Val Kilmer – movie icon, Batman and Top Gun star – dies aged 65 after illness

Filmmaker Joel Schumacher, known for directing Batman Forever and the critically panned Batman & Robin, has expressed that Val Kilmer was the finest Batman portrayed on-screen.

Instead, it was the role of Iceman in the film Top Gun, a fighter pilot drama, that arguably made the actor most famous, as he took on the character who served as the rival to Maverick, played by Tom Cruise.

Regrettably, in 2014, Kilmer received a diagnosis of throat cancer that required tracheotomy surgery. After recovery, this health issue significantly impacted the pace of his acting career.

Initially, he focused on smaller productions according to the process, but he also had a notable cameo in the delayed 2022 release of Top Gun: Maverick. His own health story was mirrored through his character in that film.

According to his daughter Mercedes Kilmer, he died in Los Angeles – the city of his birth and upbringing – on April 1st, due to complications from pneumonia.

Besides being recognized for various roles, the actor was also involved in projects such as the fantasy adventure “Willow”, crime movies like “True Romance”, “Heat”, and “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”, the zany comedy “Top Secret!”, and the musical biography “The Doors”.

2021 saw him creating, scripting, and starring in a Prime Video documentary named “Val.” This production garnered positive feedback from critics and traced the peaks and troughs of his professional journey.

1996’s horror movie “The Island of Dr. Moreau” falls under the category of problematic productions, with Val Kilmer sharing the screen with the legendary actor Marlon Brando – a pairing notorious for their on-set disputes.

Actors from Hollywood, such as Josh Gad of Frozen fame and Matthew Modine from Stranger Things, have honored the actor by calling him an “icon” and acknowledging his role in helping Modine land a part in the movie Full Metal Jacket.

Simultaneously, Director Michael Mann (through THR) expressed his admiration for Val Kilmer in Heat: “As we collaborated, I was consistently amazed by the depth and versatility of Val’s acting abilities, a strong and dynamic force that beautifully shaped and conveyed his character.

It’s deeply unfortunate that, after all those years of Val bravely fighting illness and keeping his spirits high, we now receive such disheartening news.