Val Kilmer, ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Batman Forever’ star, dies at 65
Val Kilmer portrayed larger-than-life characters, such as Jim Morrison, Doc Holliday and Batman, throughout his prolific acting career.
Following reports of Val Kilmer’s death on Tuesday at age 65, his industry friends and admirers began mourning the actor.
Soon after the news came out, “No Country for Old Men” actor Josh Brolin took to Instagram to remember Kilmer as a one-of-a-kind talent.
“See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you,” Brolin wrote alongside a photo of the two. “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.”
In a statement shared with USA TODAY, Michael Mann — who directed Kilmer in 1995’s “Heat” — 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.”
Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, told The New York Times and The Associated Press that the actor died from pneumonia. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and later recovered, she said.
USA TODAY has reached out to Kilmer’s representatives for comment.
Josh Gad, more pay tribute to ‘icon’ Val Kilmer
Josh Gad paid tribute to the “icon,” writing, “Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood.”
The social media accounts for Paramount Home Entertainment and the “Top Gun” franchise remembered one of their own in a post that read, “Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman.”
Acclaimed film critic Richard Roeper paid homage to what he believed were some of Kilmer’s greatest roles in several X posts.
“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,” Roeper wrote. “Rest well. Thank you for the incredible work.”
He also paid respect to Kilmer’s early years in Hollywood: “One of my favorite early Val Kilmer appearances is in ‘Real Genius.’ Val did something special with a typical 1980s cynical rebel/wisecracker role, giving his character a layer of big brother warmth. It’s actually kind of sweet,” Roeper posted.
Known in his various roles over the decades as Iceman (“Top Gun”), Batman and Doc Holliday (“Tombstone”), Kilmer has nearly 100 film credits to his name.
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