‘Top Gun’, ‘Batman Forever’ actor Val Kilmer passes away at 65

WASHINGTON: Actor Val Kilmer, who is known for his roles in ‘Top Gun’, ‘Willow’, and ‘The Door’, passed away at the age of 65, reported Deadline.

Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed to the New York Times, as quoted by Deadline, that the actor passed away after battling pneumonia.

Kilmer’s early films included comedies like ‘Top Secret!’ and ‘Real Genius’, as well as a breakout role as LT Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky opposite Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun’. The actor’s leather-clad portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s ‘The Doors’ is still considered one of the best roles of an actor.

After his outing as The Lizard King, Kilmer opted for scene-stealing co-starring roles in ‘Tombstone’ (1993), ‘True Romance’ (1993) and ‘Heat’ (1995). Regarding his character’s popularity in ‘Tombstone’, Kilmer shared that he used to hear his fans chanting his dialogues every time he went to an airport.

Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in Tombstone was Oscar-worthy. Kilmer fully-committed in every way, down to his weight loss. I can’t picture anyone else as Doc Holliday. pic.twitter.com/NaKBJVqsdf

— Cinema Tweets (@CinemaTweets1) April 2, 2025

In an earlier interview with Deadline, Kalmer said, “Someone sent me a poll recently where ‘Tombstone’ snuck into the top 10 Best Westerns of all time. I don’t know if that film is a classic, but it has some elements of a classic, like the cast and screenplay. I still can’t go through an airport without hearing “I’m your Huckleberry.’ “

Kilmer said the key to landing his iconic role of Doc Holliday in ‘Tombstone’ was the accent, a “dialect that didn’t exist anymore”. So he reached out to dialect and speech coach Tim Monich for help.

“Within days, there was a tape at my doorstep of a true Southern aristocrat who spoke so slowly and precisely about the theater he had restored. The film would have been 6 hours long, he spoke so slowly…so I had to hit a balance. The dialect was key. It informs even the walk, the thought process… his condescension”, said Kilmer as quoted by Deadline.

The star’s next leading role came in Joel Schumacher’s ‘Batman Forever’ (1995), which Kilmer originally hoped would be a “radical” take on the iconic superhero. That effort ultimately failed after Kilmer realized he would spend much of the film behind a mask and encased in foam padding. “The trap was the suit”, he later said, reported Deadline.

His appearance in ‘Batman Forever’ was preceded by his role in the blockbuster film ‘Top Gun’, which starred Tom Cruise in the lead role.

It was a drama about Navy fighter pilots in training, in which Kilmer played the cool, cocky rival to the film’s star, Tom Cruise. It was a role that set a precedent for several of Kilmer’s other prominent appearances as a co-star or a member of a starry ensemble. He reprised it in a brief cameo in the film’s 2022 sequel, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.

I still remember hearing people in the theater cry during this moment between Val Kilmer & Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick. I’m so incredibly thankful Cruise insisted on this scene because this moment is forever. RIP, Iceman. pic.twitter.com/qxoiEhz8wS

— Cinema Tweets (@CinemaTweets1) April 2, 2025

His single scene opposite Cruise proved powerful and provided an emotional center to the film. “I was crying, I got emotional”, Cruise later told Jimmy Kimmel about the scene. “For him to come back and play that character…he’s such a powerful actor, that he instantly became that character again…you’re looking at Iceman,” as quoted by Deadline.

The actor was last seen in the film ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022). (ANI)