Top Gun And Batman Star Val Kilmer Dies At 65

Val Kilmer_ Top Gun, Batman and The Doors actor dies aged 65

Val Kilmer, the acclaimed actor known for his roles in Top Gun and Batman Forever, has passed away at the age of 65.

He starred in several iconic films of the 1980s and 90s, including The Doors, where he portrayed Jim Morrison, as well as Tombstone and Heat.

According to his daughter Mercedes, Kilmer died of pneumonia on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but later recovered.

A tracheotomy procedure affected his voice and limited his acting career, but he made a memorable return to the screen in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), reprising his role as Iceman alongside Tom Cruise.

Paying tribute, Heat director Michael Mann said: “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.

“After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news,” Mann wrote on Instagram.

Actor Josh Gad posted: “RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon.”

“See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you”, US actor Josh Brolin wrote alongside a picture of himself and Kilmer on Instagram.

“You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There’s not a lot left of those”, he added.

Actor James Woods wrote: “His rendition of Doc Holliday in Tombstone was what every actor dreams of achieving. So many wonderful performances. Sad to lose him so soon.”

Val Edward Kilmer was born on December 31, 1959, and raised in a middle-class family in Los Angeles.

His parents were Christian Scientists, a faith he followed throughout his life.

At 17, he became the youngest student at the time to be admitted to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, where he honed his acting skills.

Kilmer first gained recognition in the comedies Top Secret! (1984) and Real Genius (1985) before achieving stardom as Iceman, the rival to Tom Cruise’s Maverick in Top Gun (1986), one of the defining films of the decade.

He later starred in Willow and Kill Me Again, both alongside British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he married in 1988. The couple had two children.

Kilmer showcased his versatility when he delivered a striking performance as rock legend Jim Morrison in The Doors, released two decades after Morrison’s death.

He continued his streak of memorable roles with Tombstone, where he played gunslinger Doc Holliday, and Heat, in which he starred alongside acting heavyweights Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

In 1995, Kilmer stepped into the role of Batman, taking over from Michael Keaton in Batman Forever. While the film was a box office success, it received mixed reviews, and Kilmer ultimately declined to return for the next installment.

In The Saint (1997), he portrayed a master criminal and disguise expert, a character inspired by Leslie Charteris’ novels and the 1960s TV series starring Roger Moore.

He also lent his voice to both God and Moses in the animated epic The Prince of Egypt (1998). However, his role as Marlon Brando’s deranged sidekick in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) became associated with one of Hollywood’s most infamous production disasters.

Director John Frankenheimer, who helmed The Island of Dr. Moreau, famously declared he would never work with Kilmer again, reinforcing the actor’s reputation for being difficult on set.

In 2005, Kilmer took on the role of a gay private detective in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, starring alongside Robert Downey Jr., who played a petty thief. The film became a cult classic, praised for its sharp dialogue and noir-inspired storytelling.

In 2021, he released Val, a deeply personal documentary that chronicled the highs and lows of his career and personal life. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, the film featured 40 years of home recordings, including footage of Kilmer speaking with a voice box following his throat cancer surgery.

Despite his health struggles, Kilmer remained dedicated to acting. His emotional return as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) was a particularly poignant moment, allowing him to reunite with Tom Cruise and revisit one of his most iconic roles.

Cruise said at the time: “I’ve known Val for decades, and for him to come back and play that character… he’s such a powerful actor that he instantly became that character again.”