Val Kilmer, the acclaimed actor who portrayed Bruce Wayne in "Batman Forever" and delivered a memorable performance as Doc Holliday in "Tombstone," has died at 65, Variety reported. His daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed to The New York Times that pneumonia was the cause of death on Tuesday in Los Angeles, following years of battling throat cancer.
Kilmer enjoyed significant success as a leading man during the 1980s and 1990s, starring in numerous hit films, including "Top Gun," "Real Genius," "Willow," "Heat," and "The Saint." He made a brief return to the screen in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick," though his cancer had left him unable to speak. A documentary titled "Val" was released in 2021, utilizing hundreds of hours of self-recorded video that revealed the introspective and artistic nature of the actor.
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Chatsworth, Kilmer studied at Juilliard before beginning his career off-Broadway alongside Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon in "The Slab Boys." He achieved his breakthrough starring in the 1984 spy spoof "Top Secret!" where he played a rock star and performed his own songs. After appearing as a brilliant college student in "Real Genius" (1985), he became a major star alongside Tom Cruise in the global hit "Top Gun." One of Kilmer's most critically acclaimed roles came portraying Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's "The Doors" (1991). He met his wife, actress Joanne Whalley, while filming Ron Howard's fantasy film "Willow," but they divorced in 1996.
Kilmer is survived by his daughter Mercedes and son Jack.
