Hollywood actor Val Kilmer, who starred in “Top Gun” and “Batman Forever,” has died at age 65.
Kilmer succumbed to pneumonia on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter Mercedes confirmed to the New York Times.
The actor had a six-year bout with throat cancer after being diagnosed in 2015.
The condition had affected his ability to speak due to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which required two tracheotomies. In 2021, he declared he was cancer-free.
Kilmer succumbed to pneumonia on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter Mercedes, 33, confirmed. Getty Images
Kilmer earned his stripes as one of Hollywood’s most successful actors in the 1990s — however his rise to stardom suffered several setbacks after a series of public feuds with co-stars and directors.
Over the years, the actor was known to be temperamental and intense, to which he responded in 2003, “When certain people criticize me for being demanding, I think that’s a cover for something they didn’t do well. I think they’re trying to protect themselves.”
“I believe I’m challenging, not demanding, and I make no apologies for that,” Kilmer told the Orange County Register newspaper at the time.
Born in Los Angeles in 1959, Kilmer got his start in theater work before making his big screen debut as rock star Nick Rivers in Jim Abrahams’s spy spoof film “Top Secret!” in 1984.
In 1986, Kilmer was propelled to global stardom for his role as Lt. Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in “Top Gun.” Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
The film, in which Kilmer starred opposite Tom Cruise, became the highest-grossing movie that year. Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
Two years later, Kilmer was propelled to global stardom for his role as Lt. Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in “Top Gun” — which became the highest-grossing movie of 1986.
Despite the film’s monumental success, the actor had to be talked into signing on for the movie.
Kilmer also landed a role in the science fiction comedy “Real Genius” in 1985, before starring in Ron Howard’s fantasy film “Willow” in 1988.
Kilmer met his wife, Joanne Whalley, on the set of “Willow.” After the pair wed, they welcomed two children before ultimately divorcing in 1996.
Kilmer later received praise for his portrayal of Jim Morrison in the 1991 biopic, “The Doors.” He reportedly submitted an 8-minute audition tape for the role.
The actor’s other acting credits include the 1993 film “True Romance” and the 1995 film “Heat,” alongside Robert De Niro.
Later that year, Kilmer’s career was boosted even further after actor Michael Keaton dropped out of Joel Schumacher’s “Batman Forever” — prompting Kilmer to step in.
The film went on to become a box office smash, grossing over $336 million.
“Everything was different about this job than I’d experienced before. The size of the character and how strange it was that Michael Keaton had decided not to do it — I just said yes, without reading the script,” he told Entertainment Tonight in 1995.
Kilmer’s other acting credits include the science-fiction horror film “The Island of Dr. Moreau,” in which he starred opposite Marlon Brando.
In the 2000s, Kilmer starred in a crime comedy titled “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” for which he won a Satellite Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor gong.
More recently, he reprised his role as Kazansky in the 2022 blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick.” The film grossed nearly $1.5 billion at the box office worldwide.
However, after his speech was severely affected by cancer treatment, Kilmer had limited dialogue in the film but spoke with the help of artificial intelligence models.
“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. You’re looking at Iceman,” Cruise said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2023. “I was crying. I got emotional. He’s such a brilliant actor, and I love his work.”
Kilmer is survived by his daughter Mercedes, 33, and son Jack, 29.
