Saturday Night Live honored the late Val Kilmer, who passed away on April 1 at the age of 65 due to pneumonia.
The versatile actor, known for both drama and comedy, had previously hosted the late-night program on December 9, 2000, with musical guest U2, during which he even parodied his character Iceman from the original Top Gun.
The Juilliard-educated Kilmer, cherished for his broad spectrum as a multifaceted actor and his authentic persona, died earlier this week Following an earlier diagnosis and recovery from throat cancer, which left a lasting change on his vocal quality, he became recognized for his prominent roles in movies such as The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Batman Forever, Tombstone, Thunderheart, Willow and his last credit, Top Gun: Maverick.
Condolences flooded in from throughout the sector in the days that followed, including from colleagues. Saturday Night Live and his close companion Will Forte, who wrote an essay of reflection in Vulture. The comedian recounted both on-screen and off-screen moments, mentioning they didn’t compete with Kilmer on CBS’s show. The Amazing Race was the "greatest remorse of my entire career."
At a unexpected appearance during CinemaCon earlier this week, co-actor Tom Cruise showed up paused for a moment to honor Kilmer “I would like to pay tribute to my cherished friend, Val Kilmer. It’s difficult for me to express just how greatly I respect his contributions, how deeply I value him as an individual, and how privileged I felt when he became part of our group.” Top Gun and came back for Top Gun: Maverick .”
Further tributes were offered by individuals such as Nicolas Cage, Michael Mann, and numerous others.
This week, SNL was presented by Jack Black alongside musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlisle.
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