Val Kilmer

Born in 1959, Val Kilmer grew up in Los Angeles and became one of the youngest people to be admitted to The Juilliard School in New York City for acting in 1977 at age 17. After acting in off-Broadway plays, he made his Hollywood movie debut in the 1984 film Top Secret! and portrayed pilot Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in 1986’s Top Gun.

He continued to rise to stardom with his roles in Willow (1988) and Billy the Kid (1989) before playing the titular DC superhero Batman in 1995’s Batman Forever. That same year, he starred alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the crime thriller Heat.

Kilmer also showed off his vocal chops on the soundtrack for 1991’s The Doors, in which he played singer Jim Morrison. Other notable projects include True Romance (1993), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), The Prince of Egypt (1998), Wonderland (2003), Mindhunters (2004), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) and the 2008 TV series Knight Rider.

Kilmer’s last film credit was 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, in which he reprised his role as Iceman.

Outside of acting, Kilmer was romantically connected to stars such Cher, Carly Simon, Cindy Crawford, Angelina Jolie and Paris Hilton over the years. He married actress Joanne Whalley in 1988, welcoming their kids, Mercedes and Jack, in 1991 and 1995, respectively. The pair separated shortly after Jack’s birth and finalized their divorce in 1996.

Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 but was cancer-free by the time he revealed his diagnosis in 2017. He opened up about his life, career and health battle in the 2021 documentary Val, in which he was shown using a feeding tube.

Kilmer’s daughter confirmed his death at age 65 in April 2025, telling The New York Times her father died of pneumonia.