Rest in peace, Val Kilmer (1959 - 2025)

      Some unfortunate news has emerged this morning as Val Kilmer's family has announced that the American actor has died at the age of 65 due to pneumonia, following his earlier recovery from throat cancer.

      Kilmer was born in Los Angeles in 1959 and attended the esteemed Julliard School, becoming its youngest admitted student at that time. He started his career on stage before making his film debut as the lead in the 1984 spy parody Top Secret!, created by the trio Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker.

      He followed his debut with the 1985 film Real Genius and went on to star in beloved roles in 1986’s Top Gun and 1988’s Willow, closing the decade with the neo-noir crime thriller Kill Me Again. He gained critical acclaim for his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic The Doors.

      During the 1990s, Kilmer appeared in several noteworthy films including The Real McCoy, Tombstone, True Romance, Heat, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Saint, and The Prince of Egypt. However, his biggest financial success during this time was taking over the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman from Michael Keaton in the 1995 blockbuster Batman Forever.

      The 2000s marked the most prolific phase of Kilmer’s career, as he starred in numerous independent films and major productions, including Ron Howard’s The Missing, Oliver Stone’s Alexander, Shane Black’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Tony Scott’s Deja Vu. After his cancer diagnosis, he continued to make occasional appearances, including roles in The Snowman and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, culminating in his final screen role as Iceman alongside Tom Cruise in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. Additionally, he was the subject of the 2021 documentary Val, which he wrote and produced.

      About Gary Collinson: Gary Collinson is a film, television, and digital content producer and writer, who founded the pop culture website Flickering Myth and produced the gothic horror feature film 'The Baby in the Basket' as well as the upcoming suspense thriller 'Death Among the Pines'. He has spent ten years teaching and lecturing in film and media and authored the non-fiction book 'Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen'.