Actor Val Edward Kilmer has died at age 65. Film fans will never forget the legendary Iceman and Batman. Kilmer died of pneumonia in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends. Val Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and underwent multiple treatments and a tracheotomy, resulting in difficulty speaking and the loss of his famous voice. Best known for his roles in “Top Gun,” “Batman Forever,” and “Tombstone,” Kilmer will forever hold a place in the film industry.
Legacy of Val Kilmer
Stars and film fans will forever remember Val Kilmer. He was a powerful presence on and off the screen. He broke through the screen as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 rock docudrama, The Doors. He continued his legacy as Doc Holliday in Tombstone,” Elvis Presley‘s spirit in “True Romance,” and finally became the man behind the mask in “Batman Forever.” Kilmer last appeared in Top Gun: Maverick as Iceman in 2022.
Val Kilmer Had Cancer in 2015
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and underwent extensive treatment, resulting in permanent damage to his vocal cords. The star faced difficulty performing his final role, which required a breathing tube, but that did not hold him back from making one last stand in his legacy. Many of Kilmer’s colleagues remember him for being one of a kind.
“You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker,” actor Josh Brolin wrote on Instagram. “There’s not a lot left of those.”
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Kilmer in 2011’s “Twixt,” wrote that he was the “most talented actor when in his High School, and that talent only grew greater throughout his life.”
In the 2021 documentary about his life, titled “Val,” Kilmer said his throat cancer made it difficult for him to speak and be understood. The footage showed that he required a breathing tube.
I have behaved poorly. I have behaved bravely. I have behaved bizarrely to some. I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed. And I am blessed.
The Hollywood legend gained fame on television and big movie screens across the world for decades. His fans will never forget him. “He was a king. A presence on the screen, and his voice! Even after he got sick. Always a King,” said a long-time fan from Pennsylvania. Val Kilmer found solace in painting before his death. He is survived by his two children, Mercedes and Jack.
