Val Kilmer Dead At 65, ‘Top Gun’ Actor Passes Away

Val Kilmer passed away at the age of 65.  “The Top Gun” and “Batman Forever” star died on Tuesday, April 1, after a bout with pneumonia. His daughter informed The New York Times, adding that her father was also diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but recovered.

Kilmer made his final film appearance in the 2022 movie and sequel to Top Gun, “Top Gun: Maverick”, sharing a pivotal moment with Tom Cruise’s character.

Val Kilmer’s Life

Kilmer was born on December 31, 1959, and grew up in a middle-class family in L.A, the second of three boys. At the age of 17 he was the youngest student enrolled at New York’s Julliard, one of the most prestigious drama conservatories across the globe.

In 1983, Kilmer appeared in an off-Broadway show called “The Slab Boys”, with Jackie Earle Haley, Sean Penn, and Kevin Bacon. In addition, his first onscreen role, excluding TV commercials, also took place that year when he starred in an ABC Afterschool Special titled, “One Too Many”.

It placed a spotlight on the dangers of drinking and driving, and in an interesting twist, a young Michelle Pfeiffer also starred in the television movie.

As mentioned above, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer and had a tracheal procedure done that damaged his vocal cords, which left it very challenging for him to speak.

In 2020 the actor published his memoir, “I’m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir”, and in 2021 a documentary chronically his health struggles and career, simply titled “Val” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

His Legacy

Kilmer was recognized as one of the top-paid actors in the ‘90s, with his films over the years grossing more than $3.7 billion worldwide.

In addition to “Batman Forever” and “Top Gun”, Kilmer is also known for playing The Doors’ frontman, Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie, “The Doors”.

The actor had a very steady movie career, working on other films like, “The Red Planet”, “Tombstone”, and “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” – just to name a few.

Kilmer is survived by his two children, daughter Mercedes and son Jack.

On behalf of everyone here at CTS, we send our condolences to Kilmer’s family, loved ones, colleagues, and fans. Continue to visit this site for all the latest celebrity news and updates.

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