Tom Cruise opens CinemaCon speech with moment of silence for Val Kilmer

Tom Cruise opened his highly anticipated CinemaCon appearance on Thursday with a moving tribute to his Top Gun co-star, Val Kilmer, who died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. “He loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us with his performances and his films,” Cruise said to a room full of movie theatre owners. “I really can’t tell you how much I admired his work, how much I thought of him as a human being, and how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and then came back for Top Gun: Maverick.” Cruise called for a moment of silence, which stood in stark contrast to the otherwise action-packed presentation of Paramount Pictures’ upcoming movies.

“Thank you, Val. I wish you well on your next journey,” he said to the silent room.