Val Kilmer starred in some great films in the 80s and 90s, both as a leading man and as a supporting actor. The actor has starred in a wide range of dramas ranging from thrillers, biopics, to intense action films. Films like The Doors, True Romance, Heat, Tombstone and, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang showed his versatility as an actor.
However, it was 1986’s Top Gun that catapulted him to new heights in his early career. He starred alongside another rising Tom Cruise at the time. While the film had Cruise in the lead, Kilmer’s Iceman was essentially the second lead of the film, who often butted heads with him. Cruise might have become the defining movie star of the film, but it was Kilmer who real-life fighters were more impressed with.
Real-Life Fighter Pilots Sided With Iceman Over the Hot-Shot Maverick in Top Gun
1986’s Top Gun was one of the one-of-a-kind aerial action films of its time directed by Tony Scott. Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer played rival fighter pilots who are vying for the Top Gun trophy. Kilmer’s Iceman is vehemently against Maverick’s aggressive and unconventional flying tactics, calling it dangerous. This causes a big friction between them throughout the film.
Kilmer is extremely convincing as his character shows a restraint and composed way of handling jets, in contrast to Maverick’s impulsive way, which in turn cost him his best friend’s life. In an interview with Deadline, Kilmer recalled a Top Gun Fun Pilot’s party which was hosted by real-life fighter pilots amidst their preop for the film.
The Heat star revealed that the fighter pilots kept poking him all night while talking about the film’s script and their own experiences, leaving him with a bruise. They agreed with Iceman’s views on Maverick’s aggressiveness and claimed that such an individual wouldn’t last long in the field. Thus, they loved Iceman’s arc more than Maverick. Kilmer said,
The most fun was a Top Gun Fun Pilot’s party they threw for us ‘to show us how it’s done’. This is a true story. A bruise had formed where the fighter pilots had poked me in the chest all night with their Superman fingers saying things like ‘You are doing it right. We’ve read the script and this Iceman character is correct. This Maverick? This hot shot? He wouldn’t last. We’d make sure of that.’
Iceman represents the ideal fighter pilot who is committed and concerned for his wingman as real pilots should be, and it is understandable why the real fighter pilots preferred him over Maverick. However, Kilmer pointed out that the pilots had misunderstood the intentions of the film, which was meant to be a heartfelt drama about teamwork and brotherhood.
Maverick had to go through a certain loss to evolve from his aggressive ways to a more responsible pilot. Top Gun was a big hit in 1986 and a sequel was released 35 years later in the form of 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel reunited the two characters in a memorable scene in the middle of the film.
Val Kilmer And Tom Cruise Had Tears In Their Eyes While Shooting Top Gun: Maverick
Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise reprised their iconic roles as Iceman and Maverick in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. The film had a heartwarming reunion scene between the two, encapsulating the decades-long friendship between the characters (and the actors themselves). In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, director Joseph Kosinski revealed that the scene presented their most authentic selves and their close bond.
The director further stated that after one of the takes, both actors had tears in their eyes, leading to a very emotionally raw reunion scene. According to Kosinski, it felt like a genuine moment between two old friends. The director said,
You’ve got two masters at the top of their game playing the most iconic characters of their careers. I think there is a lot of Maverick in Tom, and Iceman in Val, so what you are seeing onscreen is an authentic friendship that has lasted over 36 years. After one of the takes (we only did a few) I noticed that both Tom and Val had tears in their eyes. It felt like a genuine moment between two old friends.
Top Gun: Maverick earned rave reviews upon release, with many considering it to be superior to the original. It was also one of the films that was celebrated for bringing back the theatrical experience following the pandemic.
Fans can watch both Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+.