Val Kilmer’s Death: Celebrities, Costars, Directors React

Celebrities are paying tribute to Val Kilmer after he died at age 65 on Tuesday.

His daughter confirmed to The New York Times that pneumonia was the cause of the actor’s death.

Kilmer was previously diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but recovered. However, due to a tracheostomy, his voice was permanently damaged.

He was known for his roles in 1986’s “Top Gun,” 1991’s “The Doors,” and 1995’s “Batman Forever.”

Following the news of Kilmer’s death, friends and fellow celebrities shared their reactions on social media.

Francis Ford Coppola said Kilmer was “a joy to know”

Francis Ford Coppola worked with Kilmer on 2011’s horror film “Twixt.”

“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,” the filmmaker wrote on Instagram.

Cher paid tribute to Kilmer, whom she dated in the ’80s

“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,” the “Believe” singer wrote in a post on X, using her nickname for the actor.

In 2021, she told People that Kilmer and she had nicknames for each other.

“We called ourselves Sid and Ethel. Val didn’t want to yell ‘Cher’ and I didn’t want to yell ‘Val,'” Cher said. “We also called ourselves Valus Maximus and Cherus Reprimandus. It was just kind of who I was in the household. Of course, he was Maximus, come on.”

Michael Douglas shared a photo of himself and Kilmer from 1996’s “The Ghost and the Darkness”

“RIP Val Kilmer. It was an honor working with Val on The Ghost and the Darkness nearly 30 years ago. Val will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on forever in the films and performances he so brilliantly shared with us,” Michael Douglas wrote in his Instagram caption accompanying the photo.

Josh Brolin shared a heartfelt message to Kilmer

Actor Josh Brolin, who portrays Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shared a heartfelt message to Kilmer 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,” Brolin wrote in his caption.

Michael Mann posted a throwback photo of Kilmer

“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,” filmmaker Michael Mann wrote in his caption.

Mann worked with Kilmer in 1995’s crime drama film “Heat,” which also starred Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino.

Michelle Monaghan shared a photo of herself and Kilmer, whom she worked with on “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”

“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,” The “White Lotus” star wrote in her caption. “Godspeed buddy.”

Josh Gad thanked Kilmer for being a part of many movies from his childhood

Josh Gad, best known for voicing Olaf in Disney’s “Frozen” franchise and for playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon,” shared a tribute to Kilmer on Instagram along with a photo of the “Top Gun” star.

“RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon,” Gad wrote in his caption.

Matthew Modine shared an anecdote about meeting Val Kilmer in 1985

“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,” Matthew Modine, who also starred in “Stranger Things,” wrote on X.

Accompanying Modine’s post was a video telling how his bumping into Kilmer in a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard set off a chain of events that eventually culminated in him getting cast in Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket.”

Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash posted a photo of Kilmer from the film “Tombstone”

In the 1993 film, Kilmer plays the American outlaw Doc Holliday.

“RIP #ValKilmer,” Slash wrote in his caption.