22 hours Ago By Alex Portée
Val Kilmer, the actor best known for his iconic roles as Jim Morrison in “The Doors” and Iceman in “Top Gun,” died April 1 from pneumonia, his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, told the Associated Press . He was 65. In 2015, the actor was diagnosed with throat cancer , a condition he initially kept private but later publicly addressed.
The 2021 documentary titled “Val” premiered at Cannes Film Festival and chronicled his health issues. It also depicted his use of a voice box to speak. In a vo iceover for the film's trailer , he can be heard saying, “I was recently diagnosed with throat cancer.
I’m still recovering, and it is difficult to talk and to be understood.” Born in Los Angeles, Kilmer became the youngest s tudent to attend Juilliard School‘s Drama Division at the time he enrolled. The charismatic star, who had a reputation for being difficult to work with, appeared in a wide range of films, making a name for himself early in his career in comedies like “Top Secret!” and “Real Genius.
” His star rose considerably after he played Iceman, a cocky pilot known for his flying precision and iconic bite, in the 1986 smash “Top Gun.” Iceman became beloved for his rivalry with Tom Cruise’s Maverick. Kilmer reprised the role in a small part in the 2022 sequel “Top Gun: Maverick.
” That would be his last film. "Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman," the “Top Gun” X account wrote in honor of the actor.
Kilmer also scored a memorable role as rock icon Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s “The Doors.” "He looks so uncannily like Jim Morrison that we feel this is not a case of casting, but of possession," famed film critic Roger Ebert wrote of Kilmer's performance in the movie in his review. "The performance is the best thing in the movie — and since nearly every scene centers on Morrison, that is not small praise.
Val Kilmer has always had a remarkable talent, which until now has been largely overlooked." Kilmer also portrayed sickly Doc Holliday in the Western “Tombstone” and, in 1995, he played the Caped Crusader in “Batman Forever,” taking over the role from Michael Keaton, who starred as the title character in the first two movies in the franchise. “Batman Forever” was a hit, but Kilmer did not return to the role.
In addition, Kilmer starred opposite such heavyweights as Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the crime drama “Heat,” playing a high-end thief. He also starred in "The Ghost and the Darkness," "The Saint," "True Romance" and "At First Sight." In 1988, the same year he starred in the cult classic film "Willow," he married actor Joanne Whalley, who also appeared in the film.
They later divorced in 1996. Kilmer and Whalley had two children together, including daughter Mercedes and 29-year-old actor Jack Kilmer..
