Tom Cruise Honors Val Kilmer With Heartfelt Tribute at CinemaCon
A Touching Farewell to a Hollywood Icon, as Cruise Leads a Moment of Silence for His Beloved Co-Star
Thank you, Val”: Cruise Leads Moment of Silence for His Late Top Gun Co-Star During Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Presentation in Las Vegas
Tom Cruise paid an emotional tribute to his late Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer during CinemaCon 2025, pausing a major Hollywood presentation to reflect on a decades-long friendship and an unforgettable cinematic legacy.
Appearing onstage at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Thursday to promote Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Cruise opened the event with a solemn acknowledgment of Kilmer’s passing. The acclaimed actor died Tuesday at age 65 following a long battle with health complications stemming from throat cancer.
“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer,” Cruise told the audience. “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 then invited the audience to join him in a moment of silence to reflect on Kilmer’s life, work, and impact on the film industry. “Thank you, Val,” he said softly. “I wish you well on your next journey.”
A Legacy of Iconic Roles
Val Kilmer’s passing marks the end of an era for Hollywood. Known for portraying unforgettable characters across a wide range of genres, Kilmer left his mark with roles in The Doors, Batman Forever, Tombstone, Heat, and of course, his turn as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun (1986).
Kilmer’s final onscreen appearance was in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), where he reunited with Cruise in a deeply moving scene that echoed the emotional and personal resonance of their shared screen history.
“Coming back to work with Tom more than 30 years later, it was like no time had passed at all,” Kilmer recalled during the press tour for Maverick. “Being next to him instantly makes you better… It was really fun — really special.”
A Battle Fought with Grace
Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, and in 2017, publicly confirmed his health struggles. A devout Christian Scientist, he turned to prayer as a core component of his treatment but also underwent chemotherapy and radiation, encouraged by his family.
The illness led to the use of a tracheostomy tube, which significantly impacted his ability to speak. Kilmer candidly shared this journey in the 2021 documentary Val, a moving portrayal of resilience and creativity, with his son Jack Kilmer narrating the story in his father’s voice.
A Fitting Goodbye
The tribute at CinemaCon was not only a testament to their bond but a reminder of Kilmer’s indelible influence on Hollywood and audiences alike. His chemistry with Cruise in Top Gun helped cement the film as a cultural touchstone, and their poignant reunion in Maverick served as both a tribute to their legacy and a passing of the torch.
Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed his passing to The New York Times, sharing that while he had recovered from cancer, he ultimately succumbed to pneumonia.
As the audience at CinemaCon stood in silence, Tom Cruise’s final words hung in the air: “Thank you, Val. I wish you well on your next journey.” A fitting farewell to a legend who soared alongside Maverick—and into the hearts of millions.
