Tom Cruise pays emotional tribute to Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer after his death

Tom Cruise honored his 'dear friend' and Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer , who passed away at 65. The heartbreaking announcement came from Kilmer's daughter Mercedes, who informed the New York Times that her father succumbed to pneumonia. During a heartfelt speech at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, held at the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace, Cruise expressed his deep respect for Kilmer, as reported by Variety: "I'd like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer.

" Val Kilmer's outrageous story about Angelina Jolie that left fans divided Val Kilmer's last Instagram post shared weeks before his tragic death He continued, reflecting on their shared experiences: "I can't tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honored I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick." Cruise also invited attendees to share a moment of reflection: "I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.



I wish you well on the next journey." A poignant moment of silence for Kilmer was observed by Cruise at the event. In the wake of Kilmer's passing, his family issued a heartfelt statement through his children, Mercedes and Jack: "We are so proud of him and honoured to see his legacy celebrated.

At this time, we would like to grieve privately." Fellow actor Josh Brolin also shared his condolences online, posting yesterday: "See ya, pal. I'm going to miss you.

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Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts. "RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood.

You truly were an icon," actor Josh Gad expressed his sorrow. The official Top Gun movie account also commemorated Val - who portrayed Iceman in the film series: "Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman.

" Val, best known for his role as the beloved Iceman in Top Gun, passed away on April 1, in a Los Angeles hospital. The star had been battling throat cancer for ten years before he finally beat the disease in 2016. It was revealed yesterday that Val had been bedridden for several years prior to his death.

After enduring rounds of chemotherapy and ultimately defeating cancer, Val's body had reached its limit, a source close to his family informed TMZ. They told the publication that the actor succumbed to a "lack of energy related to his cancer treatment". They further explained that "while he was cancer free", the actor's body "couldn't keep fighting and shut down".

They went on to say that the star was "very frail" and that his health "suddenly declined in the past week". Val was rushed to the hospital and was surrounded by friends and family before his body gave out..