One of Hollywood’s most iconic stars has passed away. The renowned actor Val Kilmer, who starred in Batman Forever, Heat, and Top Gun, died at the age of 64.
Mercedes Kilmer, his daughter, reports that the adored celebrity passed away on Tuesday due to complications from pneumonia.
Throughout his decades-long career, Kilmer enthralled audiences with his indisputable talent, charisma, and adaptability. His roles, which ranged from portraying the arrogant fighter pilot Iceman in Top Gun to playing the sullen Dark Knight in Batman Forever, had a profound effect on popular culture.
A Battle With Illness
Kilmer’s fight with throat cancer was made public in 2017. However, his daughter subsequently disclosed that he had received a diagnosis in 2014.
Val Kilmer famously said, “I woke up and vomited blood all over the bed like it was in The Godfather.”
According to USA Today, he stated that “blood dripped down my body, my vision blurred, my energy drained” and that an ambulance was called.
Even after receiving treatment and ultimately healing, the illness affected his voice, making it harder for him to act and make public appearances.
He never allowed it to break his spirit, though.
Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise on the set of Top Gun, directed by Tony Scott. (Photo by Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
In 2022, Kilmer made a triumphant return to the big screen, reprising his iconic role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick. Though his health struggles had limited his ability to speak, his presence in the film was deeply emotional.
“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 in 2023 of the pair’s reunion in the blockbuster movie.
”I was crying, I was crying. I got emotional,” Cruise
According to his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, Val Kilmer passed away from pneumonia on Tuesday, April 1, as reported by A Career to Remember
Kilmer started his career as a Broadway star before making his big-screen debut in the 1984 comedy Top Secret!, in which he portrayed a rock star enmeshed in a flurry of espionage and action. From there, he cemented himself as a Hollywood powerhouse with unforgettable performances in Willow, The Doors, Tombstone, and The Saint.
Even beyond Hollywood, Kilmer was a man of deep talent and enthusiasm. He pursued painting, poetry, and even penned a book, I’m Your Huckleberry, allowing fans an intimate peek into his life, difficulties, and accomplishments.
His Influence Is Still Present
In 2021, the critically acclaimed documentary Val was released, presenting a raw and personal look at Kilmer’s life through decades of his own video. The film’s numerous accolades further solidified his reputation as a star and as a resilient, passionate person.
Outside of the spotlight, Kilmer spent a lot of time with his two kids, Jack and Mercedes, applying the same commitment to fatherhood that he did to his work.
Hollywood and admirers around the world are grieving the passing of a great legend. Val Kilmer wasn’t just an actor — he was a force of nature, a storyteller, and an artist who left an indelible mark on the industry.
