“I consider him a real friend”: Val Kilmer Has Only Praises for Tom Cruise Despite Their Heated Relationship in the Original Top Gun

Top Gun | Credit: Paramount

Following Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer’s fictional rivalry onscreen inTop Gun, it was rumored that their feud might not be just limited to the silver screen but might’ve translated into the real world. But after years of speculation, Kilmer himself finally cleared the year surrounding the alleged off-screen feud between the actors, finally putting the speculations to rest.

Moreover, the actor stressed that he has nothing but nice to say about his costar, and even shared a tribute to the actor after reprising the part of Iceman in the 2022 sequel.

Val Kilmer Deemed Tom Cruise a Real Friend

Despite starting out as rivals, by the end of Top Gun, Pete Maverick and Iceman develop a newfound respect for each other, with the latter even becoming Maverick’s wingman. And it seems their dynamic hasn’t changed since, as Val Kilmer took to his IG to share, “36 years later… I’m still your wingman”. This came after the duo’s reunion on the set of Top Gun: Maverick, which saw Kilmer, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, return as Iceman.

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Reflecting on his experience with his Top Gun frenemy, Kilmar recalled him and Tom Cruise getting along very well, stating that he considers him a real friend.

He recalled (via LA Times):

Tom and I get along really well. We giggled like little kids in school between takes. I consider him a real friend. We shared intimate stories and challenges about our different lifestyles!

Moreover, director Joseph Kosinski recalled that when it came to filming Iceman’s farewell in the sequel, both Cruise and Kilmer had tears in their eyes.

Method Acting Led Tom Cruise to Distance Himself From Val Kilmer in Top Gun

Although the duo’s friendship has stood the test of time, and the Batman Forever star has nothing but laudation for his lifelong friend, Tom Cruise did keep his distance from Kilmer in Top Gun. However, it wasn’t personal but had to do with Kilmer’s fixation on incorporating method acting into his craft. Being fresh from acting school at Juilliard, the actor brought his method acting chops to the Tony Scott-led film, which led him to be hostile towards Cruise and his costars even off-screen.

He recalled:

I would purposely play up the rivalry between Tom’s character and mine off-screen as well.

It’s reasonable to see why it might’ve been uncomfortable for Kilmer’s costars, but it didn’t stain their bond for a prolonged period, and both Cruise and Kilmer still maintain friendly relations.

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Top Gun is available to stream on Paramount Plus.