Actor Val Kilmer, who died Tuesday night at the age of 65, was remembered by fans in Hollywood.
KNX News’ Jon Baird spoke with Nick, who said Kilmer never needed to be the lead in a movie to be good.
“I think he was good enough to just be in there to be in there,” he said. “He changed the film.”
Another fan praised Kilmer’s performance in the 1995 movie “Heat.”
“He was probably the best character in the movie, I think,” he said.
Emily Carman, a professor of Film and Media studies at Chapman University, said his death hits close to home.
“It's someone I grew up with watching on the screen,” she said. “An icon in the 90s, and I was a teenager…it's different when someone of your movie generation dies.”
Kilmer, who grew up in Chatsworth, was also known for his roles in “Top Gun," “Real Genius,” “Batman Forever,” “Tombstone,” and “The Doors,” where he played rock legend Jim Morrison.
Cynthia Littleton, co-editor-in-chief at Variety, called Kilmer a ‘smoldering presence on screen.”
“From the very beginning, he brought an intensity to his key roles,” she said.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
Kilmer had also been the focus of a documentary in 2021, which chronicled his life, career, and his battle with throat cancer in 2014, from which he recovered.
His last movie appearance was in 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” where he reprised his role as Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky.
He died at his Los Angeles home from pneumonia. He is survived by his two adult children, Jack and Mercedes Kilmer.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
