Paramount initially planned to make the new film without him
Val Kilmer begged the producers of Top Gun: Maverick to have him back in the role of Iceman, the actor's memoir has revealed.
The new book, titled I'm Your Huckleberry, is released in the US this week and sees the former Batman star reflect on his life and career.
In one chapter, he discusses the upcoming sequel to Top Gun, that was initially set to go ahead without him.
Kilmer was so eager to be part of the production, that he admits to pleading with the film's execs and star Tom Cruise to let him reprise his role.
"As the Temptations sang in the heyday of Motown soul, ‘ain’t too proud to beg,'" he explained. "The producers went for it. Cruise went for it. Cruise couldn’t have been cooler… Tom and I took up where we left off. The reunion felt great."
Top Gun: Maverick was initially due to speed into cinemas this summer, but has since been delayed until 23rd December to avoid the coronavirus pandemic.
Kilmer and Cruise are returning to their roles, while Miles Teller (Whiplash), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Glen Powell (Scream Queens) and Jennifer Connelly (Alita: Battle Angel) are new additions to the franchise.
Ironically, Kilmer didn't even want to star in the original Top Gun film, but was pressured by his agent into auditioning for it.
His memoir reads: "I didn’t want the part. I didn’t care about the film. The story didn’t interest me. I showed up looking the fool, or the goon. I wore oversize gonky Australian shorts in nausea green. I read the lines indifferently. And yet, amazingly, I was told I had the part. I felt more deflated than inflated."
Top Gun: Maverick arrives in cinemas on 23rd December
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
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