“Val Kilmer was so nice to me” - Drew Barrymore recalls working with late actor in Batman Forever

Drew Barrymore paid tribute this week to Val Kilmer, her former Batman Forever co-star, who passed away at 65 last week. On Monday’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, she and guest Kevin Bacon reminisced, sharing stories of Kilmer and director Joel Schumacher, the two Hollywood figures they both had the chance to work with.

Bacon, the Footloose star, reflected on his time filming Flatliners, a 1990 science fiction psychological thriller movie directed by Joel Schumacher. He unintentionally sparked a moment of nostalgia. Barrymore, sitting beside him, jumped in to share her memory of Kilmer that had stayed with her over the years.

“I was friends with Joel Schumacher, the director, who I thought of this morning because it was he and Val Kilmer that pulled me into Batman Forever,” she said.

“And Val Kilmer was so nice to me. He was so nurturing and kind and safe, which was a very important thing for me,” she explained.

After Barrymore shared her memories from the Batman Forever set, Bacon noted that the positive environment she described was,

“probably not that common in those days.”

Barrymore agreed with his sentiment and shared,

“Yeah, I was like, ‘Nobody wants anything from me, they want things for me,’ which I thought was really interesting.”

As the conversation continued, Bacon took a moment remembering his own time with the late Top Gun actor, who passed away last week. Back in 1983, the pair shared the stage in Slab Boys, a Broadway production that also featured Sean Penn and Jackie Earle.

“It was great. I just always look at that as one of the great experiences of my life and getting a chance to know him,” he said.

Val Kilmer as the Caped Crusader

Val Kilmer made his one and only appearance as Gotham’s brooding hero in Batman Forever. The dual identity role of Bruce Wayne and his darker alter ego had previously been played by Michael Keaton in both Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), before being handed off to George Clooney in 1997’s Batman and Robin.

In a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly, Jim Carrey, who starred as the ever-curious Riddler in the film, called Kilmer a,

“generational talent”

"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 shared.

"His greatest artistic achievements were rivaled only by the grace and courage with which he endured his life's most challenging moments,” he continued.

Carrey also wished Kilmer's family with love, saying

"Wishing his family so much love."

Val Kilmer passed away on April 1 due to pneumonia. He’d previously battled throat cancer—a diagnosis that changed his voice permanently, though he’d made a recovery. Kilmer starred in a wide range of films including The Doors, The Saint, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Batman Forever, Tombstone, Thunderheart, Willow and his last credit, Top Gun: Maverick.

Val Kilmer’s kids shared their statement to People magazine, mourning their father’s death, they said

Trending

"Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father's memory."

"We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated," the statement continued.

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