Val Kilmerhas died at the age of 65. One of the most prominent Hollywood icons of the 1990s, Kilmer began his career in theater before launching a film career withhis breakout role as Lt. Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazanskyin the‘80s Tom Cruise classicTop Gun. He followed this up with another iconic role in the fantasy filmWillow, before achieving critical acclaim playing Jim Morrison inThe Doors, and then further acclaim in the role of hard-drinking gambler Doc Holliday in the cult ’90s WesternTombstone.
PerThe New York Times, theactor passed away in Los Angeles on Tuesday night following a battle with pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes revealed. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and, according to Mercedes, had recovered from the illness, which forced him to effectively retire from performing.
Val Kilmer’s Career On The Big Screen
A Mix Of Blockbusters & Independent Films Defined His Career
Hitting his career peak between the late 1980s and late 1990s,Kilmer was one of the most successful and highest-paid actors in the world, and his leading man status secured him several prominent leading roles: playing the Dark Knight in thecast ofBatman Forever; taking the leading role inThe Saint;and starring alongside Michael Douglas inThe Ghost and the Darkness. He also had prominent parts in movies likeHeat,Red Planet,The Missing, andKiss Kiss Bang Bang, which is regarded as one ofKilmer’s best movies.
He will be looked back on as one of the most diversely talented leading men Hollywood ever produced.
In later years, Kilmer shied away from leading roles in blockbuster movies, favoring independent films and supporting rolesin films likeBad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans,The Salton Sea, andThe Snowman, as well as acting in a slew of direct-to-video horrors, thrillers, and action-thrillers. In 2022, he reprised his most famous role as Iceman in the action sequelTop Gun: Maverick, which grossed almost $1.5 billion to become the second highest-grossing movie of that year. It was his final film role.
Kilmer Leaves A Complex, Diverse Legacy On Screen
The Enigmatic Star Leaves An Often Underappreciated Body of Work
Kilmer was a charismatic and enigmatic leading man, but one who developed a reputation for being challenging on set. He also had a tendency to choose roles that were unexpected, and, as such, he boasted a varied and interesting body of work.Kilmerwas in many ways a contradiction, but a man who left a strong body of work, much of which is often underappreciated. He will be looked back on as one of the most diversely talented leading men Hollywood ever produced.
