Jim Carrey mourns ‘Batman Forever’ costar Val Kilmer: ‘A generational talent’

Three decades after facing off against Val Kilmer in Batman Forever, Jim Carrey is paying tribute to his late costar, who died Tuesday at 65.

“I’m remembering Val Kilmer today with great admiration for him as a man and as a generational talent who left us an enviable legacy of indelible acting performances,” Carrey said Wednesday in a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly.

“His greatest artistic achievements were rivaled only by the grace and courage with which he endured his life’s most challenging moments,” Carrey continued. “Wishing his family so much love.”

Carrey played the brain-teasing supervillain the Riddler opposite Kilmer’s Dark Knight in Batman Forever, which hit theaters in 1995 and became the year’s second-biggest film at the domestic box office. The movie also starred Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian and Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent/Two-Face.

Kilmer took over the cape and cowl from from Michael Keaton, who played Batman/Bruce Wayne in the first two films of the series, and Kilmer was himself succeeded by George Clooney in Batman & Robin.

Though Kilmer never reprised his role as Batman, he nodded to the gig in 2019’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, in which he portrayed the superhero Bluntman. He also wore a modified Batman cowl in his final Instagram video in February.

Kilmer’s death also prompted a tribute from Cher, whom he dated in the early 1980s. “Will miss u, U Were Funny, crazy, pain in the ass, GREAT FRIEND, kids <3 U,” the singer wrote on social media, going on to shout out his performance on stage in Citizen Twain. “BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness.”

Ron Howard, who directed Kilmer in Willow, posted his own moving tribute to the actor Wednesday morning. “I was incredibly fortunate to collaborate with Val a number of times over the years. As the off beat swordsman #Madmartagen in #Willow, his stunning #JimMorrison in Oliver Stone’s #TheDoors & in a chilling cameo in #TheMissing,” he wrote. “I list these titles because even my own personal creative experiences reflect his awesome range as an actor. Check out his filmography. Amazing.  His art extended to his poetry, artworks, filmmaking and simply the way he lived. Bon Voyage, Val and thank you.”