Batman star forever ‘and’ top gun ‘was the victim of pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer said; In 2014, actor was diagnosed with a throat cancer from which he recovered, but caused the loss of his voice
Val Kilmer in “Double Identity”
Charismatic actor and strong personality, the American famous for their roles in ““,“ Batman Forever ”and“ The Doors ”, died at age 65, a victim of pneumonia, told her daughter Mercedes to The New York Times. Van Kilmer was diagnosed in 2014 with a throat cancer she recovered from NYT. The treatment, however, caused the loss of her voice, as it was possible to observe in her special participation as ‘Iceman’ “Top Gun: Maverick”.
In 2021, the documentary “Val” was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Production, based mainly on the actor’s own archive images, addresses his rise and fall in Hollywood. Kilmer’s disease was integrated into the movie “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), starring Tom Cruise again. ‘Iceman’, who was then commander of the United States Air Force, is an important character of the first “Top Gun” (1986).
Val Kilmer also played singer Jim Morrison in director Oliver Stone’s film “The Doors” (1991), and Michael Mann’s “Fire Against Fire”, starring Robert de Niro and Al Pacino and critically acclaimed. In the same year, he played Bruce Wayne/Batman in “Batman forever,” alongside Nicole Kidman, a movie directed by Joel Schumacher.
Val Kilmer, who grew up with a camera and recorded all stages of his life, included in the documentary “Val” several personal videos and also unpublished scenes of his greatest hits in the cinema. Among these images, there is a discussion between Kilmer and director John Frankenheimer during the filming of “The Island of Dr. Moreau” (1996), a failure that marked the beginning of his fall.
In 2010, as he began to rise with a successful play about Mark Twain, which he intended to adapt to the cinema, cancer interrupted his career. He had a reputation for having an explosive temperament, but also a “moving” personality, according to the specialized press. “When I worked with Val in ‘fire against fire’, I never failed to admire its reach, its formidable variety in its ability to possess and express the character,” director Michael Mann said in a statement.
“After so many years fighting the disease and keeping the mood high, this is extremely sad news,” added Mann. “I will miss you. You were a smart, stimulating, courageous person, a creative explosive,” wrote American actor Josh Bolin on Instagram. Kilmer started his career at the theater and was the youngest person to be accepted at New York’s renowned Juilliard School.
But when leaving Juilliard, unlike his expectations, he was relegated to small roles in blockbusters and some commercial failures until 1984, when he stood out in the comedy “Top Secret”. “I had a magical life,” he wrote on his website. “For over half a century, I have improved my art, no matter the environment. Whether it is literature, movies, poetry, painting, music or the observation of exotic and beautiful wildlife.”
*With information from AFP
Posted by Victor Oliveira
