Val Kilmer death : Val Kilmer, known for portraying Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever, embodying Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors, and playing a tubercular Doc Holliday in Tombstone, passed away on Tuesday in Los Angeles. His daughter, Mercedes, informed The New York Times that the cause of death was pneumonia. He was 65 and had been fighting throat cancer for several years.
Kilmer’s representatives did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
The baby-faced, blonde actor enjoyed a strong run as a leading man in the ’80s and ’90s, earning a reputation for being both talented and temperamental. He starred in Top Gun, Real Genius, Willow, Heat, and The Saint. In 2022, he made a brief return to the screen in Top Gun: Maverick, despite losing his ability to speak due to cancer.
In 2021, the documentary Val was released, offering an intimate look into Kilmer’s life. Featuring hundreds of hours of footage he had personally recorded over the years, the film provided behind-the-scenes glimpses of his work on various sets. With narration by his son, it portrayed Kilmer as a deeply introspective thinker with the soul of an artist.
Val Kilmer, Acclaimed Actor, Passes Away at 65
Kilmer took over from Michael Keaton for Joel Schumacher’s 1995 “Batman Forever,” receiving mixed reviews for his take on the Dark Knight. He was replaced by George Clooney for 1997’s “Batman & Robin,” a notorious flop that nearly killed the franchise. The New York Times said of “Batman Forever,” “The prime costume is now worn by Val Kilmer, who makes a good Batman but not a better one than Michael Keaton.”
One of Kilmer’s most iconic performances was as the enigmatic and tragic Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 film The Doors. In preparation for the role, he memorized all of Morrison’s lyrics before auditioning and fully immersed himself in the character, even adopting the singer’s style for nearly a year. Critic Roger Ebert praised his portrayal, writing, “The performance is the best thing in the movie — and since nearly every scene centers on Morrison, that is not small praise.”
Following Batman Forever, New Line convinced Kilmer to join the troubled production of The Island of Dr. Moreau, where he clashed with both lead actor Marlon Brando and director John Frankenheimer. Tensions on set escalated as Brando repeatedly refused to show up for filming. The documentary Val later shed light on the chaotic atmosphere, revealing that crew members grimly joked about Brando’s stand-in, a man named Norm.
John Frankenheimer, the second director brought in to finish the film, reportedly remarked, “There are two things I will never do in my life. The first is climb Mt. Everest. The second is work with Val Kilmer again.”
During the 1990s, Kilmer took on diverse roles, starring in Michael Apted’s Western Thunderheart and The Real McCoy, while also making a brief yet memorable appearance as an Elvis-like mentor in Tony Scott’s True Romance. His portrayal of the witty and ailing Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993) became one of his most cherished performances. In 1995, he shared the screen with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the acclaimed crime thriller Heat.
Kilmer later starred in The Ghost and the Darkness and the largely forgettable remake of The Saint, choosing the latter over reprising his role as Batman in Batman & Robin. While he suggested that scheduling conflicts prevented his return, director Joel Schumacher’s characterization of him as “psychotic” may have also played a role.
After the mid-1990s, Kilmer’s reputation for being difficult and combative led to a decline in major studio roles. As a result, he primarily took on independent films and supporting parts, including a role in Oliver Stone’s critically panned Alexander.
A Celebrated Career in Film and Television
Born in Los Angeles, Kilmer grew up in Chatsworth and studied at Hollywood Professional School before attending the Juilliard School. He made his mark on the stage with an off-Broadway performance in The Slab Boys, alongside Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon. His first television role came in the afterschool special One Too Many, where he starred alongside Michelle Pfeiffer.
Kilmer lent his voice to animated films such as The Prince of Egypt and appeared in a variety of films, including At First Sight, Red Planet, Pollock, The Salton Sea, Wonderland, and The Missing. He remained active in the industry, starring in movies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang alongside Robert Downey Jr., Déjà Vu with Denzel Washington, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and The Snowman.
A devoted Christian Scientist, Kilmer initially declined to confirm his cancer diagnosis when Michael Douglas disclosed it in 2016. His deep interest in Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy, combined with his admiration for Mark Twain, inspired him to write a screenplay featuring both historical figures. For several years, he toured the country with his one-man show, Citizen Twain, blending live readings of Twain’s work with film elements.
In 2012, Kilmer earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word for his audio adaptation of Zorro. His memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry—titled after his famous line from Tombstone—was published in 2020.
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Kilmer spent many years living on a ranch in New Mexico, retaining some of the land even after selling most of the property.
Beyond acting, he was also a painter and played a role in overseeing theater programs, allowing high school students to perform works by Twain and Shakespeare.
He divorced Joanne Whalley in 1996 and is survived by his daughter, Mercedes, and son, Jack.
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