MOVIE NEWS – Val Kilmer has passed away at the age of 65, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed. According to The New York Times, the actor died of pneumonia, which may have been a complication related to his previous battle with throat cancer.

Val Kilmer began his career on the stage before rising to fame in the mid-1980s thanks to a string of box office hits. His early roles in Top Secret! (1984), Top Gun (1986), and Willow (1988) quickly established him as one of the most charismatic screen presences of his generation. His performance as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors (1991) was met with critical acclaim and solidified his reputation as a serious actor.

In the years that followed, Kilmer took on more grounded and complex roles, appearing in films like True Romance (1993) and Heat (1995). That same year, he stepped into the role of Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever. While the film received mixed reviews, it was a commercial success and showcased Kilmer’s ability to bring gravitas to blockbuster material. Though his career slowed in the 2000s, he continued to appear in notable films such as Déjà Vu (2006).

Director David Mamet, who worked with Kilmer on the political thriller Spartan (2004), once described him as follows: “Val had what only the greatest actors possess — the ability to make every moment feel like improvisation. That’s what made him so compelling on screen.”

In 2005, Kilmer took on one of his most memorable late-career roles in the offbeat noir comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, where he played a gay private detective opposite Robert Downey Jr. Although the two didn’t initially get along, they eventually developed a deep friendship during the shoot. “Val Kilmer was the happiest guy I’ve ever seen on a movie set. He just lived his day, and somehow a movie was getting made around him. We all wish we had that kind of ease,” Downey once recalled. “He was a truly refined artist — working with him was a joy.”

In 2014, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer, a condition he kept private for years before eventually undergoing treatment. The procedures severely damaged his voice, yet he made a moving cameo return in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), reuniting on screen with Tom Cruise.

Reflecting on his career in a 2012 interview, Kilmer said: “I don’t regret anything I’ve done, but there are a few films that, had I taken them, would’ve given me a certain global status. It’s a cliché, but it’s true: once you’re a star, you’re always a star — the only question is at what level. I was part of some big and beautiful films and enjoyed a lot of success, but I never quite managed to lock in that permanent spot in Hollywood.” He also noted that stepping back from the spotlight was a personal choice, influenced by a desire to spend more time with his children while they were still young.

Kilmer was married once, to British actress Joanne Whalley, from 1988 to 1996. They had two children together: Mercedes (born 1991) and Jack (born 1995). In 2021, the documentary Val offered an intimate look at his life and career, pieced together from over 800 hours of archival footage, much of it shot by Kilmer himself. Since he was largely unable to speak at that point, the narration was provided by his son Jack.

In his final years, Kilmer focused on the visual arts and often shared his paintings and thoughts with fans on social media. Just days before his death, he posted one last image to Instagram: a painting of his own, accompanied by the caption, “It’s like a smoldering campfire – no longer blazing, but still warm.”

Source: 24.hu