LAS VEGAS, April 3 (Reuters) - Actor Tom Cruise paid tribute to his late "Top Gun" co-star, Val Kilmer, on Thursday, remembering him as a talented actor who loved movies.

Cruise opened his appearance at the CinemaCon industry convention in Las Vegas with remarks about his "dear friend" Kilmer, who died on Tuesday at age 65.

"I really can't tell you how much I admired his work, how much I thought of him as a human being, and how grateful and honored I was when he joined 'Top Gun' and came back later for 'Top Gun: Maverick,'" Cruise said.

"He loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us with his performances," Cruise said.

In 1986 film "Top Gun," Kilmer played naval aviator Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, a rival to Cruise's character, Lieutenant Pete Mitchell. Kilmer reprised the role in 2022 hit "Top Gun: Maverick" when he could barely speak after years of battling throat cancer.

Cruise asked the Cinemacon audience to pause in a moment of silence to remember Kilmer's work.

"Thank you for doing that," Cruise said. "I know he'd appreciate that."

Cruise, 62, attended CinemaCon to promote "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," which will be released by Paramount PARA.O in May.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Sandra Maler)

((lisa.richwine@thomsonreuters.com; Follow me on Twitter @LARichwine; 1-424-434-7324; Reuters Messaging: lisa.richwine.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))