Kilmer’s daughter has confirmed the news of the legendary actor’s passing.Kilmer’s daughter has confirmed the news of the legendary actor’s passing.

His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed to The New York Times that the cause of death was pneumonia.

Kilmer – the intense and often enigmatic actor whose roles ranged from rock legend Jim Morrison to the caped crusader in Batman Forever – who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, had recovered after chemotherapy and trachea surgery that limited his vocal capabilities.

 

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Born in Los Angeles in 1959, Kilmer was a prodigious talent from a young age, becoming one of the youngest students ever admitted to the Juilliard School’s acting program at just 17. He began his career on stage, but it wasn’t long before Hollywood came calling.

Kilmer made his film debut in the spy spoof Top Secret! (1984), followed by the cult comedy Real Genius (1985). But it was his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun (1986), opposite Tom Cruise, that catapulted him to international stardom.

Decades later, he reprised the role in the blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2022), where Iceman had risen to commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Kilmer and Cruise on the set of Top Gun.

As Kilmer’s star continued to rise, he landed the lead in Ron Howard and George Lucas’s fantasy epic Willow (1988), where he met his future wife and co-star, Joanne Whalley. The couple had two children, Mercedes and Jack, before divorcing in 1996.

Kilmer’s portrayal of The Doors frontman Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991) remains one of his most iconic roles. In an effort to land the part, Kilmer created an eight-minute video of himself dressed and singing like Morrison across different eras of his life. The result was so convincing that the film used Kilmer’s real singing voice throughout.

Val Kilmer has died at the age of 65.

The Doors marked the beginning of the peak of Kilmer’s career.

In the 1993 western Tombstone, he played gunfighter Doc Holliday, a performance that remains a fan favorite. By 1995, he starred alongside Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Michael Mann’s Heat, and the same year stepped into the batsuit for Batman Forever, succeeding Michael Keaton.

Though Batman Forever was a commercial success, it received mixed reviews and Kilmer didn’t return for the sequel.

Kilmer and Nicole Kidman for Batman Forever.

Instead, he took on the lead in The Saint and shared the screen with Marlon Brando in The Island of Dr. Moreau, a production that was widely panned and plagued by on-set tension.

Kilmer’s reputation as a difficult co-star followed him throughout his career. Joel Schumacher, who directed him in Batman Forever, once said: “I pray I don’t work with [Kilmer] again … we had two weeks where he did not speak to me, but it was bliss.”

Brando reportedly told Kilmer” “You are confusing your talent with the size of your paycheck,” while The Island of Dr. Moreau director John Frankenheimer declared: “I don’t like Val Kilmer, I don’t like his work ethic and I don’t want to be associated with him ever again.”

Kilmer, however, defended his approach to his craft. “When certain people criticize me for being demanding, I think that’s a cover for something they didn’t do well. I think they’re trying to protect themselves,” he told the Orange County Register in 2003. “I believe I’m challenging, not demanding, and I make no apologies for that.”

Ultimately, he backed himself, writing in his memoir I’m Your Huckleberry: “In an unflinching attempt to empower directors, actors and other collaborators to honor the truth and essence of each project, an attempt to breathe Suzukian life into a myriad of Hollywood moments, I had been deemed difficult and alienated the head of every major studio.”

Despite clashes with collaborators, his talent was undeniable.

Schumacher did later concede that Kilmer was the best Batman, and At First Sight director Irwin Winkler called working with him a “wonderful experience.”

“Some people expect an actor to be like a wooden Indian, to do what he’s told and never open his mouth,” Winkler said. “But Val has lots of great ideas and he should be listened to.”

Throughout the 2000s, Kilmer transitioned to more low-profile projects. In 2005, he starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. in Shane Black’s directorial debut, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and later performed a one-man stage show as Mark Twain in Citizen Twain (2012). He also had a brief role in Terrence Malick’s Song to Song (2017).

Kilmer’s life and career were the subject of the 2021 documentary Val, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to acclaim. It featured personal footage and reflections on his health struggles and artistic journey.

Outside of acting, Kilmer dabbled in politics. He appeared at rallies for Ralph Nader’s 2008 presidential campaign, expressed interest in running for governor of New Mexico in 2009, and in 2013, lobbied for religious exemptions to Obamacare.