'Grateful and honoured': Tom Cruise pays tribute to Val Kilmer

Tom Cruise has paid tribute to his Top Gun co-star Val Kilmer. Kilmer died earlier this week at the age of 65.

At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Cruise led a moment of silence. He wanted to "honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer."

Cruise expressed his admiration for Kilmer's work and character. He felt grateful when Kilmer joined Top Gun as Ice Man in 1986.

Kilmer's last movie role was in the 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. He was also known for playing Batman and Jim Morrison in The Doors. Kilmer passed away Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

In Las Vegas, Cruise bowed his head in the packed theatre. It was filled with movie theatre owners and industry professionals.

"Thank you, Val - wish you well on your next journey," Cruise said afterward.

Cruise spoke during Paramount Pictures' presentation at CinemaCon. He also showed a sneak peek trailer of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, set for release later this year.

The trailer featured Cruise performing stunts on fighter jets and vintage planes. Hollywood has been paying tribute to Kilmer since his passing.

Cruise was one of the few stars to publicly comment on Kilmer's death. He shared how much he enjoyed working with him on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

"I cried having him on set for Top Gun: Maverick," Cruise said emotionally. "He's such a brilliant actor. I love his work."

Kilmer's family told US media that he died from pneumonia complications. He had two tracheotomies while being treated for throat cancer.

These procedures forced him to use a voice box to speak. In the 2022 film, he typed on a screen to communicate with Cruise's character.

Toward the end of their scene together, Iceman tells Cruise: "The Navy needs Maverick." They embrace before Iceman jokes about who is the better pilot.