Val Kilmer’s tragic death has prompted numerous emotional tributes from celebrities, including actors Josh Brolin, Michael Mann, and Josh Gad. Val, who played Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever and known for his iconic performance as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun, had battled cancer for years – eventually losing his ability to speak due to throat cancer. However, his cause of death was reportedly due to pneumonia, according to his daughter Mercedes Kilmer.
He was born in Los Angeles in 1959, and he acted in high school with fellow Hollywood star Kevin Spacey. He then moved to New York to enter Juilliard at 17; where other contemporaries such as Kevin Bacon attended. In 2014, he was diagnosed with throat cancer whilst living in Malibu. “I prayed, and that was my form of treatment,” he told The New York Times in 2020.
Val reprised his role as Iceman in 2022’s smash hit sequel Top Gun: Maverick where he also mirrored his real-life trouble with speaking during emotional scenes with Tom Cruise.
Express Online has compiled a list of tributes that have been posted to mark Val’s memory.
Ralph Fiennes
The English actor worked with Val on the Disney classic movie, The Prince of Egypt. He penned on X, “Val Kilmer rest in peace.”
Matthew Modine
He posted on X: “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. [prayer and peace sign emojis] (sic)”
Josh Brolin
He wrote on Instagram with a selfie of the pair smiling together, “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.
Josh Gadd
“RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon. #valkilmer.”
James Woods
“His rendition of Doc Holliday in Tombstone was what every actor dreams of achieving. So many wonderful performances. Sad to lose him so soon. RIP Val Kilmer.”
Screenwriter Brian Lynch
He 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.”
“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.”
The official X account for Top Gun shared a tribute to the late actor, referring to him by his character name, Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, from the 1986 classic flick.
They stated, “Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman.”
Val was also credited for his role as Doc Holliday in the 1993 western Tombstone alongside Kurt Russel, Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton.
