Val Kilmer Drove Tom Cruise Crazy on the Top Gun Set With One Hilariously Petty Habit
Maverick vs Iceman wasn’t just movie magic — Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer kept the heat simmering off camera, and an old Kilmer interview reveals how their Top Gun tension bled into a surprisingly personal real-life rivalry.
On screen, Maverick and Iceman tried to one-up each other. Off screen, Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer leaned into that energy too — just enough to keep things spicy, not enough to start a real feud. The short version: Kilmer had jokes, Cruise had a brutal schedule, the characters eventually became bros on screen, and their real-life friendship lasted decades, right up to Cruise giving a heartfelt tribute after Kilmer's passing this year.
The prank that says it all
Back during Top Gun, Kilmer would needle Cruise the way Iceman needles Maverick. In an old Entertainment Tonight interview (the clip has been making the rounds on X), Kilmer said he brought Cruise kids' guidebooks on how to fly — big, kiddie-print stuff with titles like 'How To Fly A Plane' — purely to mess with him in character. Petty in the best way.
Keeping the rivalry sharp, not sour
In his 2021 Prime Video documentary 'Val,' Kilmer explains how he dialed up the tension without making it personal. He invented a backstory for Iceman — a father who ignored him — and played the character as a guy obsessed with perfection, which curdled into arrogance. That choice apparently split the cast into 'two camps' for a while during filming, but he makes it clear there was no real bad blood. He always considered Cruise a friend, and they backed each other up.
In a Reddit AMA, Kilmer also mentioned Cruise was rarely around for hangouts because his shoot days were packed. Kilmer even said he felt a little bad for him — Cruise was almost always in a scene and basically never got to goof off with the others.
From rivals to allies — on screen and off
By the time Top Gun: Maverick hit in 2022, the story had evolved. Kilmer returned as Iceman, now an admiral and the one person Maverick turns to when he needs guidance about Rooster (Goose's son). In the film, Iceman is battling terminal cancer and ultimately passes away — a plotline that lands harder knowing what came next in real life.
A goodbye worthy of Iceman
Val Kilmer died on April 1, 2025, due to pneumonia. Later at CinemaCon this year, Cruise paused his usual showman mode to honor his friend and co-star, reflecting on their work together across both films.
'I would like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can't tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honored I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick. I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us... I wish you well on the next journey.'
How it all lines up
- 1986: On the original Top Gun set, Kilmer leans into the rivalry with Cruise, pranking him with kids' flight manuals to mirror Iceman's taunts.
- 2021: In 'Val,' Kilmer breaks down his process — Iceman's perfectionism, the 'two camps' vibe on set, and the fact that he and Cruise were still supportive friends.
- 2022: Top Gun: Maverick reunites them on screen; Maverick seeks Iceman's counsel about Rooster, and Iceman dies in the film after a cancer battle.
- 2025: Kilmer passes away from pneumonia. At CinemaCon, Cruise delivers an emotional tribute.
Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick are streaming now on Paramount+. What do you make of the Maverick-Iceman dynamic — the joke-y rivalry, the method-y choices, and the decades-long friendship? Drop your thoughts below.