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NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt took a moment on Wednesday’s episode of Good Morning Football to honor the legacy of late actor Val Kilmer.

Kilmer died Tuesday night in Los Angeles at the age of 65. His daughter later confirmed Kilmer died of pneumonia following a series of health battles.

The actor, known for his iconic roles in Top Gun and Batman Forever, previously battled throat cancer. Treatment of the disease compromised his ability to speak, and his experience was documented in the 2021 documentary Val. A year later, his final acting role premiered to the world when he reprised his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick.

Brandt recognized Kilmer for his show-stealing performances as minor character, saying he “had the talent of the quarterback” but “was more comfortable being the offensive lineman.”

“The youngest student at the time to ever be admitted to Juilliard here in New York, Val Kilmer had leading man looks with supporting character talent,” Brandt said. “Think of your favorite Val Kilmer roles right now, and I bet none of them are the lead — Iceman, Doc Holliday, Chris in Heat, Madmartigan. That’s what Val Kilmer would do. He would pick interesting characters in smaller roles and steal the movie from the leads.”

“Val Kilmer was famously miserable playing Batman because he went to work every day surrounded by Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones

, who played bold, vibrant characters around him while Val monotoned one-liners in a constricted suit that wouldn’t let him paint and play. He was miserable. It was torture.” he continued. “We operate here in the football world. Val didn’t like being the quarterback and he didn’t need to be the quarterback. He looked like the quarterback; he had the talent of the quarterback; but he was more comfortable being the offensive lineman, and I think that’s really, really cool. In a time when Hollywood is being devoured by IP and being cast by IG follower counts, Val Kilmer just said, ‘Give me a good character and let me cook,’ and very few have cooked as creatively than the man looking to be a huckleberry.”

Watch above via NFL Network.

Tags: Good Morning Football, Kyle Brandt, Val Kilmer