TV/Film
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Following a fierce battle against throat cancer in 2014 that required two tracheotomies that robbed him of his signature honeyed voice, actor Val Kilmer died on Tuesday (April 1) at age 65. The Julliard School-trained star who got his start on the big screen in the comedies Top Secret! and Real Genius in the mid-1980s and went on to stardom after his biting turn as Iceman in 1986’s Top Gun passed away in Los Angeles from pneumonia surrounded by his family and friends, according to the Associated Press.
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The intense actor who also played Batman in 1995’s loopy Batman Forever and faced off with Al Pacino’s cop in the heist flick Heat that same year also lit up the screen in his mesmerizing, wraith-like portrayal of a tuberculosis-stricken Doc Holliday in 1993’s Tombstone. In a nearly four-decade career that spanned comedy, drama and historical epics, it was Kilmer’s eerily method portrayal of Doors singer Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 The Doors biopic that became one of his signature roles.
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Actress Jennifer Tilly — who auditioned for the movie for the role that Meg Ryan landed as Morrison’s girlfriend, Pamela Courson — posted a loving tribute to Kilmer on X following the announcement of his death.
“A long time ago, I was auditioning for the movie The Doors. It was kind of a cattle call. They paired together potential Jims with potential Pamela‘s. And they were running behind so we were spilling out of the casting office, sitting on the porch, the lawn, and the driveway,” she wrote.
“All of a sudden, a sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors Music at top volume. And a guy jumped out and strode inside: He had wild hair and he was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants,” she added. “We all looked at each other like… Who is this guy? We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance. Well of course it was Val Kilmer and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance. Rip King.”
Kilmer’s final movie appearance was a sentimental return for the 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick, in which he appeared after losing his voice to cancer, with his lines digitally enhanced due to the damage to his vocal cords following radiation treatment.
In a statement, Heat director Michael Mann paid tribute to the famously Method actor who threw himself full-bore into his roles, saying, “While working with Val on Heat I always marvelled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character.” On Instagram, friend and fellow actor Josh Brolin wrote, “See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There’s not a lot left of those. I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts.”
Cher, who dated Kilmer in the early 1980s, also honored the actor in her signature pithy way, posting on X, “VALUS Will miss u,U Were Funny,crazy,pain in the ass,GREAT FRIEND,kids U, BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness.”
Josh Gad also honored the “icon” who had a huge impact on him, posting a pic of Kilmer in his Top Gun uniform, writing, “RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon.” Director Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Kilmer on the little-seen 2001 horror movie Twixt, said on Instagram, “Val Kilmer was the most talented actor when in his High School, and that talent only grew greater throughout his life. He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know — I will always remember him.”
In addition to the lightweight Batman Forever, Kilmer also appeared alongside Marlon Brando in the bizarre, famously troubled 1996 science fiction movie The Island of Dr. Moreau, played painter Willem de Kooning in the 2000 biopic Pollock, as well as 1970s porn star John Holmes in Wonderland and Phillip II of Macedon in Stone’s 2004 sword-and-sandals historical drama Alexander.
Kilmer continued to star in films throughout the early and mid-2000s, often in direct-to-video projects or in cameos in small films. His 2021 documentary, Val, featured footage Kilmer filmed from throughout his career, including during his throat cancer treatment, with his son, Jack Kilmer, narrating the project.
Baylee Littrell, son of Backstreet Boys’ Brian Littrell, took center stage during Hollywood Week on American Idol with a moving original song dedicated to his late grandmother.
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The 21-year-old’s performance of “Hey Jesus,” a tribute to the woman he called his best friend, brought his parents to tears in the audience. Brian Littrell, visibly emotional, was seen singing along as his son poured his heart out on stage.
“Baylee, you’re so good,” judge Carrie Underwood told him after the performance, noting his “heat” and “genuineness.”
It’s been a few episodes since Baylee first stepped out of his father’s boyband shadow during the season premiere, and this week, he reminded everyone why he earned his spot in Hollywood Week. His heartfelt performance was one of the most memorable of the night and secured him a spot in the next round.
Hollywood Week also saw Idol’s most brutal cut yet, with more than half of the 144 contestants eliminated in what host Ryan Seacrest called “the biggest cut in Idol history.”
Among the standouts moving forward was 17-year-old Isaiah Misailegalu, who wowed with a masterful take on Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control.” “You have such a gift, and you’re so confident on the stage,” said Underwood.
The youngest contestant, 15-year-old Mattie Pruitt, stunned the panel with her performance of Chris Stapleton’s “Cold.” “Nothing about that is 15,” said Bryan, noting the “rasp and pain and heart” in her voice.
Josh King, a 24-year-old airport pianist, found his redemption arc with a stirring rendition of Rick Astley’s “Hopelessly.” “Josh! If you had done that in your audition, you would have gotten three yeses, absolutely,” Underwood told him.
Among the contestants moving forward include Thunderstorm Artis, Amanda Barise, Jamal Roberts, Slater Nalley, Sonny Tennet, and Platinum ticket holders Canaan James Hill, Filo and Kolbi Jordan.
Among those who didn’t make the cut were Landynn Kennedy, Sam Sparks and Mikaela Bautista—contestants who had impressed in earlier rounds but couldn’t recapture the magic under pressure.
Showstoppers Week continues Sunday, April 6 on ABC, followed by head-to-head performances on Monday, April 7.
It looks like Will Smith is making a return to wearing a black suit. The West Philly rapper and actor sat down with fellow Philadelphians Gillie & Wallo for their Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast and the subject of how he decides on which movies to take came up. He said that he wants […]
This week, it was especially fitting that American Idol airs on Sundays. On the March 30 episode of the show, teenage contestant — and aspiring preacher — Canaan James Hill took the judges to church with his audition for the show, leaving Lionel Richie in particular stunned. Before diving into a soulful rendition of Earnest […]
Remember Hilary Duff‘s 2007 performance for the Today show’s summer concert series? SNL‘s Barry the Midwife (Bowen Yang) and Dr. Richards (Mikey Madison) do. In “Barry the Midwife” on the latest episode (March 29) of Saturday Night Live, the midwife-and-doctor duo at first have an awkward run-in when their patient is giving birth and the […]
While Morgan Wallen was the official musical guest on SNL this weekend, Joe Jonas co-starred in a musical sketch poking fun at New Yorkers waiting in stupidly long lines just to try a trendy new treat they’ve heard about on TikTok.
Picture this: It’s spring in New York City. It’s the weekend. It’s a beautiful day. You don’t have work. Your friends don’t have work.
As Mikey Madison, Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman — the stars of one of SNL‘s latest spoofs to make use of a catchy pop tune — point out, you could go to brunch, see a movie, ride a bike, have a fling.
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Or you could wait in a big, dumb line.
That’s right. You could spend your day waiting in a line that goes around the block — for a limited-supply bagel, slice of pizza or creamy taco that showed up on your “For You” feed. While you’re waiting, you could sing about it like they do in Saturday night’s (March 29) “Big Dumb Line” sketch.
“Must be worth it — it’s a really long line,” Fineman emphasizes in an ad-lib directed straight to the viewer.
Perhaps there will be cronuts (the croissant-donut hybrid), or a concoction one can only hope was dreamt up an SNL writer: palad (pizza and salad combined), frasca (fries as pasta), fandy (fish that’s candy) or choda (cheese that’s soda).
“Big Dumb Line,” a sketch that was pre-taped ahead of the live show, is all good fun until Bowen Yang cracks under the pressure of the line, to his own horror and that of his pals. “I’m leaving. I’m leaving!” he screams.
That’s where Joe Jonas pops in with a motivational ballad, urging the NYC line dropout to trust the process. “Believe in the line/ You deserve this viral Greek yogurt/ Or to try Lisa Rinna’s wine,” the Jonas Bro sings with feeling in a surprise cameo.
Watch the “Big Dumb Line” sketch from Saturday Night Live below.
Richard Chamberlain, who died on Saturday (March 29) night at age 90, will be remembered as a TV icon, but he was a hot recording artist for a time. His debut album, Richard Chamberlain Sings, released on MGM Records, made the top five on the Billboard 200 in 1963.
In addition, he had three top 30 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Theme From Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight” (No. 10 in 1962), a cover version of the Elvis Presley smash “Love Me Tender” (No. 21 in 1962) and a cover version of the Everly Brothers smash “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (No. 14 in 1963).
He was also the first artist to record “They Long to Be Close to You,” a Burt Bacharach/Hal David song that went on to become a pop standard when it was recorded by the Carpenters. The duo’s version was Billboard’s Song of the Summer for 1970 and received a Grammy nod for record of the year. Chamberlain’s version, conducted by Bacharach, went relatively unnoticed. It was featured on the B side of his Hot 100 single “Blue Guitar” (No. 42 in 1963).
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Chamberlain died in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications from a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.
Chamberlain received a Grammy nomination in 1972, but not for his music. He was nominated for best spoken word album for an RCA Recordings recording of a production in which he played Hamlet.
While Chamberlain’s recording career was short-lived, his status as a TV star spanned decades. He starred in Dr. Kildare from 1961-66. The medical drama ranked in the top 10 in the Nielsen ratings in its first season and remained in the top 20 for its second and third seasons.
In 1975, he received his first Primetime Emmy nomination for starring in The Count of Monte Cristo. He was nominated for outstanding lead actor in a special program (drama or comedy).
In the early 1980s, Chamberlain gained a reputation as the king of the miniseries for his starring roles in Shogun, The Thorn Birds and Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story. He received Primetime Emmy nods for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or a special for all three productions.
Chamberlain also acted in film and on Broadway. His first attempt at Broadway — in a legendarily troubled 1966 production of a musical adaptation of the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Mary Tyler Moore — ended when producer David Merrick pulled the plug on the musical after only four preview performances in New York. (Happily, both stars survived the high-profile flop.)
Chamberlain went on to star on Broadway in revivals of The Night of the Iguana (1976-77), Blithe Spirit (1987), My Fair Lady (1993-94) and The Sound of Music (1999).
Born George Richard Chamberlain in Los Angeles on March 31, 1934, Chamberlain was named after his grandfather but was always called Dick or Richard. Chamberlain was gay, which was known in the industry but kept from the public in the years he was a romantic leading man. He came out in 2003, at age 68, in his memoir Shattered Love: A Memoir.
Chamberlain’s fears of rejection by his fans proved unfounded. “Everyone has been so supportive, so positive,” he told The Los Angeles Times in an interview to promote the book. “In New York, people walked up to me in the street, and in theaters. Strangers gave me the thumbs up, wished me well, said, ‘Good for you.’ I’m just awestruck by the change in the way I feel about life now.”
Morgan Wallen has left the building.
The 31-year-old country star appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on March 29, alongside host Mikey Madison, who won best actress for her role in Anora at the 2025 Oscars.
After performing a pair of songs from his forthcoming album, I’m the Problem, Wallen briefly joined the SNL cast at the end of the show, as is customary on the long-running sketch comedy series. He then whispered something into Madison’s ear, gave her a hug and abruptly walked off the stage at Studio 8H.
Soon after the incident, Wallen shared a photo on his Instagram Stories from his private plane, with the caption “Get me to God’s country” written over an image of the runway.
Billboard has reached out to Wallen’s representative for comment.
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During his March 29 appearance on SNL, Wallen performed the title track from his upcoming album and later delivered the post-heartbreak anthem “Just in Case.” I’m the Problem is set for release on May 16.
The singer-songwriter previously appeared on SNL in December 2020, performing “7 Summers” and “Still Goin Down” from Dangerous: The Double Album, which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Wallen was originally scheduled to appear two months prior but was replaced at the last minute for breaking SNL‘s strict COVID-19 safety protocols at the time. During his debut appearance, Wallen also appeared in a sketch poking fun at the controversy surrounding him when he was photographed partying and not wearing a mask in Alabama.
This week’s SNL episode follows Lady Gaga’s appearance on March 8, where she performed double duty as both host and musical guest. Past season 50 musical guests have included Tate McRae, GloRilla, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish, among others.
In the upcoming weeks, Lizzo, Elton John, and Brandi Carlile are set to perform on episodes hosted by Jon Hamm and Jack Black.
Morgan Wallen returned to Saturday Night Live, performing two songs from his upcoming album.
The 31-year-old country star made his second appearance as the musical guest on March 29, joining host Mikey Madison, who recently won an Oscar for best actress for her role in Anora.
Dressed in a denim jacket, blue jeans and a baseball cap, Wallen opened his performance with the title track of his fourth studio album, I’m the Problem. Backed by a full band, the singer-songwriter delivered the song — which currently sits in the top 10 of Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart — against a set design adorned with scrapbook-like photos and articles about the artist.
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Wallen returned later in the episode to perform his post-heartbreak anthem “Just in Case,” set against a more somber, dimly lit backdrop featuring a vintage television with the words “Morgan Wallen Broadcast Corp” displayed on the screen.
He previously appeared on SNL in December 2020, performing “7 Summers” and “Still Goin Down” from Dangerous: The Double Album.
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I’m the Problem is set for release on May 16. The new project follows Wallen’s successful albums, 2021’s Dangerous: The Double Album — which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — and 2023’s One Thing at a Time, which accumulated 19 weeks at the top spot. In anticipation of I’m the Problem, he has previewed several tracks, including the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Love Somebody,” as well as “Lies Lies Lies” and “Smile.”
This week’s SNL episode follows Lady Gaga’s appearance on March 8, where she performed double duty as both host and musical guest. Past season 50 musical guests have included Tate McRae, GloRilla, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish, among others. In the upcoming weeks, Lizzo, Elton John, and Brandi Carlile are set to perform on episodes hosted by Jon Hamm and Jack Black.
Watch Morgan Wallen’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Looks like running — and playing Forrest Gump — runs in the Hanks family. In the “You Better Run” music video for Chet Hanks’ band Something Out West, the singer tapped his famous father Tom Hanks to re-create scenes from Forrest Gump more than 30 years after the actor starred in the iconic film. The […]