Val Kilmer, the iconic American actor known for his roles in Top Gun and Batman Forever, has died at the age of 65, the New York Times reports. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, revealed that he passed away from complications of pneumonia. Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but had previously overcome the illness.
Kilmer’s career began on the stage, but his breakthrough in Hollywood came with the 1984 Cold War parody Top Secret! Two years later, he rose to fame as the confident yet mostly silent Iceman in Top Gun, where he played Tom Cruise’s rival, Maverick.
A talented and versatile actor, Kilmer went on to take on diverse roles, including Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors and the role of the masked vigilante in Batman Forever, portraying Bruce Wayne after Michael Keaton and before George Clooney.
Val Kilmer was the youngest person ever accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, where he aspired to make serious films. However, he found himself in a series of blockbusters and expensive flops during the early 2000s.
Despite a series of low-budget films in the following years, Val Kilmer began making a comeback in the 2010s with a successful stage show about Mark Twain, which he hoped to adapt into a film. However, his battle with cancer derailed his plans.
A 2021 documentary titled Val, which chronicled his rise to fame and subsequent struggles in Hollywood, showcased Kilmer’s health challenges, including his difficulty speaking due to his throat condition. Kilmer made a memorable return to the big screen in 2021 with a cameo in Top Gun: Maverick, reprising his beloved role as Iceman in the sequel to the 1986 classic.
