Friends and Admirers Pay Tribute to Hollywood ‘Icon’ Val Kilmer

Fellow actors, industry figures, fans, and family are mourning the death of Val Kilmer.

Kilmer died from pneumonia at age 65 on April 1, according to his daughter Mercedes. 

The award-winning actor, who starred in 80s and 90s blockbusters Top Gun and Batman Forever and was also known for portraying musician Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors, was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and recovered after two tracheotomies but severely damaged his vocal chords. A critically-acclaimed 2021 documentary about his career and health struggles, Val, showcased hundreds of hours of footage of Kilmer through the years and was narrated by Kilmer’s son Jack. TIME film critic Stephanie Zacharek said in a review of Val that the documentary “draws us deep into the life and career of a bold and sometimes headstrong performer” and offers “a portrait of an actor who poured his all into his work.”

Kilmer once held a reputation of being hard to work with, but others said he was simply serious about his craft—which also extended to television, theatre, poetry, and memoir. Film critic Roger Ebert said of Kilmer in 1992, “if there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Kilmer should get it.”

Kilmer reflected on his legacy in Val. “I have behaved poorly. I have behaved bravely. I have behaved bizarrely to some,” he said. “I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed. And I am blessed.”

Tributes from Hollywood friends, colleagues, and admirers have started pouring in since the news of Kilmer’s death.

“See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There’s not a lot left of those,” actor Josh Brolin posted on Instagram. “I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts.”

“After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news,” filmmaker Michael Mann, who directed Kilmer in the 1995 action film Heat, told the Hollywood Reporter, adding that he “always marvelled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character.”

“Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman,” the official Top Gun movie account on X posted, referencing the name of Kilmer’s fan-favorite character in the franchise.

Visual effects studio Industrial Light & Magic, which worked on the 1988 film Willow, shared a photo of Kilmer as the film’s character Madmartigan. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and colleague, Val Kilmer,” the studio posted on Threads. “From his memorable roles as Madmartigan, Iceman, Doc Holliday, and Jim Morrison, Val cemented himself as one of the greats. He will be deeply missed and our thoughts are with his family at this time.”

Lucasfilm executive Pablo Hidalgo posted on BlueSky, “Oh man, not Val Kilmer. His comedic chops were top notch but he had a fascinating storm roiling beneath the surface.”

“RIP Val Kilmer. If it wasn’t for our chance encounter at the Source [a Hollywood restaurant] in 1985, I may never have been cast in FULL METAL JACKET. Thanks, Val,” actor Matthew Modine posted on X.

Film critic Richard Roeper said Kilmer deserved nominations for his roles in Heat and 1993 western Tombstone. “He was a brilliant presence in some of the most enduring films of his generation. Rest well. Thank you for the incredible work,” Roeper posted on X.

Author Don Winslow called Kilmer a “brilliant actor and a good man” in a tribute on X. 

Bill Simmons, founder of the sports and pop culture website The Ringer, posted on X: “There wasn’t anyone quite like Val Kilmer. Really enjoyed his work. RIP.”

“You fought so valiantly Val. Your kindness and your heart will always be remembered by me professionally,” entertainment industry publicist Danny Deraney posted on X. “As a kid, your films put a stamp on me that will never be forgotten. Rest in power Val Kilmer. You earned it.”

Comedian and writer Mike Drucker posted on Bluesky: “Val Kilmer felt like an actor who, no matter what the material, always understood the assignment.”

Writer-director Dylan Park-Pettiford posted, “Listen, Val Kilmer had me wanting to fly fighter jets, be Batman, rob banks, and hunt lions as a kid. They don’t make too many movie stars like him anymore. Generational.”

“Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood,” actor Josh Gad wrote in an Instagram post. “You truly were an icon.”