Val Kilmer, the actor best known for his iconic roles as Jim Morrison in โThe Doorsโ and Iceman in โTop Gun,โ died April 1 from pneumonia, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, told the Associated Press. He was 65.
In 2015, the actor was diagnosed with throat cancer, a condition he initially kept private but later publicly addressed. The 2021 documentary titled โValโ premiered at Cannes Film Festival and chronicled his health issues. It also depicted his use of a voice box to speak.
In a voiceover for the film’s trailer, he can be heard saying, โI was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. Iโm still recovering, and it is difficult to talk and to be understood.โ
Born in Los Angeles, Kilmer became the youngest student to attendย Juilliard Schoolโs Drama Division at the time he enrolled.
The charismatic star, who had a reputation for being difficult to work with, appeared in a wide range of films, making a name for himself early in his career in comedies like โTop Secret!โ and โReal Genius.โ His star rose considerably after he played Iceman, a cocky pilot known for his flying precision and iconic bite, in the 1986 smash โTop Gun.โ Iceman became beloved for his rivalry with Tom Cruiseโs Maverick. Kilmer reprised the role in a small part in the 2022 sequel โTop Gun: Maverick.โ That would be his last film.
“Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman,” the โTop Gunโ X account wrote in honor of the actor.
Kilmer also scored a memorable role as rock icon Jim Morrison in Oliver Stoneโs โThe Doors.โ
“He looks so uncannily like Jim Morrison that we feel this is not a case of casting, but of possession,” famed film critic Roger Ebert wrote of Kilmer’s performance in the movie in his review.
“The performance is the best thing in the movie โ and since nearly every scene centers on Morrison, that is not small praise. Val Kilmer has always had a remarkable talent, which until now has been largely overlooked.”
Kilmer also portrayed sickly Doc Holliday in the Western โTombstoneโ and, in 1995, he played the Caped Crusader in โBatman Forever,โ taking over the role from Michael Keaton, who starred as the title character in the first two movies in the franchise. โBatman Foreverโ was a hit, but Kilmer did not return to the role.
In addition, Kilmer starred opposite such heavyweights as Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the crime drama โHeat,โ playing a high-end thief. He also starred in “The Ghost and the Darkness,” “The Saint,” “True Romance” and “At First Sight.”
In 1988, the same year he starred in the cult classic film “Willow,” he married actor Joanne Whalley, who also appeared in the film. They later divorced in 1996.
Kilmer and Whalley had two children together, including daughter Mercedes and 29-year-old actor Jack Kilmer.
About The Author
