meant to stay with someone so long,” adding that Kilmer was very young during their time together.
Nevertheless, the actor and singer remained close friends. She talked on how Kilmer helped her with her acting, including helping her with her screen test for the movie “Mask.” She also recounted a New Year’s Eve spent working on art projects with their kids.
She also stayed by his side during his illness, visiting him at her house and seeing personally the bravery he displayed in the face of severe health problems. Since his recovery from a throat cancer diagnosis in 2014, the actor has continued to share his narrative and create art, such as in the documentary “Val.”
Cher finished her 2021 interview by sending him a message: “I love the things that pissed me off, the things that made me hysterical, amazed, hurt, astonished, etc. You are brave and beyond brilliant. Ethel.”
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