Val Kilmer Dies At 65

Val Kilmer has died at the age of 65. One of the most prominent Hollywood icons of the 1990s, Kilmer began his career in theater before launching a film career with his breakout role as Lt. Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in the ‘80s Tom Cruise classic Top Gun. He followed this up with another iconic role in the fantasy film Willow, before achieving critical acclaim playing Jim Morrison in The Doors, and then further acclaim in the role of hard-drinking gambler Doc Holliday in the cult ’90s Western Tombstone.

Per The New York Times, the actor pᴀssed away in Los Angeles on Tuesday night following a battle with pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes revealed. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and, according to Mercedes, had recovered from the illness, which forced him to effectively retire from performing.

Val Kilmer’s Career On The Big Screen

A Mix Of Blockbusters & Independent Films Defined His Career

Hitting his career peak between the late 1980s and late 1990s, Kilmer was one of the most successful and highest-paid actors in the world, and his leading man status secured him several prominent leading roles: playing the Dark Knight in the cast of Batman Forever; taking the leading role in The Saint; and starring alongside Michael Douglas in The Ghost and the Darkness. He also had prominent parts in movies like Heat, Red Planet, The Missing, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which is regarded as one of Kilmer’s best movies.

He will be looked back on as one of the most diversely talented leading men Hollywood ever produced.

In later years, Kilmer shied away from leading roles in blockbuster movies, favoring independent films and supporting roles in films like Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans, The Salton Sea, and The Snowman, as well as acting in a slew of direct-to-video horrors, thrillers, and action-thrillers. In 2022, he reprised his most famous role as Iceman in the action sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which grossed almost $1.5 billion to become the second highest-grossing movie of that year. It was his final film role.

Kilmer Leaves A Complex, Diverse Legacy On Screen

The Enigmatic Star Leaves An Often Underappreciated Body of Work

Batman Forever Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne with Alfred behind him

Kilmer was a charismatic and enigmatic leading man, but one who developed a reputation for being challenging on set. He also had a tendency to choose roles that were unexpected, and, as such, he boasted a varied and interesting body of work. Kilmer was in many ways a contradiction, but a man who left a strong body of work, much of which is often underappreciated. He will be looked back on as one of the most diversely talented leading men Hollywood ever produced.

Source: NYT