Veteran filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola heaped praise on Val Kilmer in his condolence message for the latter's demise.
Coppola took to his Instagram to write a short condolence message. He 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."
Val starred in the director's 2011 horror film Twixt which follows a struggling writer who gets stuck in a supernatural mystery in a small town.
Known for his roles as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in Top Gun (1986) and Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993), Val Kilmer died of pneumonia. He was 65. His daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed the news to The New York Times. Kilmer, who had a cancer diagnosis in 2015, reprised his role as Iceman in the Top Gun sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2022) in spite of his health concerns—a performance that was enhanced by AI as the actor lost his voice due to cancer.
Kilmer is also known for his performances in films such as Heat (1995), co-starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino; The Island of Dr Moreau (1996) alongside Marlon Brando; and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) with Robert Downey Jr.
Kilmer is survived by his daughter Mercedes Kilmer and actor son Jack.