After a devastating years of struggle with throat cancer and deteriorating health, Val Kilmer died at the age of 65.
The death of the beloved actor – known for his work in Top Gun (1986) and Batman Forever (1995) – was confirmed by his family on Tuesday evening to the NYT.
His throat cancer fight, which started in 2014 and saw that he saw chemotherapy, radiation and surgery before he was declared cancer -free in 2021, forced him to take a step back from the spotlight of Hollywood.
While he stopped attending red carpet events in 2019, Kilmer fans kept in by sharing his artworks and rare selfies with his Instagram.
And less than two months before his death, Kilmer published what one of his last social media reports would be on February 23, 2025.
He uploaded spooky images of himself hanging around in a quilted room with artist/musician David Choe, who was originally filmed in 2021.
Val Kilmer's spooky final post has been revealed in Wake of News that the actor died at the age of 65
The star looked relatively healthy with a slender build, a clean shaved face and his hair that was worn something long.
In the clip Kilmer spoke, whose vocal cords were damaged by his throat cancer treatments, shortly before he tried an adapted Batman mask that was made for him by Choe.
Kilmer, who played the Caped Crusader famous almost 30 years ago, says it has been 'a while' since he has recovered his Batman Glory Days.
After he put it on, Kilmer stares in the camera before he takes a colorful Batman portrait that is probably painted by Choe for him.
Together with the video, Kilmer also shared Visuals from Choe's other Batman-related artworks and clips from the artist who talk about his love for the superhero.
Kilmer did not score the post of February 2023, which yielded nearly 30,000 'likes' of his 634,000 Instagram followers.
Kilmer's actual last Instagram post was published on March 22.
It contained a photo of one of his original paintings, which he had signed and posted on his website for sale.
“It has that late night glow,” he wrote about the painting. “Cool tones with a low burn, such as when the campfire cools, but you are still wide awake.”
On February 23, 2025, the Batman Forever Star sculptures shared himself with artist David Choe, who was originally recorded in 2021
In the clip Kilmer spoke, whose vocal cords were damaged by his throat cancer treatments, shortly before he tried an adapted Batman mask for him by Choe
While Kilmer's passion for childhood art emerged, he made it his primary focus after his needing health forced him to give up acting.
Fans and Hollywood shocked the news about the death of Kilmer.
His daughter Mercedes Kilmer, whom he shared with ex-wife Joanne Whalley, revealed that he passed on Tuesday from pneumonia in Los Angeles.
Apart from Mercedes, 33, he is also survived by son Jack Kilmer, 29. Kilmer was married to their mother Joanne from 1988 to 1996.
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent surgery, including a tracheotomy that significantly influenced his ability to speak. He was later declared cancer freely.
Kilmer was known for his role as Iceman in the Hitfilm Top Gun in 1986 and as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the Batman of 1995 Forever.
He also played famous musician Jim Morrison in the 1991 film The Doors.
Kilmer attended a public red carpet event for the last time in 2019.
He became a member of colleague actors, such as Ben Donenberg, at Simply Shakespeare's Live Read from the merchant of Venice, who was held in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on October 28, 2019.
Kilmer, who covered his 2015 tracheostomy with a neck scarf, appeared cheerfully when he posed for photos with his daughter Mercedes.
Kilmer underwent both radiotherapy and chemotherapy for his cancer, as well as a tracheostomy a procedure to create an artificial gap in this neck to help him breathe.
The last damaged his vocal cords permanently permanent and therefore changed his striking voice forever.
The star looked relatively healthy with a slender build, a clean shaved face and her hair somewhat worn
Kilmer did not score the post of February 2023, which yielded nearly 30,000 'likes' of his 634,000 Instagram followers
In the Amazon Prime documentary entitled Val, Kilmer spoke frankly about life with the consequences of throat cancer, including the use of an electrical device called a voice box on the artificial hole in his throat to talk.
'I clearly sound much worse than I feel. I can't speak without connecting this gap [in his throat]”He said.
A voting box device is usually a machine on batteries that produces sound to make a voice and is used to help people who suffer suffering in throat cancer.
The actor, who also had to have meals through a food tube, explained some of the other challenges.
'You have to make the choice to breathe or eat. It is an obstacle that is very present with the person who sees me, “he said.
Kilmer previously detailed how he did not know he had throat cancer until one day he coughed up 'coagulated blood' and called on an ambulance before fainting.
He then woke up in a hospital in Santa Monica after an emergency tracheotomy for throat cancer.
In 2020, Kilmer said that he 'healed very quickly' after his diagnosis of the throat cancer, in an interview with Good Morning America.
“This is a tracheotomy,” he said, holding his hand to his throat, “to help me breathe because the glands in my throat also swell.”
When asked what he misses most about his voice, Kilmer said to GMA: “That I had one! And that I didn't laugh like a pirate. '
Kilmer was one of the most prominent leading men in Hollywood in the nineties for countless splashes with directors and co-stars and a series of flops dented his career.
Over the years, Kilmer received a reputation as a temperamental, intense, perfectionist and sometimes selfish.
'When certain people criticize me because I am demanding, I think that is a cover for something that they did not do well. I think they are trying to protect themselves, “Kilmer told the Orange County Register newspaper in 2003.
The death of the beloved actor – known for his work in Top Gun (1986) and Batman Forever (1995) – was confirmed by his family on Tuesday evening to the NYT; Seen in July 2019
Kilmer was known for his role as Iceman in the Hitfilm Top Gun from 1986
He also played famous musician Jim Morrison in the film The Doors from 1991
“I believe I am a challenge, not demanding, and I don't apologize for that.”
He made his film debut in the lead role in the Spoof Spoof Top Secreceim! (1984) Before appearing in the Goofy Comedy Real Genius (1985).
He shot to the star rendom while the co-star of Tom Cruise in the Smash 1986 hit Top Gun (1986), naval pilot Tom 'Iceman' played Kazansky, and decades later it appeared next to Cruise again in the 2022 follow-up Top Gun: Maverick.
Kilmer was very happy with the opportunity to resume his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick.
The actor was known for playing the quiet, cool rival of Maverick by Tom Cruise in the original film from 1986.
However, when the actor admitted in an interview from 2013, Larry King will not be approached about the appearance in a proposed top gun continued, the troops are reportedly collected to ensure that his buddy was recorded.
In an interview with people, producer Jerry Bruckheimer stated: “Tom said he would not make the film without him.”
As such, as soon as the last script was approved, it made the surcharges for ice that had been promoted to admiral to participate in the pleasure.
“So the fact that he could do it and he worked with us in the script,” the producer explained, “to have him there and to be part of it, was a really emotional day when we filmed him. Because you want to see the two on the screen again, Iceman and Maverick go on it. And that is what making films and the audience loves. '
Kilmer lived for the last time in October 2019 a public red carpet event at (photo)
He joined colleague actors, such as Ben Donenberg, at Simply Shakespeare's Live Read from the merchant of Venice, who was held in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on October 28, 2019
Kilmer, who covered his 2015 tracheostomy with a neck scarf, appeared cheerfully when he posed for photos with his daughter Mercedes (second from the left) on the red carpet
That specific element is one that has received high figures from both critics and fans.
Val's son, Jack remembered how his father was 'fired' to become a member of the cast.
'[My sister,] Mercedes, and I went to San Diego to that big navy base for the shoot with Tom Cruise and everyone. And there were hundreds of extras from real pilots who came to us and told us that the first top gun inspired them to join the Navy and the Air Force. '
“It was one of the most proud moments of American that you could really think of.”
Kilmer played in director Ron Howard's Fantasy Willow (1988) and married his British co-star Joanne, with whom he had two children before divorcing.
One of his most challenging roles came in The Doors (1991) by director Oliver Stone in which he played Jim Morrison, the charismatic and ultimately doomed lead singer of the influential rock band The Doors.
To try to convince Stone to cast him, Kilmer put together a video of eight minutes of herself that sang and looked like Morrison on different points in his life. Kilmer's own singing voice is used in the film.
The doors heralded the highest profile year of his career. In the 1993 Western Tombstone he played Old West Gunfighter Doc Holliday.
He had two commercial successes in 1995, together with Al Pacino and Robert de Niro in the crime drama Heat and successor to Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader in Batman Forever, the third episode in the Batman series.
Batman Forever was welcomed by critics and Kilmer was transferred by co-stars Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey. Kilmer withdrew from the next Batman film.
Director Joel Schumacher called Kilmer 'the most psychologically restless person I have ever worked with'.
