Val Kilmer, the iconic actor who portrayed Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever, died of pneumonia in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at age 65.
Mercedes Kilmer, Val Kilmer’s daughter, confirmed the news to The New York Times. Val Kilmer had been battling throat cancer for several years, a struggle that ultimately left him unable to speak by the time he returned for the film “Top Gun: Maverick” in 2022.
Actor Val Kilmer has died aged 65.
Kilmer starred in roles such as Batman (Batman Forever), Jim Morrison (The Doors) and Iceman (Top Gun) during his illustrious career.
His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, said his cause of death was pneumonia. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer… pic.twitter.com/Hxnp6oSLGe
— 10 News First (@10NewsFirst) April 2, 2025Born in Los Angeles and raised in Chatsworth, Kilmer attended Hollywood Professional School and Juilliard. He burst onto the scene with comedies like Top Secret! (1984) and Real Genius (1985), before landing a breakout role as Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun (1986) alongside Tom Cruise. His career soared with Willow (1988) and a magnetic turn as Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991). Kilmer dominated the ‘80s and ‘90s with roles in Tombstone (1993), True Romance (1993), and Heat (1995).
Val Kilmer — star of Batman Forever, The Doors, and Tombstone — has died at age 65, The New York Times reports and Variety has confirmed.
The actor had battled cancer for years — losing his ability to speak due to throat cancer — but his cause of death was reportedly… pic.twitter.com/zfwadNoTnG
— IGN (@IGN) April 2, 2025Kilmer’s later work spanned Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) with Robert Downey Jr., Deja Vu (2006) with Denzel Washington, and The Snowman (2017).
He provided voices for animated films such as “The Prince of Egypt” (1998) and received a Grammy nomination in 2012 for Best Spoken Word for a Zorro audio production. His 2020 memoir, “I’m Your Huckleberry”, references a line from “Tombstone”. Kilmer, who divorced Joanne Whalley in 1996, is survived by his daughter, Mercedes, and her son, Jack.
