Val Kilmer Death: Michael Mann, Francis Ford Coppola, Nicolas Cage Pay Tribute to Actor

, , Nicolas Cage, Jim Carrey and Josh Brolin were among the many entertainment industry figures who paid tribute to after news of his death was announced. Kilmer died of pneumonia in Los Angeles, his daughter, actress Mercedes Kilmer, told The New York Times. He was 65. The actor was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015. His death was announced as the actor was meant to be arriving for a rare red carpet appearance at the Beverly Hills Film Festival on Tuesday night. “It was a shock to find this out. We had just confirmed Val to attend the West Coast premiere of American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective this past weekend,” Nino Simone, founder and president of the Beverly Hills Film Festival, said on Wednesday. Related Stories The much-loved and incredibly versatile actor had a diverse filmography, excelling both as a leading man (Batman Forever, The Saint, Top Secret!, Willow, The Doors, Real Genius) and as a scene-stealing supporting player (Tombstone, Top Gun, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Heat) in a variety of genres. Kilmer was also the subject of the 2021 documentary Val, which is an intimate portrait of the actor that explores his battle with throat cancer, his artistic passions and his reflections on his career. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, filmmaker Michael Mann said, “While working with Val on Heat I always marveled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character. After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news.” Nicolas Cage said in a statement to THR, “I always liked Val and am sad to hear of his passing. I thought he was a genius actor. I enjoyed working with him on Bad Lieutenant and I admired his commitment and sense of humor. He should have won the Oscar for The Doors.” Also in a statement to THR, David Zucker who cast Kilmer in his first feature film role in Top Secret! shared: “I am especially sad to hear of Val’s passing, and although we had been in communication over the years – we lived on the same street, shared an attorney and I was aware of his condition – I find myself still a bit shocked to lose him.  My brother Jerry, Jim Abrahams and I, had the distinction of giving Val Kilmer his first movie role in Top Secret!. In his audition he broke into an impromptu Elvis song and blew us away!” Carrey, Kilmer’s Batman Forever co-star, said in a statement to THR: “I’m remembering Val Kilmer today with great admiration for him as a man and as a generational talent who left us an enviable legacy of indelible acting performances. His greatest artistic achievements were rivaled only by the grace and courage with which he endured his life’s most challenging moments. Wishing his family so much love.” Francis Ford Coppola said on Instagram: “Val Kilmer was the most talented actor when in his High School, and that talent only grew greater throughout his life. He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know — I will always remember him.” Josh Brolin wrote on Instagram, “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. I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts. ❤️💔❤️💔❤️💔💎 #valkilmer #marktwain,” The second hashtag a reference to Kilmer’s lifelong passion for Mark Twain, which culminated in the actor portraying the famed writer and humorist twice onscreen and in the theater production Citizen Twain. Also on Instagram, actor Josh Gad wrote, “RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon.” White Lotus star Michelle Monaghan, his co-star in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, shared to Instagram: “A kind, curious, committed, rebellious, and radical gent. I learned from one of the greats. An artist through and through. I treasured my time with you.❤️ Godspeed buddy.” Matthew Modine tweeted, “RIP Val Kilmer. If it wasn’t for our chance encounter at the Source in 1985, I may never have been cast in FULL METAL JACKET. Thanks, Val. 🙏☮️” On Bluesky, Emmy-nominated TV writer and comedian Mike Drucker wrote, “Val Kilmer felt like an actor who, no matter what the material, always understood the assignment.” Brian Lynch, the screenwriter behind Minions and Secret Life of Pets, wrote on Bluesky, “The Doors. Top Secret! Tombstone. Top Gun. Real Genius. Willow. Batman Forever. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. True Romance. Macgruber. Heat. There was nobody like Val Kilmer. May he Rest in Peace.” On X, Jennifer Tilly offered her memory of Kilmer auditioning for The Doors. “A long time ago, I was auditioning for the movie ‘The Doors’ It was kind of a cattle call,” she wrote. “They paired together potential Jims with potential Pamela‘s. And they were running behind so we were spilling out of the casting office, sitting on the porch, the lawn, and the driveway. All of a sudden, a sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors Music at top volume. And a guy jumped out and strode inside: He had wild hair and he was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants.” Tilly added, “We all looked at each other like … Who is this guy? We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance. Well of course it was Val Kilmer and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance. Rip King.” Cher, who dated Kilmer in the ’80s, wrote on X: “VALUS Will miss u, U Were Funny, crazy, pain in the ass, GREAT FRIEND, kids 💜 U, BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness.” Lucasfilm executive Pablo Hidalgo wrote on Bluesky, “Oh man, not Val Kilmer. His comedic chops were top notch but he had a fascinating storm roiling beneath the surface. Madmartigan was an icon.” Famed movie critic Richard Roeper tweeted, “Val Kilmer should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Tombstone and for Heat. He was a brilliant presence in some of the most enduring films of his generation. Rest well. Thank you for the incredible work.” Writer-director Dylan Park-Pettiford tweeted, “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.” Ringer owner Bill Simmons tweeted, “There wasn’t anyone quite like Val Kilmer. Really enjoyed his work. RIP.” On X, the official Top Gun movie account tweeted, “Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman.” Like many other users on social media, Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto (The Shadow Strays, Nobody 2), posted a famous scene from Heat, where Kilmer’s character interacts with Ashley Judd’s character for the final time. Tjahjanto wrote, “A masterpiece exercise in saying nothing and expressing everything. Rest in Peace truly.” Actress Sasha Grey tweeted on X, “Rest In Peace Val Kilmer, an absolute legend. He played some of my favorite characters in some of my favorite movies of all time. Condolences to his family 🫶 He was 65.” On Instagram, Harry Potter star David Thewlis wrote about co-starring with Kilmer in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996): “I spent the most bizarre 5 months of my entire life with Val Kilmer, out in the Australian rainforest, on the ill-fated Island of Dr Moreau. It was so spectacularly bleak and awful it was almost wonderful. Look it up sometime. As Val wrote in his final mail to me: ‘What an incredible story we lived, you and I. One of the greatest.’ Bittersweet to be back here in Australia and hear the heartbreaking news. He was one of the most extraordinary people I have ever met. Proud to have called him a friend and co-conspirator.” Actor Joe Manganiello shared a tribute on Instagram: “He was one of the main reasons I wanted to become an actor and why I felt it was so important for me to seek out classical training. He could do it all… drama, comedy, classical… He was great with a sword, a gun, a fighter jet, or a shot cup. Then on top of all of that, he could sing… case in point: for most of my life when I tried to picture Jim Morrison, I could only see him. His performances were brave and intelligent, and he showed me that you didn’t always have to be the star in order to make the most impact. If the situation presented itself, you could take a tiny, nothing part on paper and elevate it into a scene stealer. Oh, and he got to be Batman. RIP to one of the all time greats…” The account for Film at Lincoln Center posted on X, “Rest in peace to our former campus mate, the great Val Kilmer (1959-2025), who at 17 was the youngest drama student ever admitted to The Julliard School’s Drama Division.” This is a developing story.

View Original Article