Val Kilmer Death: Michael Mann, Francis Ford Coppola, & More Pay Tribute to Late Actor

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Val Kilmer Death: Michael Mann, Francis Ford Coppola, & More Pay Tribute to Late Actor

Michael Mann, Francis Ford Coppola, and many more have shared tributes to Val Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday. Kilmer was 65 and had been battling throat cancer since 2015.

What did Michael Mann and Francis Ford Coppola say about Val Kilmer’s death?

Kilmer famously played Chris Shiherlis in Mann’s Heat. In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, Mann 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.”

Coppola, who directed Kilmer in 2011’s Twixt, posted a photo of the late actor on Instagram and 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.

Actor Josh Brolin posted a photo with Kilmer on Instagram and said, “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 Gad wrote a thoughtful tribute to Kilmer on Instagram. “RIP Val Kilmer,” Gad captioned with a picture of of Kilmer as Iceman from Top Gun. “Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon.

On X, film critic Richard Roeper wrote, “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. Rest well. Thank you for the incredible work.”

Actor Matthew Modine wrote 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.”

Actress Jennifer Tilly shared a memorable encounter while auditioning for The Doors. “All of a sudden, a sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors Music at top volume,” Tilly wrote on X. “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.”