Tom Cruise recalls his emotional reunion with Val Kilmer on sets of 'Top Gun: Maverick'

LOS ANGELES: Maverick and Iceman had an emotional reunion on the sets of "Top Gun: Maverick", Hollywood star Tom Cruise has revealed. The Paramount Pictures film, which is the sequel to 1986 classic hit "Top Gun", marked Cruise's return as US Naval aviator Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell. The film also had Val Kilmer reprising the role of Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.

The actor said he was in tears when he saw Kilmer perform.

"I just want to say that was pretty emotional, I've known Val for decades," Cruise said during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".


"For him to come back and play that character... He's such a powerful actor, that he instantly became that character again... you're looking at Iceman... I was crying, I got emotional. He's such a brilliant actor, and I love his work," he added.

Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and has been limited in work ever since.

Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced both films, previously said that Cruise was firm about the sequel including Kilmer, who is now cancer-free.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, "Top Gun: Maverick" also featured Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis with Ed Harris

The action spectacle is set over 30 years after the events of Tony Scott-directed "Top Gun" and sees Maverick training a group of Top Gun graduates for a specialised mission.