Tom Cruise cried in Val Kilmer’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ scene

“Top Gun: Maverick” wowed audiences with its death-defying flight sequences and Tom Cruise’s famous commitment to his own stunts. But the spectacle was underscored by a powerful human story that earned its writers a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination.

One of the most emotional moments of the film was Val Kilmer’s performance as Iceman. It was Kilmer’s most high-profile acting gig in years, as complications from throat cancer left him with the loss of his voice and largely preventing him from acting. The moving scene represented a fusion of past and present, and Tom Cruise still thinks about how special it was.

Appearing on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Friday night, Cruise recalled the emotional experience of working with his old friend nearly four decades after the original “Top Gun” hit theaters.

“I just want to say it was pretty emotional,” Cruise said. “I’ve known Val for decades.” To come back and play that character… he’s such a strong actor that he instantly became that character again. You’re looking at Iceman.

Seeing Kilmer portraying the character after years of health issues was an emotional moment for movie fans around the world, and even Cruise was not immune to the rift.

“I cried, I got emotional,” she said. “He’s such a brilliant actor and I love his work.”

The talk show was just the latest stop on a well-deserved victory lap Cruise took to celebrate the success of “Top Gun: Maverick.” He recently appeared at an Oscar nominees luncheon, where Steven Spielberg thanked him for “saving Hollywood’s ass” by refusing to stream “Maverick” during the pandemic. He took to the skies to thank his fans for supporting the film in a recent video from the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’.

“We’re over in stunning South Africa filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 and Part 2. And I didn’t want the year to end without thanking everyone for coming to the theaters and thank you for supporting ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’” Cruise said before jumping out of the plane. “Thank you for supporting ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and thank you for allowing us to entertain you. It is truly the honor of a lifetime.”

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part I” opens in theaters on Friday, July 14. Watch Cruise’s performance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” below.

(embed)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA3KDbU5dqk(/embed)

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