Tom Cruise has spoken out for the first time following the sudden passing of his Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer, who died this week at the age of 65. Cruise, now 62, starred as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell alongside Kilmer’s Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in the 1986 blockbuster.
The two reunited on-screen in the 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, a moment that fans and critics alike celebrated for its emotional depth and nostalgia. While onstage at the Coliseum at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas during CinemaCon 2025, Cruise took a moment to reflect on his late friend. “I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer,” he said, as reported by Variety. “I can’t tell you how much I admire his work—how grateful and honored I was when he joined Top Gun, and later came back for Top Gun: Maverick. He loved movies, and he gave so much to all of us. Let’s just take a moment to remember all the wonderful times we had with him. I wish him well on his next journey.” As he finished his tribute, Cruise bowed his head and clasped his hands, visibly moved by the memory.
Cruise had originally spoken about Kilmer’s involvement in Top Gun: Maverick back in 2022, during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he recalled, “That was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades. For him to come back and play that character—it was incredible. He’s such a powerful actor, and the moment he stepped into the role, you were looking at Iceman again.”
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer had previously revealed that Cruise played a pivotal role in ensuring Kilmer’s return to the franchise. Kilmer, who gained fame during the 1980s with roles in Batman Forever and The Doors, died due to complications from pneumonia following years of ongoing health issues. Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, Kilmer spent much of his later life away from the public spotlight. He is survived by his two children, Mercedes and Jack, whom he had during his marriage to actress Joanne Whalley. His daughter Mercedes confirmed his passing on Tuesday.
Tributes have poured in from many of Kilmer’s colleagues and friends, including actress Michelle Pfeiffer. On Wednesday, Pfeiffer, 66, posted a heartfelt note on social media alongside a black-and-white photo of herself and Kilmer from the 1985 ABC After School Special One Too Many. The special, which addressed the dangers of teen drinking, marked the beginning of a decades-long friendship between the two actors. Her message read simply, “Rest in peace Val.”
In his 2020 memoir I’m Your Huckleberry, Kilmer wrote openly about his deep connection with Pfeiffer. “The secret pain that Michelle and I shared created an intimacy between us,” he revealed. He felt safe enough to confide in her about his troubled relationship with his parents, while she opened up about the difficulties in her marriage to actor Peter Horton, whom she later divorced. Despite the closeness, Kilmer admitted he nursed a longstanding crush on Michelle’s younger sister, Lorie Pfeiffer, now 59. “I had an all-consuming crush on her younger sister Lorie, who did not seem to reciprocate even a little,” he wrote. “In fact, she seemed to not even know I existed.”
Though rumors have persisted over the years about whether Kilmer and Michelle Pfeiffer ever dated, no definitive details have ever emerged. However, Kilmer often reflected fondly on their bond, including in a 2018 Instagram post where he shared the same photo Michelle used in her recent tribute. In that post, he reminisced, “I first met Michelle through her husband Peter and Mare Winningham, who was my first girlfriend in high school. It was amazing to work with all three—such talented people—in one after school special, which, to my memory, was always a morality play designed to educate kids just home from school.”
Since her tribute, Michelle Pfeiffer has not released any additional public statements regarding Kilmer's passing.
