Hollywood legend Val Kilmer has died. He was 65.
The actor was best known for his roles in movies including Top Gun and Batman Forever.
Kilmer’s daughter confirmed the actor died on Tuesday in Los Angeles after a battle with pneumonia, per The New York Times
READ MORE: Cast of The Beatles biopic films finally confirmed after months of speculation
Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, however had since recovered.
Tributes have started flowing in for the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang star on social media.
“RIP Val Kilmer,” wrote US politician John Dennis.
“A huge talent and interesting soul. Too soon.”
Kilmer was the quintessential Hollywood heartthrob of his time, perhaps best known for starring as Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky opposite Tom Cruise in the 1986 box-office hit Top Gun.
The star had made his feature film debut just two years earlier, making a name for himself as Nick Rivers in the 1994 comedy/action film Top Secret!
After Top Gun, Kilmer became a well-known name in Hollywood, going on to land roles in The Doors (1991), Thunderheat (1992) and True Romance (1993)
Kilmer has a long and varied resume, with one of his more renowned roles coming when he put on the black suit to step into the iconic role of Batman.
He starred as the beloved superhero in the 1995 film Batman Forever, battling it out on screen against the Riddler, played by Jim Carrey, and Two-Face, portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones.
READ MORE: ‘I’m not a great liar’: Huge secret A-lister struggled to keep.
Kilmer continued to work in Hollywood for years until he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014.
His condition was kept a secret from his peers and fans, until The Hollywood Reporter revealed in 2017 that the actor was in a “two-year battle with throat cancer” and that “a procedure on his trachea has reduced his voice to a rasp and rendered him short of breath”.
Top Gun actor’s wife made him shave trend-setting ‘stache
His career looked to be all but over when he lost his speaking voice, however thanks to modern technology Kilmer was miraculously able to return to screens.
In 2022, fans were delighted to see him reprise his role as Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in the highly-anticipated sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.
For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
Although Kilmer’s appearance in the sequel was brief, it was one of the most powerful scenes in the movie and saw him reunite with Tom Cruise’s character, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.
In his 2020 memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry, Kilmer revealed he was not initially contacted by producers to join the reboot.
He suspected his heath had something to do with it, but the actor was not going to let his diminished vocal capacity due to a tracheotomy stop him from attempting to play Iceman on the big screen once again.
Remembering the stars we’ve lost in 2025
Kilmer said he “begged” producers to recast him, arguing there was no Top Gun without Iceman.
“Tom was Maverick, but Maverick’s nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper,” Kilmer wrote in his book.
“It didn’t matter that the producers didn’t contact me. As The Temptations sang in the heyday of Motown soul, ‘Ain’t too proud to beg.'”
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
