Tom Cruise shines a spotlight on Val Kilmer's legacy
Tom Cruise has opened up about the 'special and beautiful' reunion with Val Kilmer in Top Gun: Maverick . It was a moment that is now tinged with sadness for fans across the globe.
Val Kilmer passed away in April after complications from pneumonia.
The actor made a brief but unforgettable appearance in the 2022 sequel. His return struck a chord with audiences everywhere.
Tom Cruise, now 62, recalled the magic of reuniting with his old friend. 'To come back all those years later, it was amazing being on set for Top Gun: Maverick .
It was like time had not passed. We were laughing and it was joyous,' Cruise told Sight and Sound magazine.
'And then we started acting and… he became Iceman. The power that this guy has, even not saying anything, to become that character.
You see how even the sniff that he gave. He was Iceman.'
The two first soared together in the 1986 original, with Cruise as Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and Kilmer as Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky, according to Daily Mail.
Their rivalry and eventual friendship became legendary, even here in Mzansi, where Top Gun remains a cult classic.
Despite appearing for only about ten minutes in the original film, Kilmer's performance left a lasting impression.
'That's the impact of an artist like that,' Cruise said. 'He didn't even have to speak. That's what he's able to do. Beautiful, really beautiful. A gift that he had and that he shared with all of us.'
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer once revealed that Cruise was the driving force behind Kilmer's return for the sequel.
It almost didn't happen-Kilmer initially turned down the role in 1986, wanting to be a lead, not a supporting actor.
But Cruise and director Tony Scott persisted.
Kilmer's journey was far from easy. Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, he underwent surgeries that left him with a tracheostomy and permanently altered his voice.
Yet, with the help of AI technology from a London-based company, his voice was recreated for Top Gun: Maverick. 'I'm grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice,' Kilmer said.
Reflecting on his life, Kilmer once admitted, 'I wish that I loved more. I want to be a better person. I try to figure that out every day, how to be more grateful.'
Here in South Africa, where Top Gun has inspired generations, Kilmer's passing feels personal.
Top Gun: Maverick grossed over R6.5 billion worldwide-a testament to its global and local impact. But for many, it's the memory of Iceman and Maverick together again that will truly endure.
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