Val Kilmer, Actor known for his roles in Batman Forever, Top Gun and Oliver Stone's The Doors, Dead at 65

Val Kilmer, once one of Hollywood's most prominent leading men in the 1990s, has died at the age of 65. The actor passed away April 1 in Los Angeles, the cause of death reported to be pneumonia.

In January 2015, Kilmer was hospitalized with throat cancer. After previously denying persistent rumors, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Kilmer had gone through 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" in December 2017. As a result of chemotherapy and two tracheotomies, Kilmer's vocal chords were damaged and he needed electric voice box to communicate. Initially the actor was reluctant, due to his beliefs, to start medical treatment for his condition.

Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! in 1984, Real Genius in 1985, and one of his more well known character roles as Lt. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky in the high profile military action film Top Gun in 1986.

Kilmer found fame as a leading actor and gained critical acclaim for his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors in 1991. He was then cast as a main character in films such as the western Tombstone (1993), and the crime dramas True Romance (1993) and Heat (1995). He portrayed Batman in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995), and continued to star in films such as The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), The Saint (1997), The Prince of Egypt (1998), Alexander (2004), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), and The Snowman (2017).

Kilmer developed a reputation for being difficult to work with after having feuds with some of the actors with whom he worked, notably The Island of Dr. Moreau co-star Marlon Brando and Red Planet and Heat co-star Tom Sizemore. Kilmer's Tombstone co-star, Michael Biehn, said: "People ask me what it's like to work with Val Kilmer. I don't know. Never met him. Never shook his hand. I know Doc Holliday, but I don't know Val Kilmer".

In 2022, Kilmer reprised his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), his final film performance before his death.

Kilmer was once married to actress Joanne Whalley from March 1988 to February 1996, whom he met while working together on the film Willow. He is survived by his two children; daughter Mercedes and a son, Jack.