Val Kilmer, 'Top Gun' and 'Batman Forever' star, dies at 65 as daughter reveals cause of death

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Val Kilmer, the Hollywood star known for portraying characters such as Jim Morrison and Batman, died at 65 from pneumonia on Tuesday, April 1.

The 'Top Gun' actor's daughter, Mercedes, revealed the news to the New York Times after the actor's tragic demise. He was also diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014.

Val Kilmer's early life and career

Val Kilmer was raised in the San Fernando Valley in the shadow of Hollywood and was known for his meaty performances as Robert De Niro’s henchman in Michael Mann’s 'Heat' (1995), per The Hollywood Reporter.

His other notable works include Marlon Brando’s insane assistant in John Frankenheimer’s 'The Island of Dr Moreau' (1996), the suave crook Simon Templar in Phillip Noyce’s 'The Saint' (1997), and as detective Gay Perry in Shane Black’s 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' (2005).

The 'Batman Forever' star also channeled Elvis Presley in Tony Scott’s 'True Romance' in 1993, written by Quentin Tarantino, and cocaine-addicted adult film star John Holmes in 'Wonderland' in 2003.

Kilmer married British actress Joanne Whalley in 1988 and got divorced in 1996. The two met while working on 'Willow' and married months later.

Kilmer received a Grammy nomination in 2012 for Best Spoken Word for an audio production of 'Zorro'. His memoir, 'I'm Your Huckleberry', named for a line in 'Tombstone', was published in 2020.

The actor lived for several years on a ranch in New Mexico, where he continued to own land after selling most of the ranch. He also painted and helped oversee theater programs for high schoolers to perform Mark Twain and Shakespeare.

Kilmer’s life was commemorated in the 2021 documentary film 'Val', where the voiceover was given by his son.

The film used several hours of video Kilmer had recorded over the years, which gave a revealing look at the sets he worked on and showed the actor to be an introspective thinker with an artist’s soul, per Variety.

Fans pay tribute to Val Kilmer 

Many Val Kilmer fans paid tribute to the Hollywood actor after his tragic death from pneumonia at 65 on Tuesday, April 1.

A user wrote on X, "RIP Val Kilmer you are BATMAN FOREVER," while one added, "We have lost one of the true cinema legends. Rest in Peace Val Kilmer."

A person also stated, "I remember seeing Val Kilmer in 'Real Genius' in the movie theater and was in awe of his performance. RIP," whereas one mentioned, "RIP Val Kilmer, gone too soon. So many great roles, but probably none better than Doc in 'Tombstone.'"

A user also wrote, "Forever our Huckleberry, forever our Iceman, forever so many more wonderful characters… RIP. Val Kilmer. Sleep well," while one commented, "Wishing Val Kilmer a blessed journey to the land of beautiful souls."

A person also mentioned, "If there's a Mt Rushmore for actors who owned their roles, Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday should be on it. What a legend," whereas one added, "Aw man. A part of my youth is gone. RIP, Val Kilmer."

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