‘Wish you well on your next journey’
Hollywood icon Tom Cruise took a heartfelt moment to honour his former co-star and ‘dear friend’ Val Kilmer at the CinemaCon on Thursday. Cruise made a rare appearance on stage at the event and began his speech by honouring Kilmer first. Kilmer died on April 2 after a prolonged illness. He was 65.
Cruise reflected on Kilmer’s immense talent and the special bond they shared and asked the audience to pause and remember him.
‘Wish you well on your next journey’
“I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer, for a moment. I can’t tell you how much I admired his work,” Cruise said. Cruise then urged the audience to take a moment of silence to reflect on Kilmer’s legacy. “If we just all take a moment to remember the wonderful time we had with him—let’s just take a moment. I wish you well on your next journey,” he added, his voice filled with warmth and respect.
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About Val Kilmer
Kilmer famously played Iceman- the viral to Tom Cruise’s Maverick in the iconic Top Gun. Kilmer was also known for playing Batman in Batman Forever and Jim Morrison in The Doors.
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He died at the age of 65 in Los Angeles on Tuesday. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said that pneumonia was the cause of his death. She also told The New York Times that the actor was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but had recovered.
Despite his struggles and leading a more private life in the later years, he remained an enduring force in Hollywood, known for his unforgettable performances. His emotional reunion with Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick was one of the film’s most cherished moments.
Val Kilmer was confined to his bed in his final years, was ‘very frail at the end’
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