Actor Val Kilmer, best known for his roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever, Willow, Tombstone, and more, died Tuesday April 1 in Los Angeles. That’s according to The New York Times. The NYT reports that his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, says the cause was pneumonia. Kilmer had previously been diagnosed with throat cancer, but recovered in 2014. Kilmer’s last appearance on-screen was reprising his role as Admiral Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick for a bittersweet scene opposite his character’s formal rival, Tom Cruise‘ Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Kilmer’s death marks a career that has spanned decades.
Kilmer was born Val Edward Kilmer on New Year’s Eve (December 31) 1959 in Los Angeles. His acting career began in the early 1980s. He would star in one of the 80s biggest blockbusters that didn’t have the word Star or Wars in it, Top Gun in 1986. The film would gross $357 million when it only took a reported $15 million to make. Kilmer would rise to independent notoriety, playing musician Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone‘s The Doors in 1991. Kilmer became one of the highest-paid actors of the 1990s, continuing his success with George P. Cosmatos‘ Tombstone, playing main character Doc Holliday alongside Kurt Russell, Sam Elliott, Powers Boothe, and Bill Paxton.
Val Kilmer Shined in Whatever He Did
The combination of Kilmer’s kind eyes, tall stature, and rock-star edge made for a great combination to fuel his acting career post-Top Gun and into the 1990s and beyond. His soft-but-dark demeanor played into his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever alongside Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris O’Donnell, and Nicole Kidman. There had been a mixed reception for what Kilmer was like offscreen on set, but At First Sight co-star Mira Sorvino told The A.V. Club in 2011, “My experience with him was nothing but positive. He was really professional and gentlemanly, and a terrific actor.” At First Sight was a departure from Kilmer’s well-known body of work as an action star. The 1999 romantic drama was directed by Irwin Winkler and based on an essay titled “To See and Not See” inspired by the life of Shirl Jennings, found in a collection of essays, An Anthropologist on Mars.
Kilmer is survived by his daughter Mercedes and his son Jack, both of whom are actors. Collider sends our thoughts and prayers to those who knew and loved him.
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