American actor Val Kilmer, known for his roles in Top Gun, The Doors, and Batman Forever, has died at the age of 65.
His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed to The New York Times that he passed away on Tuesday in Los Angeles due to pneumonia.
Kilmer had been battling health issues for years. In 2014, he was diagnosed with a throat tumor, which later turned out to be oral cancer. He was rushed to UCLA Medical Center in 2015 after experiencing severe throat bleeding.
Despite his health struggles, Kilmer continued acting and even reprised his role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. Since he had lost his voice due to cancer treatment, filmmakers used artificial intelligence to recreate his speech for the film.
Kilmer’s daughter had previously shared that he had fully recovered from cancer. The actor, who was a devout Christian Scientist, had rejected many forms of modern medical treatment. In a 2017 interview with The Christian Post, he said, “Many, many people have been healed by prayer throughout recorded history. And many, many people have died by whatever was modern medicine.”
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Kilmer was known for his versatile performances. He played Jim Morrison in The Doors and had memorable roles in Heat, True Romance, and Tombstone, where he portrayed Doc Holliday and delivered the famous line, “I’m your huckleberry.”
He was accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School at the age of 17 and started his career in theater before making his film debut in the 1985 comedy Real Genius.
is survived by his two children, Mercedes and Jack, whom he shared with his ex-wife, actress Joanne Whalley.
