Val Kilmer Death: Jesse Watters Mocked for The Lost Boys Gaffe During Tribute

Jesse Watters mistakenly claims Val Kilmer starred in The Lost Boys during tribute segment, gets trolled online.

Ipshita Chakraborty
Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist
Published on Apr 04, 2025 | 12:36 PM GMT | 4K
CC: Getty Images
CC: Getty Images

Fox News host Jesse Watters is being mocked on social media after incorrectly stating that Val Kilmer appeared in the 1987 comedy-horror movie The Lost Boys during a tribute to the late actor on an on-air segment. Filmmaker William Oliver Stone was also on the panel with Watters.

In discussing Kilmer's legacy with filmmaker Oliver Stone, Watters said he loved the 1987 cult vampire classic, incorrectly linking Kilmer to the movie. Directed by Joel Schumacher, the film has become a cult classic 21 years after its release.

Advertisement

However, the original cast of the movie includes Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Edward Herrmann, Corey Haim, Barnard Hughes, Jason Patric, and more.

Watters said live on air, "Well, [Kilmer] was a great actor. Lost Boys was one of my favorite films when I was growing up. And, you know, God bless his family."

Audience and fans were swift to spot the mistake and rush to Kilmer's filmography page to confirm that he never starred in the movie. Social media users theorized that Watters had mixed the Top Gun star up with Sutherland, while others expressed surprise at such a blunder.

"I caught that, I knew kilmer wasn't in the lost boys. I was thinking am I missing something here did Oliver Stone direct Lost Boys and was that what he meant. Obviously not. Jesse just confused kilmer with Sutherland," an user wrote on X.


One of the commenters observed that making such an error when communicating with a legendary director like Stone was especially inconsiderate.

Advertisement

Others said that false claims such as this had the potential to mislead audiences, particularly when discussing to pay tribute to a performer's legacy.

One X user wrote, "Jesse Jesse Jesse.... later on tonight's episode while talking to Oliver Stone when remembering Val Kilmer Jesse mentioned Val was a Great actor, and The Lost Boys was one of his favorite films growing up...... Psst Val Kilmer wasn't in The Lost Boys."

Kilmer passed away due to pneumonia, as his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed to The New York Times. He had previously championed throat cancer following a decades-long battle.

Val Kilmer's own career lasted decades, and he was hailed by many as a serious method actor who dived completely into his performances. The mistake made in Watters' segment drew attention to many fans who were watching to pay respects to the departed star and his influence in Hollywood.

ALSO READ: Val Kilmer Death: Batman Forever Star Remembered with Heartfelt Tributes from Josh Brolin, Michael Mann, Josh Gad, and More

About The Author
Ipshita Chakraborty
Ipshita Chakraborty
Entertainment Journalist

Ipshita is an Entertainment Journalist at Pinkvilla with an M.Phil in English Literature. They speci...

Advertisement

Latest Articles