Val Kilmer’s family has broken its silence on the death of the late “Top Gun” actor.
Kilmer died Tuesday of pneumonia, according to The Associated Press. He was 65.
“Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father’s memory,” his family shared in a statement provided to Fox News Digital Thursday. “We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated.
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“At this time, we would like to grieve privately, but we will reach out to you when and if this changes.”
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Earlier in the day, his “Top Gun” co-star, Tom Cruise, honored Kilmer’s legacy while promoting the upcoming “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.”
“I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer, for a moment,” Cruise said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t tell you how much I admired his work.”
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Cruise said he was grateful to work with Kilmer again in the 2022 film “Top Gun: Maverick” before asking for a moment of silence. Kilmer portrayed Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the original “Top Gun.”
“If we just all take a moment to remember the wonderful time we had with him — let’s just take a moment,” he said. “I wish you well on your next journey.”
Although Kilmer appeared in the 2022 film, he still had difficulty due to damage from a tracheostomy. Kilmer required the use of a breathing tube.
“I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat,” he told People Magazine in 2021. “It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.”
Kilmer was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended Juilliard School in New York City. He made his film debut in the 1984 comedy, “Top Secret!”
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His breakthrough role, though, was playing Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 rock docudrama, “The Doors.”
Kilmer then portrayed Doc Holliday in “Tombstone” and Elvis Presley’s spirit in “True Romance,” before taking on the role of a caped crusader in “Batman Forever.”
Kilmer is survived by his two children, Mercedes and Jack.
