‘Saturday Night Live’ Pays Tribute To Val Kilmer​on April 6, 2025 at 5:23 am

Saturday Night Live paid tribute to the late Val Kilmer with a card at the end of the April 5 show. The Doors star died April 1 at the age of 65 from pneumonia.

The prolific dramatic and comedic actor had previously hosted the late-night show Dec. 9, 2000, alongside musical guest U2, where he even parodied his character Iceman from the original Top Gun.

The Juilliard-trained Kilmer, beloved for his wide range as a versatile performer, as well as his genuine personality, died earlier this week after having previously been diagnosed with and recovered from throat cancer, which permanently altered his voice. He was known for his leading turns in films like The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Batman Forever, Tombstone, Thunderheart, Willow and his last credit, Top Gun: Maverick.

Tributes poured in from across the industry in the days following, including from fellow Saturday Night Live alum and close friend Will Forte, who penned an essay of remembrance in Vulture. The comedian shared on- and off-screen memories, adding that not competing with Kilmer on CBS’ The Amazing Race was the “biggest regret of my whole career.”

During a surprise appearance at CinemaCon this week, co-star Tom Cruise took a moment to pay homage to Kilmer: “I’d like to honor a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I really can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how much I thought of him as a human being, how honored I was when he joined Top Gun and came back for Top Gun: Maverick.”

Additional tributes came from the likes of Nicolas Cage, Michael Mann and many others.

This week, SNL was hosted by Jack Black along with musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlisle.