by Mick the Ram

Hollywood actor Val Kilmer, who starred in blockbuster movies such as Top Gun and Batman Forever, has died at the age of 65.

His daughter, Mercedes, broke the sad news on Tuesday 1 April, confirming that her father had passed away in Los Angeles as a result of contracting pneumonia.

He had struggled with his health since being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, and although he bravely recovered, tracheotomy surgery affected his voice and curtailed his acting career.

He did however return to the screen in 2022 to reprise his most iconic role as fighter pilot Iceman, the nemesis to Tom Cruise’s character in “Top Gun: Maverick”.

The often underrated actor displayed an extraordinary range of skills throughout his career, excelling in comedies, westerns, crime dramas, musical biopics and his much acclaimed action-adventures.

He will be remembered for his amazing performances not only in his most famous roles, but also when playing rock frontman Jim Morrison in “The Doors”, gunfighter Doc Holliday in “Tombstone”, and professional thief Chris Shiherlis in “Heat”, where he supported Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

He starred in the fantasy “Willow” and crime thriller “Kill Me Again” – both alongside British actress Joanne Whalley, who he married in 1988 and with whom he shared his two children: Mercedes, 33 and 29-year-old son, Jack.

Early identification of drama route

The actor was born on New-Year’s Eve, 1959 and grew up in a middle-class family in LA, with his parents both belonging to the Christian Scientist movement, which Kilmer also followed throughout his life.

He attended Chatsworth High School, in the San Fernando Valley, where he developed a love for drama alongside one of his classmates, a certain Kevin Spacey.

Career on upward trajectory

At just 17 years old he became the then-youngest pupil to enrol at the Julliard School, in New York, one of the world’s most prestigious drama conservatories.

He won minor parts in productions such as “Henry IV Part 1” and “As You Like It”, before taking on a meatier role as Alan Downie in “Slab Boys”, with the likes of Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon.

Major surprise at the box office

In 1984 Kilmer made his film debut in spy spoof “Top Secret!”, followed shortly after by “Real Genius”, before his major break in 1986.

He was given the role of Lt Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in the thrilling Cold War movie “Top Gun”. Costing just $15m (£12m) to make, neither Kilmer or Tom Cruise – who took the starring role – could have predicted its success, as it took more than $350m at the box office.

Dedication to his craft

He thrust himself more into the lead character roles as the nineties unfolded. First he was chosen by director Oliver Stone to play Jim Morrison for his biopic of The Doors, focusing on the band’s singer, who had died of a drugs overdose in Paris in 1971.

A number of actors were considered, including John Travolta and Richard Gere, but Kilmer was selected and in his trademark single-minded approach, the actor lost weight and learned 50 Doors songs by off-by-heart, as well as spending time in a studio perfecting Morrison’s stage style.

Incredibly, James Riordan said the surviving Doors members could not tell recordings of Kilmer singing their songs from Morrison’s original.

Batman… not forever

In 1995, Kilmer replaced Michael Keaton in the third of a trilogy of Batman films, “Batman Forever”, but he later said he had been uncomfortable with the role and declined to play it for the subsequent follow up.

In the early 2000’s he returned to the theatre, in a musical production of “The Ten Commandments”, in LA, then an adaptation of “The Postman Always Rings Twice”, in London’s West End.

One last role

In 2014, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer and chemotherapy and radiation left him with a tube in his trachea and difficulty breathing.

It was thought then that Kilmer’s acting career was over, but a sequel to “Top Gun” had long been in planning and Tom Cruise was adamant that his rival in the film, but great friend off-screen, had to be in it.

Poignant scenes

Kilmer’s cancer issue – which had damaged his vocal chords – obviously could not be hidden, so instead it was written into his character’s storyline.

It made for a very poignant final appearance as AI technology was used to regenerate his voice, with “Iceman” advising “Maverick” to “let go” of the past and move on, with later scenes showing Cruise’s character attending his friend’s funeral.

The superstar leading actor said at the time after filming: “I just want to say that was pretty emotional; I’ve known Val for decades, and for him to come back and play that character… he’s such a powerful actor that he instantly became that character again. I was crying; he’s such a brilliant actor, I love his work.”

Tributes

Broken-hearted reaction has already started to flood in, with some of the early tributes expressing love and admiration:

Director Francis Ford Coppola posted: “Val Kilmer was the most talented actor when in his High School, and that talent only grew greater throughout his life. He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know – I will always remember him.”

Heat director Michael Mann said: “While working with Val on Heat I always marvelled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character. After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad.”

Actor Josh Gad posted: “RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood; you truly were an icon.”

Goonies actor Josh Brolin wrote: “See ya, pal; I’m going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker and there’s not a lot left of those. I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there, but until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts.”

Critic Roger Ebert previously wrote: “If there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Val Kilmer should get it.”

Challenging, never demanding

For the man himself, responding to criticism aimed at him from certain people for him being demanding, he simply remarked: “I think that’s a cover for something they didn’t do well; I believe I’m challenging, not demanding, and I make no apologies for that.”

Kilmer spoke about how he never had too much of a notion about success or popularity, adding that he never cultivated fame, or a persona. The exception he said was possibly “the desire to be regarded as an actor.”

He certainly was that… a prominent and outstanding one of his generation.