Val Kilmer Death: Tom Cruise Moved to Tears Recounting Heartfelt Reunion with Top Gun Co-Star Before His Death

Tom Cruise was overcome with emotion when he had his last reunion with Val Kilmer for an auspicious scene in Top Gun: Maverick. Kilmer starred as LT Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in the Cruise-led 1986 film Top Gun.

During the filming of the sequel, a scene reduced the Mission Impossible actor to tears. The reunion, however, was an emotional tribute to Kilmer's legendary portrayal as Iceman.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Cruise said, "I just want to say that was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades."

In Top Gun: Maverick, the reunion scene between Kilmer's Iceman and Cruise's Maverick finds the erstwhile rivals putting aside their differences, with Iceman providing Maverick with valuable counsel on managing Rooster, Maverick's late wingman Goose's son.

The health of the actor had been greatly damaged by a years-long struggle against throat cancer, which left him unable to talk, as per Variety. In the particular scene that seemed to reflect actual life, Kilmer's Iceman had terminal cancer and could not speak, mimicking the problem Kilmer also encountered off-stage.

Cruise continued, "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."

He termed Kilmer's return magnificent, commenting on how effortlessly Kilmer had again come into the character despite stepping away from the craft of acting for decades due to illness. Cruise confessed to getting emotional while filming the scene, underlining the importance of the moment.

"I was crying, I was crying. I got emotional. He's such a brilliant actor, I love his work," Cruise revealed.

According to Esquire, Kilmer fondly looked back on their Top Gun characters in his memoir. He wrote, "Tom was Maverick, but Maverick's nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper."

Val Kilmer passed away at the age of 65 due to pneumonia after a decade-long battle with cancer, leaving a legendary acting career behind. His daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed the news of his death via The New York Times.

ALSO READ: Mission: Impossible 8 Director Teases Heart-Stopping Action Sequences Featuring Tom Cruise: 'The Most Difficult Thing'