Hollywood stars are mourning the death of Val Kilmer.
The Top Gun actor died of pneumonia on Tuesday, April 1, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, told The New York Times.
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and featured in a July 2021 documentary about his life, titled Val, which showed him requiring a breathing tube.
The actor was best known for his performances in 1986’s Top Gun alongside Tom Cruise. He also portrayed Jim Morrison in 1991’s The Doors and Batman in 1995’s Batman Forever.
Related: Celebrity Deaths of 2025: Stars We’ve Lost
From filmmakers to artists, Hollywood lost several stars in 2025. News broke on January 4 that Aubrey Plaza’s estranged husband, Jeff Baena, died one day earlier at the age of 47. Per medical examiner records viewed by Us Weekly, Baena died by suicide. “This is an unimaginable tragedy,” Plaza’s rep said in a statement to […]
Following news of Kilmer’s death, tributes have poured in from across Hollywood.
Keep scrolling to see how stars are paying tribute to and remembering Kilmer:
Josh Brolin
“See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker,” Brolin captioned a photo of him posing with Kilmer via Instagram. “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. ❤️💔❤️💔❤️💔💎”
Michael Mann
Mann, who directed Kilmer in 1995’s Heat, shared a photo of the actor via Instagram and captioned it, “While working with Val on Heat, I always marvelled 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.”
Francis Ford Coppola
The legendary filmmaker, who directed Kilmer in 2011’s Twixt, shared via 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.”
Jennifer Tilly
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member shared an anecdote about working with Kilmer in the film The Doors.
“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,” Tilly shared via X.
“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,” she continued. “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,” the Oscar nominee concluded her post.
Matthew Modine
“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,” the Stranger Things actor wrote via X. “Thanks, Val. 🙏☮️”
Ralph Fiennes
“Val Kilmer rest in peace 🙏🏻😇,” Kilmer’s Prince of Egypt voice costar shared via X.
Related: Cher! Cindy! Angelina! Val Kilmer’s Dating History
Val Kilmer was linked to Cindy Crawford, Angelina Jolie, Cher and more celebrities throughout his life before his death at the age of 65. The Batman Forever star’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed her father died of pneumonia on Tuesday, April 1, per The New York Times. “I’ve always found women infinitely more interesting than men,” […]
Josh Gad
“RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon,” the Frozen voice actor wrote alongside a photo of Kilmer in Top Gun shared via Instagram.
Read the full article here
