Tom Cruise had a special bond with Val Kilmer.
Over two years before Kilmer died from pneumonia on Tuesday at the age of 65, Cruise, 62, opened up about the “emotional” reunion they had on the set of the 2022 “Top Gun” sequel.
“I just want to say that was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades,” Cruise said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in Feb. 2023.
“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,” the action star added.
Kilmer reprised his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky from 1986’s “Top Gun” for “Top Gun: Maverick.”
“I was crying, I was crying. I got emotional,” Cruise told Kimmel about filming with Kilmer again. “He’s such a brilliant actor, I love his work.”
At one of the “Top Gun: Maverick” premieres in May 2022, Cruise told Entertainment Tonight that he “rallied hard” for Kilmer to be in the first film.
Praising Kilmer’s role in the sequel, Cruise said, “The kind of talent that he has, and you see that scene, it’s very special. It’s just very special.”
In “Top Gun: Maverick”, Kazansky – who had risen to the rank of admiral – was dying of throat cancer and unable to speak, but wanted to talk with “Maverick” one final time. During the emotional reunion that took place in a home office, Kazansky gave Maverick the advice, “It’s time to let go.”
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer, which required two tracheotomies, in 2015 and later recovered.
Cruise previously People of Kilmer, “I’ve always admired his work, his talent. We get together … we just start laughing. It was special to have him back. It meant a lot to me.”
“Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski told the Los Angeles Times in June 2022 how important Kilmer and Cruise’s scene was in the sequel.
“You’ve got two masters at the top of their game playing the most iconic characters of their careers. I think there is a lot of Maverick in Tom, and Iceman in Val, so what you are seeing onscreen is an authentic friendship that has lasted over 36 years,” said Kosinski, 50.
“After one of the takes (we only did a few) I noticed that both Tom and Val had tears in their eyes,” the director shared. “It felt like a genuine moment between two old friends.”
Krosinski added of the pair, “When we weren’t shooting, they were sharing funny stories with [producer] Jerry [Bruckheimer] about making the original film. think at the time they were a bit competitive with each other, but now it’s something they can just laugh about.”
Kilmer, for his part, told the LA Times, “Tom and I get along really well. We giggled like little kids in school between takes. I consider him a real friend. We shared intimate stories and challenges about our different lifestyles!!”
In a 2022 interview with USA Today, Kilmer said he was “very moved” the first time he saw his “Top Gun 2” scene with Cruise.
“Almost 40 years is a long time for a reunion. We laughed all day. Tom is great and surprisingly funny,” said Kilmer.
In his 2021 documentary “Val,” Kilmer said he originally didn’t want to be in “Top Gun” because had problems with both the story and the theme of the movie, but he was bound to the production. He also revealed that he “purposely played up the rivalry” between his and Cruise’s characters off-screen.
