Val Kilmer, the charismatic and enigmatic leading man whose brief yet radiant career saw him lose himself in the portrayal of introspective and self-loathing characters such as Jim Morrison, the gunslinger Doc Holliday, and Batman, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 65. Renowned for his portrayal of the competitive Navy pilot Tom "Iceman" Kazansky alongside Tom Cruise in Tony Scott's 1986 box-office hit "Top Gun," Kilmer succumbed to pneumonia in Los Angeles, according to his daughter, actress Mercedes Kilmer, who shared the news with The New York Times. Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and was seen relying on a breathing tube in the emotional documentary "Val," released at the Cannes Film Festival in July 2021, which chronicled his life.
Growing up in the shadow of Hollywood's San Fernando Valley, Kilmer garnered acclaim for his profound acting prowess in numerous films. He played the vicious henchman to Robert De Niro in Michael Mann's "Heat" (1995), Marlon Brando's maniacal assistant in John Frankenheimer's "The Island of Dr. Moreau" (1996), the suave swindler Simon Templar in Phillip Noyce's "The Saint" (1997), and the homosexual detective Gay Perry in Shane Black's noir homage "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (2005). Kilmer also brought to life Elvis Presley in Scott's "True Romance" (1993), scripted by Quentin Tarantino, and portrayed porn star and cocaine addict John Holmes in "Wonderland" (2003).
Kilmer was married to British actress Joanne Whalley from 1988 until their divorce in 1996, after they met on the set of "Willow" and married within months. In Oliver Stone's "The Doors" (1991), with his long hair and tight black attire, Kilmer astonishingly embodied the iconic lead singer of the Los Angeles band, Morrison, who died of a drug overdose in 1971 at age 27. Kilmer prepared for the role for months and recorded his baritone voice over the original band's tapes for the film. Roger Ebert wrote in his review, "The soundtrack in the film blends Morrison's original voice so seamlessly with Kilmer's new one that we never have a moment of doubt that it's not all Kilmer. This illusion is enhanced by Kilmer's appearance. He looks so much like Jim Morrison that we feel it's not casting but possession. His performance is the best in the movie—and since almost every scene centers on Morrison, that's no small praise. Kilmer has always had extraordinary talent, most of which has been overlooked so far."
In the modern Western classic "Tombstone" (1993), Kilmer's portrayal of the ill-fated Doc Holliday, a sickly drunkard with a quick draw, was equally captivating and stole the show. "He works harder than most actors to make it believable," "Tombstone" director George P. Cosmatos told The Los Angeles Times in 1993. "He's one of the greatest actors in America, right up there with (Al) Pacino or De Niro."
Kilmer then took over from Michael Keaton to play the melancholic Dark Knight in Joel Schumacher's "Batman Forever" (1995), which grossed $336 million worldwide and ranked second only to "Toy Story" that year. "For me, Val Kilmer was the best Batman," Schumacher once said, despite rumored on-set conflicts between them. (Frankenheimer also had a falling out with Kilmer; after "The Island of Dr. Moreau," he said the two things he would never do again were "climb Mount Everest and work with Val Kilmer again.") While shooting "Batman Forever," the actor told Entertainment Tonight in 1995, "This job is different from anything I've ever done before. The character is so big, and it was so strange that Michael Keaton decided not to do it—I just said yes without even reading the script." When he couldn't agree on terms with Warner Bros., Kilmer ended his journey as Batman, opting not to return for Schumacher's "Batman & Robin" (1997), with George Clooney stepping in instead.
Val Edward Kilmer, a descendant of Cherokee, Irish, German, and Swedish heritage, embarked upon this world on New Year's Eve in 1959, in Chatsworth, a quaint L.A. suburb. His father, an aerospace engineer cum real estate developer, and his mother, a devoted homemaker, eventually parted ways when Val was just nine years old. Amidst this familial structure stood his elder brother and a younger sibling, Wesley, whose life was tragically cut short by an epileptic seizure that led to a drowning accident in the very swimming pool of their family home—a residence once owned by Western movie legends Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. At the time of this heart-wrenching event, Kilmer was on the cusp of departing for Juilliard in New York to pursue acting; at seventeen, he was the youngest aspirant to be admitted into the prestigious drama division.
Reflecting on this tumultuous period in a 2005 interview, he said, "It was an incredibly emotional era for me. The rigorous standards and dynamic environment of Juilliard, in a strange way, served as a catharsis. They compelled me to grapple with the profound questions of life and death, shaping my very beliefs."
During his tenure at Juilliard, Kilmer co-authored "How It All Began," a play inspired by the true tale of a West German radical. Under the direction of Des McAnuff and produced by Joseph Papp for The Public Theater, the play gained recognition. His Broadway debut came in 1983 with "Slab Boys," sharing the stage with luminaries like Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon.
Kilmer's cinematic journey commenced with a bang as Nick Rivers, a rockabilly teen idol, in the whimsical spy parody "Top Secret!" (1984) by Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers. Around this time, he was also romantically involved with Cher. He then starred in an ABC Afterschool Special titled "One Too Many," portraying a teenage alcoholic alongside Mare Winningham, followed by his role as a laid-back laser-tech genius in "Real Genius" (1985), directed by Martha Coolidge.
When Scott approached him for "Top Gun," Kilmer politely declined. "I told Tony during our meeting, 'Frankly, I'm not keen on this.' I admired his work immensely, but the film just wasn't for me," he recounted in a Times interview. "He reassured me, 'Don't worry, your hair will look fabulous.' He believed that little detail would sway me. His enthusiasm was contagious."
For many of his fans, Iceman remains his most iconic role: "Whenever I step into an airport, people inevitably bring it up," he shared. Kilmer reprised his role in the 2022 sequel, his health challenges evident on screen. As noted by David Rooney in THR's review, his fleeting moments in the movie evoked "a poignant empathy. The scene between Iceman and [Cruise's] Maverick exudes mutual warmth, even love, acknowledging their hard-fought camaraderie and the rivalry that preceded it, all seasoned with gentle humor."
Kilmer's versatility extended to voicing K.I.T.T. in a revamped version of "Knight Rider" from 2008-09, acting opposite Nicolas Cage in Werner Herzog's "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" (2009), and portraying the humorous antagonist Cunth in "MacGruber" (2010). He also starred in Francis Ford Coppola's "Twixt" (2011), embodied a chilling building superintendent in "The Super" (2018), and directed, wrote, and starred as Mark Twain in "Citizen Twain," a one-man show that toured the nation's stages before making its way to the big screen.
In 2011, Kilmer parted with the majority of his 6,000-acre ranch nestled outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he had resided for decades. Speaking to THR in December 2017, he credited his faith as a Christian Scientist for helping him navigate his battle with cancer. He leaves behind a legacy, including his son, Jack, who has followed in his footsteps as an actor.
