Friends, family, and fans are remembering Val Kilmer after he died of pneumonia on April 1, 2025, at age 65. The award-winning actor began his career on the stage before hitting his stride in the ’80s and ’90s with classic blockbusters like Top Gun with Tom Cruise, Batman Forever with Nicole Kidman and Jim Carrey, and Oliver Stone’s Jim Morrison biopic, The Doors. Kilmer had been battling throat cancer for ten years, and a 2021 documentary, Val, which premiered at Cannes and was narrated by his son Jack, chronicled both the late actor’s career and health struggles. In 2022, Kilmer reprised his famous role of Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick, in his final film performance.
During a surprise appearance at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on April 3, Tom Cruise asked the audience for a moment of silence before speaking about Kilmer, his friend and Top Gun costar. “I really can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how much I thought of him as a human being, how honored I was when he joined Top Gun and came back for Top Gun: Maverick. I think it would be great if we could all just take a moment and think about all the wonderful times we had with him. Would you all mind doing that? Let’s just take a moment.” After the moment, he concluded, “We wish you well on your next journey.”
On social media, ributes for Kilmer have begun pouring in:
In a statement, Nicolas Cage wrote: “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.”
Kyle MacLachlan, who starred in The Doors with Kilmer as keyboardist Ray Manzarek, shared photos of the two and wrote, “You’ll always be my Jim.”
“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,” Josh Brolin posted on Instagram.
The Film at Lincoln Center X account remembered Kilmer for his distinction as the youngest person admitted to Juilliard at one time:
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Kilmer in 2011’s Twixt, wrote, “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.”
Ron Howard, who directed Kilmer in the fantasy film Willow, wrote on X, “I was incredibly fortunate to collaborate with Val a number of times over the years. As the off beat swordsman #Madmartagen in #Willow , his stunning #JimMorrison in Oliver Stone’s #TheDoors & in a chilling cameo in #TheMissing. I list these titles because even my own personal creative experiences reflect his awesome range as an actor. Check out his filmography. Amazing. His art extended to his poetry, artworks, filmmaking and simply the way he lived.”
Director Michael Mann released a statement saying, “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.”
Danny Ramirez, who also starred in Top Gun: Maverick, wrote on his Instagram story: "In the brief time I spent with him on set he was nothing but kind, joyous and playful. I felt lucky to be in the same room."
Film critic Richard Roeper wrote on X: "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.”
Adam Scott shared a still of Kilmer from Top Gun with a single red heart.
On X, Jennifer Tilly wrote: “A long time ago, I was auditioning for the movie ‘The Doors’ It was kind of a cattle call. 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. 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.”
