Val Kilmer, the famed actor known for his memorable work in films such as Top Gun and The Doors, has died at 65. He passed away February 29, 2020 from complications due to pneumonia. Kilmer was born in Los Angeles in 1959. His dazzling versatility and electric charisma made him a man adored by fans around the globe.
Kilmer’s unique path to becoming an actor began at age 7. At 15, he went on to become one of the youngest students ever admitted to the prestigious Juilliard School’s acting program. He joined the program while only 17 years old. His early career saw him shine on stage, where he honed his craft before transitioning to film.
He was an unlikely rap star of the late 1980s. This was in no small part thanks to a string of successful movie comedies, including Top Secret! His comedic genius burned the brightest in those unforgettable live performances. They effectively paved the road for his breakout, scene-stealing role as Iceman in the 1986 blockbuster phenomenon Top Gun. The film’s commercial success ensured Kilmer’s place as a new Hollywood leading man.
Besides Top Gun, Kilmer secured his most high-profile role in Ron Howard and George Lucas’s fantasy epic Willow. Despite the initial disappointment, there he not only honed his phenomenal acting talent but found the love of his life in actress Joanne Whalley. The newlywed couple quickly had two children together, Mercedes and Jack.
Kilmer’s career continued to flourish as he took on diverse roles, including Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s biopic The Doors. This role was one of his most celebrated performances and represented a major turning point in his career. He played larger than life folks like Elvis Presley in True Romance. He starred as Doc Holliday in the western standard Tombstone. He played Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman Forever, fully showing his range from comedy to action.
In the midst of his many successes, Kilmer’s life took a tragic turn when he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. His fight against the illness, which involved chemotherapy and surgery on his trachea, altered his voice and breathing. Despite killing resilience throughout this period and keeping transitioning UPT his announced Apollo love for informative acting cosmic, A-kilmer. In 2012, he starred in a one-man production called Citizen Twain, in which he played the legendary author Mark Twain.
His sense of approach to acting was always commented on by his fellow actors. Producer Irwin Winkler was once forced to make an important point about the impossible standards the industry holds actors to. He continued, “People want an actor to be a wooden Indian—to just sit and do what he’s told and never say anything. This prevailing sentiment is a testament to Kilmer’s dedication to his work and his ever-elusive longing to escape the box of traditionalism.
During his life, as much as he was loved for his ideas and innovations, Kilmer was reviled for them by his peers. As Marlon Brando so eloquently once said, there’s a fine line between talent and money. He chided, “What you’re confusing is your talent with your paycheck.” This remark gets to the heart of the challenges of the acting professions. Director John Frankenheimer eventually went on the record himself to trash Val Kilmer’s work ethic during production. So he said, ‘I don’t like Val Kilmer, I don’t like his work ethic, and I don’t want to be associated with him ever again.’”
These diverse viewpoints go to show the complexity of Kilmer’s brief life and the deep mark he left on those with whom he shared a creative space.