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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 ofTop 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, asVal Kilmertook to hisIGto share,“36 years later… I’m still your wingman”. This came after the duo’sreunionon the set ofTop 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 hisTop Gunfrenemy, Kilmar recalled him and Tom Cruise getting along very well, stating that he considers him a real friend.
He recalled (viaLA 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 inTop Gun
Although the duo’s friendship has stood the test of time, and theBatman Foreverstar has nothing but laudation for his lifelong friend,Tom Cruisedid keep his distance from Kilmer inTop 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 theTony Scott-led film, which led him to be hostile towards Cruise and his costars even off-screen.
Herecalled:
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 Gunis available to stream on Paramount Plus.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2540
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
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