Prolific American actor Val Kilmer, known for his roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever, and The Doors, has passed away at the age of 65. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed to The New York Times on Tuesday that he succumbed to pneumonia.
Kilmer had battled throat cancer following a diagnosis in 2014 but later recovered. His fight with the disease, which resulted in a tracheotomy, affected his ability to speak, yet he remained a resilient and influential figure in Hollywood.
A Life on Stage and Screen
Born Val Edward Kilmer on December 31, 1959, he started acting as a child in commercials before becoming the youngest student ever accepted into Juilliard’s prestigious drama department. He made his Broadway debut in 1983 alongside Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon.
Despite his aspirations for serious cinema, Kilmer initially found himself cast in blockbuster action films and big-budget flops during the early 2000s. However, he was making a comeback in the 2010s, particularly with a successful one-man stage show about Mark Twain, which he hoped to adapt into a film before his illness intervened.
A Legacy of Resilience and Artistry
In 2021, the documentary Val premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, offering an intimate look at his meteoric rise in Hollywood and his later struggles. Variety described him as “a man who was dealt his cosmic comeuppance and came through it.”
His triumphant return to the big screen came with Top Gun: Maverick (2022), where he reprised his iconic role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. The film incorporated Kilmer’s real-life health challenges, giving him what GQ described as “a celluloid swan song that will stand the test of time.”
On his personal website, Kilmer reflected on his life’s journey, calling it “magical.”
“For more than half a century, I have been honing my art, no matter the medium. Be it literature, movies, poetry, painting, music, or tracking exotic and beautiful wildlife,” he wrote.
Kilmer is survived by his two children, Mercedes and Jack Kilmer.
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