Val Kilmer, a successful and one-of-a-kind star of the film industry, has died from pneumonia aged 65. His death was confirmed by his daughter Mercedes on Tuesday.
Kilmer was a household name during the 80’s and 90’s who had a versatile and unpredictable acting career. He is widely-seen as a charismatic and inspiring actor who left a huge mark in the industry.
A familiar face for many who grew up in the 1980s, from his iconic role as Iceman in Top Gun (1986) to the rest of his well-known roles throughout his versatile film career including Batman Forever (1995), Tombstone (1993), Heat (1995), and The Doors (1991).
He started his film career with comedy films before he transitioned to more dramatic roles, and later performed in a range of action and adventure, crime, and western films. His films grossed at more than $3.8 billion worldwide.
He infiltrated Hollywood with his iconic role as Iceman in Top Gun, which skyrocketed his career earning him global attention instantly making him a superstar and a magazine front cover regular, catching admiration from anyone who watched him.
Though Kilmer originally was not interested in the flyer role as it was just ‘military propaganda’ to him, he was eventually convinced and gave the most electric performance that could not have been met by any other actor.
The diversity of his acting abilities hit a new level when he introduced his uncanny singing skills when he took on the role of musician Jim Morrison in the 1991 biopic The Doors. Kilmer immersed himself in the role by memorising all song lyrics and wearing Morrison’s style of clothes for almost a year.
He was heavily praised for the role, and he actually left the members of The Doors with trouble trying to distinguish his voice from Morrison’s.
He later gained higher recognition after a short hiatus when he took to the cape in Batman Forever, which immediately became a box office hit and one of his highest-profile roles.
In 2014, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer which he battled with for 11 years before recovering. He underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy and also had a tracheostomy which left his vocal cords damaged.
Many actors who admired and worked alongside Kilmer have paid tribute to the actor and the radiant effect that he left on his colleagues and on set he walked on.
His fellow actor Tom Cruise said: “I can’t tell you how much I admired his work, how much I thought of him as a human being and how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun. Thank you, Val – wish you well on your next journey”.
Actor Josh Brolin, wrote on Instagram: “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.”
He briefly returned for the 2022 sequel of Top Gun: Maverick, but was unable to speak without alterations due to his cancer struggles.
He was born in Los Angeles in 1959 and later attended the Julliard school, and he became the youngest student to ever be admitted into the institution’s Drama Division at just 17 years old.
His professional acting career started on theatre stages before he gained roles in comedies, after he denied a part in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 movie The Outsiders due to having theatre commitments.
He continued participating on broadway throughout his career, such as role in The Slab Boys (1983) with Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon, and his role as Hamlet at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (1988).
In 2021, a documentary was released on the actor’s life. Val, was constructed using a range from his personal camcorder video footage from throughout his life and career, which illustrated Kilmer as a creative person who had a curious soul.
The legacy of Val Kilmer will never be forgotten, and he lives on through his daughter Mercedes and his son Jack.
Featured image credit: Getty Images
Third year journalism student at Stirling University
