‘He gave a lot to all of us’: Tom Cruise pays tribute to co-star Val Kilmer in emotional speech

It was a tribute that took everyone by surprise.

He was there to promote his latest Mission Impossible installment, but instead, Hollywood legend Tom Cruise gave a stirring tribute to his two-time co-star Val Kilmer.

The 62-year-old megastar took to the stage at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for CinemaCon 2025 where he gave an emotional speech about his “dear friend” and two-time supporting star.

“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer,” he said.

“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 then bowed his head and held his hands as he asked the CinemaCon attendees to join him in honouring Kilmer, as reported by Variety.

“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,” Cruise said.

The Jerry Maguire star then wrapped up his tribute with a heartfelt send-off.

“I wish you well on the next journey,” he said.

Cruise and Kilmer met on the set of 80s hit Top Gun, in which they played rival fighter pilots, Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell and Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, who eventually became friends at the U.S. Navy’s Fighter Weapons School.

The 1986 action film was a huge commercial success and made Cruise and Kilmer full-blown movie stars.

Cruise, along with many others from the entertainment community and fans, joined in mourning Kilmer’s passing and celebrating his lasting impact on cinema following his death on Tuesday, April 1, at the age of 65 from pneumonia.

In the wake of this outpouring of support, Kilmer’s family shared their heartfelt gratitude in a statement obtained by People.

“Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father’s memory,” they said.

“We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated. At this time, we would like to grieve privately.”