Hollywood actor Val Kilmer, famous for his roles in movies like Top Gun and Batman Forever, among others, has died at 65. His daughter reportedly said that the cause was pneumonia.
Additionally, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent two tracheotomies before recovering. Here’s everything about it!
Val Kilmer dies at 65
Instagram/valkilmerofficial
As per the New York Times, Val Kilmer, the charismatic leading man, who won hearts all around the globe with characters like Jim Morrison and Batmanduring his short-lived career, died on Tuesday.
He rose to fame soon after playing the competitive naval aviator Tom Iceman Kazansky alongside Tom Cruise in Tony Scott’s 1986 mega box-office hit Top Gun.
In 2015, he was reportedly diagnosed with throat cancer, a revelation that came to light after the premiere of Val, a moving documentary about his life, featured at Cannes in July 2021. The film poignantly depicted him requiring a breathing tube. You must have come across it if you’re a fan!
Mr. Kilmer made his feature debut in a slapstick Cold War spy-movie spoof, Top Secret! (1984), which starred him as a charming American singer in Berlin, unwittingly involved in an East German plot to reunify the country.
More about Val Kilmer
Instagram/valkilmerofficial
Val hailed from the San Fernando Valley. He grew up in the shadow of Hollywood, and soon became famous as Robert De Niro’s nasty henchman in Michael Mann’s Heat (1995); as Marlon Brando’s insane assistant in John Frankenheimer’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996); as the suave crook Simon Templar in Phillip Noyce’s The Saint (1997); and as the homosexual detective Gay Perry in Shane Black’s tribute to film noir, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005).
Kilmer also impressively channeled Elvis Presley in Scott’s True Romance (1993).
He was married to British actress Joanne Whalley from 1988 until their divorce in 1996. The couple first met while working on Willow and tied the knot a few months later.
Social and lead image credits: Instagram/valkilmerofficial
