Tom Cruise Talks About Working With Late Val Kilmer in Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise reflected on his time working with the late Val Kilmer in a new interview. The actor shared memories from their collaborations on Top Gun and its sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. Cruise praised Kilmer’s performance and revealed how the actor was ultimately convinced to be a part of the original 1986 film.

Tom Cruise talks about late Val Kilmer

Tom Cruise paid tribute to the late Val Kilmer in a Sight and Sound magazine interview, reflecting on their work in Top Gun (1986) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).

“I felt so grateful that he decided to make the film,” Cruise said of Kilmer’s decision to take on the role of Ice in Top Gun. “Originally, he just didn’t want to make the movie, ‘I don’t want to be a supporting [actor], I want to star in films.’ I was calling his agent, and Tony Scott was hunting him down and meeting in an elevator with Val, and he was like, ‘Please, Val, please.’” He eventually decided to be a part of the movie.

Cruise described Kilmer as a “great actor” and “charismatic guy.” Speaking about the True Romance star’s performance in Top Gun, he said, “What I love about what he did and how he played it, he just knew that tone to hit. He had to play it so you wanted these guys to be friends in the end… where he did the bite thing.” He added, “You know…when you’re acting with somebody and you just see they’re just on fire. It’s exhilarating.”

Further, on Kilmer’s return in Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise told Sight and Sound, “It was amazing being on set… because it was like time had not passed. We were laughing and it was joyous. And then we started acting… he became Iceman.”

He then went on to say, “The power that this guy has, even not saying anything, to become that character… He didn’t even have to speak. That’s what he’s able to do. Beautiful, really beautiful. A gift that he had and that he shared with all of us.”

Earlier, Cruise honored Kilmer at CinemaCon on April 3, saying, “I can’t tell you how much I admired his work… and how grateful and honored I was when he joined [the] first Top Gun and came back for Top Gun: Maverick.”

Notably, Kilmer, who battled throat cancer for years, passed away earlier this year due to pneumonia.

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