Val Kilmer, ‘Top Gun’ Star and Iconic Hollywood Actor, Dies at 65

American actor Val Kilmer, known for his iconic roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever, and The Doors, has passed away at the age of 65, the New York Times reported Tuesday. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed that pneumonia was the cause of death, following his battle with throat cancer, which he had been diagnosed with in 2014 and had reportedly overcome.

Kilmer, who began his career as a stage actor, gained early recognition with his debut in the 1984 Cold War spoof Top Secret!. However, it was his portrayal of the cocky aviator Iceman in Top Gun (1986) that catapulted him to stardom, opposite Tom Cruise’s Maverick.

A versatile and ambitious actor, Kilmer continued to make waves with a range of roles, including his portrayal of the legendary rock star Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors and his turn as the brooding Batman in Batman Forever (1995), taking over the role from Michael Keaton and before George Clooney.

Kilmer’s journey was marked by both successes and challenges. Despite being the youngest person ever accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School, he often found himself starring in less-than-critically acclaimed blockbusters during the late ’90s and early 2000s. However, he made a return to more serious work in the 2010s, including a one-man stage show about Mark Twain, which he hoped to adapt into a film before his health took a downturn.

In 2021, a documentary titled Val premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, offering an intimate look at his meteoric rise in Hollywood and his struggles with illness. The film also showed Kilmer’s battle with cancer, as he appeared with a rasping voice.

Kilmer made a triumphant return to the big screen in 2021 with a cameo in Top Gun: Maverick, the highly anticipated sequel to Top Gun, reprising his beloved role as Iceman. His death marks the end of an era for fans of his work and the many iconic roles he left behind.