Val Kilmer death latest: Jim Carrey, Nicolas Cage and Cher lead tributes to Top Gun and Batman Forever star
Hollywood actor, known for his intense performances and iconic roles, dies of pneumonia
Celebrated Hollywood actor Val Kilmer, known for his intense performances and iconic roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever and Heat, died of pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed.
The American actor, also famed for his performances in Willow, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Tombstone and as Jim Morrison in The Doors, died at the age of 65.
Kilmer rose to stardom in the 1980s and 1990s, earning a reputation for his dedication to his craft as well as on-set tensions with directors and co-stars.
“When certain people criticise me for being demanding, I think that’s a cover for something they didn’t do well,” he told the Orange County Register in 2003. “I believe I’m challenging, not demanding, and I make no apologies for that.”
His breakthrough came with the 1984 comedy Top Secret! and the sci-fi comedy Real Genius (1985), but it was his portrayal of “Iceman” in Top Gun (1986) that cemented his star status. Decades later, he reprised the role in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) alongside Tom Cruise in what would be his final film.
Kilmer also took on the challenging role of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991), using his own singing voice for the film.
He was married to British actress Joanne Whalley, his co-star in Willow (1988). The couple had two children before divorcing.
Footage of Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison goes viral
Fans are sharing their many tributes to Val Kilmer and naming their favourite performances of the star.
One particular clip of him playing Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic about the singer and his band The Doors has gone viral.
Val Kilmer’s portrayal of Jim Morrison in The Doors doesn’t receive the appreciation it truly deserves.
— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) April 2, 2025
pic.twitter.com/tGOhK9MD6t
Kilmer's daughter hoped father's 2020 role would oped doors for 'actors with disabilities'
One of Kilmer’s final roles was in the 2020 crime thriller Pay Dirt, which was his first part after undergoing a tracheotomy, following his battle with throat cancer, which left him unable to talk freely.
Speaking to Too Fab in 2020, Mercedes Kilmer, who also starred in the film said: “To actually, really comprehend how little training I had working with disabled actors and how appalling that is, it really, as an artist, it challenged me. My dad has had to circumvent his speech by creatively using his other senses and using other avenues of communication, which is very fascinating as an actor."
She added: “Hiring more disabled actors only enlivens the work and inspires more different kinds of communication. And I'm really genuinely proud to have been a part of this movie for my personal reasons of working with my dad and everything we just talked about, but I'm also just really proud to have been involved in a film that has a lead actor with a disability. And hopefully it's like heralding a bigger shift in the entertainment industry.”
Willow: Why Val Kilmer had to be written out of reboot TV series ‘late in the process’
Kilmer starred in the 1988 fantasy film Willow as Madmartigan alongside lead star Warwick Davis.
The film was rebooted in 2022 as a television series on Disney+ however Kilmer was nowhere to be seen.
Showrunner Jonathan Kasdan explained Kilmer’s absence, revealing that the actor decided to stay indoors during the pandemic.
“As Covid overtook the world, it became insurmountable,” Kasdan told Entertainment Weekly.
“We were prepping in the spring of the year that it was most happening. And Val reluctantly didn’t feel he could come out.”
Why Val Kilmer had to be written out of Willow series ‘late in the process’
Industrial Light & Magic 'deeply saddened' by Kilmer's death
The visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic have posted their tribute to Kilmer.
On Threads, the company wrote: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and colleague, Val Kilmer. From his memorable roles as Madmartigan, Iceman, Doc Holliday, and Jim Morrison, Val cemented himself as one of the greats. He will be deeply missed and our thoughts are with his family at this time.”
A lookback at Kilmer's life and career
Mike Drucker: Val Kilmer 'always understood the assignment'
On Bluesky, Emmy-nominated TV writer and comedian Mike Drucker wrote, “Val Kilmer felt like an actor who, no matter what the material, always understood the assignment.”
Val Kilmer gave Kurt Russell a symbolic gift after filming 'Tombstone'
One of Kilmer’s best roles was as dentist-turned-gunslinger Doc Holliday in the 1993 western Tombstone.
He starred in the film opposite Kurt Russell who played American lawman and folk hero Wyatt Earp.
Speaking to GQ in 2024 Russell recalled that Kilmer had bought him an acre of land after filming had wrapped.
“When you’re working with people, you’d get them, sometimes at the end of the show, you get them trade gifts,” said Russell.
The Death Proof actor revealed that he had bought Kilmer a burial plot in Boothill Graveyard in Tombstone, Arizona. Unknown to Russell, was that the acre of land Kilmer had bought for him directly overlooked Boothill.
“Doc Holliday was all about death, but Wyatt’s all about life,” he said. “I guess that pretty much says it all.”
Russell added: “If you’re asking me if it was great working with Val Kilmer… the answer is absolutely.”
Val Kilmer regretted turning down cult classic movie in the 1980s: ‘I was just too shy’
Throughout his four-decade career in Hollywood, Val Kilmer starred in a number of beloved films – from action thriller (Top Gun) to fantasy adventures (Willow) to screwball comedies (Top Secret!).
But Kilmer also turned down a role that may have defined his career – a lead part in the 1986 noir Blue Velvet, directed by David Lynch.
Blue Velvet follows a young man named Jeffrey, whose discovery of a severed human ear leads him down a disturbing path of crime, voyeurism, sadism, and sexual violence.
Kilmer turned down the project due to the explicit subject matter involved, and is said to have described the script as “pornography”.
However, he later opened up about his regret at the decision, telling Attitude: “Blue Velvet is a wonderful film. I had a crazy, crazy crush on [Isabella Rosselini, the film’s female lead], so I would have done it for free.
“I was very naive when I was younger. I said ‘no’ to a ton of really wonderful directors and looking back now, I can't remember the reasons why.”
Louis Chilton reports:
Val Kilmer regretted turning down cult classic movie in the 1980s
Kilmer's final Instagram post flooded with tributes from fans
Kilmer’s final post on Instagram - which was a picture of one of his paintings - has been flooded with emotional tributes from his fans.
In the post, which Kilmer shared just one week ago, he wrote: “It’s got that late-night glow.Cool tones with a low burn, like when the camp fire cools down but you’re still wide awake.”
Fans have since used the post to share their tributes and memories of the star in the comments.
One person wrote: “Rest in peace, Val. Thank you for your art, your heart, your spirit, your boldness, your depth, your humanity.”
A second said: “RIP thank you for making my childhood so much fun with Real Genius, Thunderheart, The Ghost and the Darkness, and of course Top Gun and Batman.”
A third added: “Rest in Peace, you amazing artist and human!”
Val Kilmer’s cause of death revealed in daughter’s emotional tribute to Top Gun star
Val Kilmer’s cause of death has been revealed by his daughter in an emotional tribute to the actor.
Mercedes Kilmer confirmed to press that her father, whose other credits included True Romance and Heat, died of pneumonia. He was 65.
Kilmer’s death comes after health struggles, documented in 2021 film Val. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and lost his voice after undergoing a tracheotomy.
He initially kept the diagnosis private, but came forward with his story to spread awareness of the disease.
Jacob Stolworthy reports:
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