The incomparable actor, Val Kilmer has passed away at 65!
Val Kilmer, a homegrown Hollywood actor who tasted leading-man stardom as Jim Morrison and Batman, but whose protean gifts and elusive personality also made him a high-profile supporting player, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 65.
The cause was pneumonia, said his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer. Mr. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but later recovered, she said.
Tall and handsome in a rock-star sort of way, Mr. Kilmer was in fact cast as a rocker a handful of times early in his career, when he seemed destined for blockbuster success. He made his feature debut in the slapstick Cold War spy-movie spoof “Top Secret!” (1984), in which he starred as a crowd-pleasing, hip-shaking American singer in Berlin unwittingly involved in an East German plot to reunify the country.
Most famously, perhaps, between Michael Keaton and George Clooney, he inhabited the title role (and the batsuit) in “Batman Forever” (1995), doing battle in Gotham City with Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey), though neither Mr. Kilmer nor the film were viewed as stellar representatives of the Batman franchise.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, Mr. Kilmer spoke about his absence from mainstream Hollywood for a decade or more and acknowledged that his career arc had been unusual. He had other interests, he said; he wanted to hang out with his kids.
“I don’t have any regrets,” he said. He added: “It’s an adage but it’s kind of true: Once you’re a star, you’re always a star; it’s just what level?”
On March 22, 2025, Kilmer posted a picture of a painting on his Instagram page.
The post shows a surreal painting of what is supposed to be a campfire.
Fans filled the comment thread under the painting with tributes to Kilmer after his death. “Rest in Peace, you amazing artist and human! 💔🌸,” wrote one person.
Val Kilmer made his last public appearance over five years before his death.
The actor’s daughter Mercedes, 33, confirmed to The New York Times that he died of pneumonia on Tuesday, April 1, at the age of 65.
She also added that he was previously diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and later recovered.
Kilmer’s last public outing took place with Mercedes at the annual Thespians Go Hollywood Gala at Avalon Hollywood in 2019.
Mercedes Kilmer and Val Kilmer at the 2019 annual Thespians Go Hollywood Gala on November 18, 2019
Kilmer’s legacy will live on forever….. may he Rest In Peace!
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