Tom Cruise paid tribute to Val Kilmer Thursday while presenting at CinemaCon.
Cruise took the stage in Las Vegas, Nevada, to reveal new footage from his upcoming film, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.”
Prior to the debut, Cruise took a moment to honor his “Top Gun” co-star, who died on Tuesday of pneumonia.
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“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer for a moment,” Cruise said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t tell you how much I admired his work.”
Cruise said he was grateful to work with Kilmer once again in the 2022 film, “Top Gun: Maverick,” before asking for a moment of silence.
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“If we just all take a moment to remember the wonderful time we had with him – let’s just take a moment,” he said before closing with, “I wish you well on your next journey.”
Kilmer, who starred in many high-profile films, including “Batman Forever” and “Tombstone,” died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 65.
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The Associated Press reported that Kilmer died of pneumonia.
When Kilmer and Cruise reunited for “Maverick,” nearly 30 years after the original “Top Gun” was released, it was like the actors had never left each other’s sides.
“It was like no time had passed at all,” Kilmer shared with Entertainment Weekly. “We blew a lot of takes laughing so much. It was really fun… special.”
Although he could portray his character, he still had difficulty due to damage from a tracheostomy. Kilmer required the use of a breathing tube.
“I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat,” he told People magazine in 2021.
