Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer Had an Emotional Moment While Filming Their Final Film Together

Actor Val Kilmer died of pneumonia on Tuesday, April 1. Before Val died at age 65, the actor was best known for his roles in Tombstone and Batman Forever.

Val's career and legacy will be remembered by many, including a lifetime of fans who followed his career through his memorable roles. But those who recall one of his other roles in , where he starred alongside Tom Cruise.

Tom and Val starred in Top Gun in 1986, playing Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, respectively. The actors maintained a close bond that lasted the rest of their lives.

As fans continue to mourn Val's loss, many are thinking of Tom and how he's grieving his friend. Here's everything to know so far.

Tom didn't immediately react to Val's death publicly. However, many people mourn differently and don't always take their grief to social media. Still, due to Tom and Val's closeness on the set of Top Gun and later the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, which was released 36 years after the movie dropped. Tom revealed in 2023 that working on the Top Gun sequel with Val was an "emotional" experience.

“I just want to say that was pretty emotional. I’ve known Val for decades,” he said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “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. I was crying, I was crying. I got emotional. He’s such a brilliant actor, I love his work.”

Tom sang his friend's praises after Val endured a serious health matter before agreeing to the sequel. Like his iconic Top Gun character, Val was diagnosed with throat cancer and received two tracheotomies in 2015 and was unable to talk without the help of an AI-generated voice box, which was written into his Top Gun return. The film's director, Joseph Kosinski, told The Los Angeles Times how important it was to have Tom and Val in a scene.

"You’ve got two masters at the top of their game playing the most iconic characters of their careers," Kosinski said in 2022. "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.”

Although Tom hasn't said anything regarding his Top Gun co-star's death, Val received condolences from many of his former co-stars and celebrity friends. According to TMZ, the news of his death caused many celebrities, including Jennifer Tilly, Francis Ford Coppola, and Josh Brolin, took to social media to reflect on his work and contributions to the industry.

See ya, pal. I'm going to miss you," Josh wrote under a photo of him and Val on Instagram. "You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There's not a lot left of those. I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts."

Val also received praise from Josh Gad, who said he was responsible for "defining so many of the movies of my childhood." His legacy in Top Gun and other films will never be forgotten, and we know Tom will share his memories with his former co-star when he's ready.