Val Kilmer (Top Gun, Willow) dies at age 65

American actor Val Kilmer died this Tuesday, April 1, 2025, of pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed to the New York Times.

After beginning his career in 1984 with the feature film Top Secret!, a spoof of World War II spy films, Val Kilmer scored his first major hit two years later with his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun. The actor went on to star in Willow, The Doors and Tombstone, all of which remain popular more than thirty years after their release.

In 1995, Val Kilmer starred as Bruce Wayne in Joel Schumacher‘s Batman Forever. Despite a four-star cast that included Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey and Nicole Kidman, the film was not well received by critics. Nevertheless, the film went on to gross over $336 million worldwide and was the second one of 1995 in the U.S. behind Toy Story.

Val Kilmer went on to star in Heat, The Saint, Alexander, and The Island of Dr. Moreau, all of which were commercial flops in the U.S. and worldwide. In 2022, he reprised his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick. This was his last on-screen role.