Tom Cruise
honored his ‘esteemed colleague’
Val Kilmer, who starred alongside Tom Cruise in Top Gun,
, who
passed away at 65.
The emotional statement was made by Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes, who
told the New York Times that her father passed away due to pneumonia.
At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, which took place at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace, Cruise delivered an emotional speech where he showed great admiration for Kilmer, as mentioned by Variety. He said, “I want to pay tribute to my close friend, Val Kilmer.”
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Val Kilmer’s dramatic tale regarding Angelina Jolie that split public opinion
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The final Instagram post from Val Kilmer was shared just weeks prior to his untimely passing.
He went on, contemplating their common memories: “I cannot express enough my admiration for his work; I felt so thankful and privileged when he became part of Top Gun and then returned for Top Gun: Maverick.”
Cruise additionally encouraged participants to join in a reflective pause: “It would be truly lovely for us to take a moment collectively since he adored cinema and bestowed much upon each one of us. Let’s briefly reminisce about all the fantastic experiences we shared with him. Wishing you success as you embark on your subsequent voyage.”
At the event, Cruise honored Kilmer with a touching moment of silence.
Following Kilmer’s death, his family released an emotional statement via his children, Mercedes and Jack: “We are immensely proud of him and deeply honored by the celebration of his legacy. Currently, we wish to mourn 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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You were an intelligent, demanding, courageous, ultra-creative spark. They’re quite rare these days. I look forward to joining you among the stars someday. For now, let’s hold onto wonderful recollections and sweet reflections.
Actor Josh Gad conveyed his grief stating, “Val Kilmer, thank you for bringing so many of the movies from my youth to life. You were undoubtedly a legend.” The official Top Gun Twitter handle paid tribute as well: “Honoring Val Kilmer, who embodied Iceman in our film franchise. His remarkable impact across different genres and eras will not be forgotten. Farewell Iceman.”
Val, widely recognized for his portrayal of the endearing Iceman in Top Gun, died on April 1 at a Los Angeles hospital. He had been fighting throat cancer for a decade until overcoming it in 2016.
Yesterday, it came to light that Val had been confined to his bed for numerous years before passing away.
Following multiple sessions of chemotherapy and successfully overcoming cancer, Val’s physical health hit rock bottom, as reported by someone familiar with his family to TMZ. This person stated that the actor passed away due to “fatigue associated with his cancer therapy.”
They went on to say that “although he was free of cancer,” his body “was unable to continue the fight and eventually gave out.”
They further mentioned that the star was “extremely fragile” and noted that his health had “abruptly worsened over the last week.” Val was quickly taken to the hospital where he was supported by loved ones until his body could no longer hold on.
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