Val Kilmer has died at the age of 65. The legendary actor appeared in some of the biggest hits of the ’80s and ’90s, including Top Gun and Batman Forever.
He began his career on the stage, before his breakthrough in Top Gun and Real Genius in the mid-’80s. However, it was his performances in Willow (1988) and as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991) that really secured him as a name to watch. He played Batman in 1995’s Batman Forever, as well as starring in iconic movies like True Romance, Heat, and Kiss Kiss Bang.
In recent years, Kilmer hasn’t appeared on screen much, but he did make a memorable appearance in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. He reunited with Tom Cruise in the movie, reprising his role as fighter pilot Iceman. At the time, director Joseph Kosinski told GamesRadar+ that it was a “really memorable day” filming the scene.
He shared: “To get a chance to work with him was a dream come true, to do it with him playing Iceman and to be able to do it in a scene where he and Tom are together to people who have so much respect for each other, and to have it be a reunion of not only two characters, but two men in real life… [It was a] really emotional day.”
News of Kilmer’s death was shared by his daughter Mercedes, who confirmed he had died of pneumonia. Kilmer previously had throat cancer but later recovered.
Tributes have poured in for the star, including from Heat director Michael Mann. “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,” he said via Variety. “After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news.”
Josh Brolin also reacted to the news on Instagram, writing: “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.”
Our thoughts are with Kilmer’s family at this time.
