Val Kilmer, the Juilliard-trained actor known for his roles in Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever, has died at the age of 65. His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed that the cause of death was pneumonia.

A Career Marked by Stardom and Controversy

Kilmer was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the 1990s, gaining a reputation as a talented yet difficult actor. Known for his intensity and perfectionism, he often clashed with directors and co-stars.

“When certain people criticize me for being demanding, I think that’s a cover for something they didn’t do well,” Kilmer once told The Orange County Register in 2003. “I believe I’m challenging, not demanding, and I make no apologies for that.”

FILE PHOTO: U.S. actor Val Kilmer looks towards the media during a press conference for the production of “Deja Vu,” the first major theatrical film to be shot in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans February 2, 2006. REUTERS/Lee Celano/File Photo

Kilmer made his film debut in the 1984 spy spoof Top Secret! before gaining attention in the 1985 comedy Real Genius. His breakthrough came in 1986 when he starred alongside Tom Cruise as the cocky naval aviator Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun. He later reprised the role in Top Gun: Maverick (2022).

His filmography included the fantasy film Willow (1988), where he met and married his co-star Joanne Whalley. The couple had two children before divorcing.

Becoming Jim Morrison and Batman

One of Kilmer’s most acclaimed performances came in Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic The Doors, where he portrayed the legendary rock star Jim Morrison. To convince Stone he was right for the part, Kilmer created an eight-minute video of himself embodying Morrison, even singing in the film using his own voice.

FILE PHOTO: Actor Val Kilmer, who portrayed lead singer Jim Morrison in the film “The Doors,” arrives for the 15th anniversary of the picture in Hollywood, California December 6, 2006. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith/File Photo

This role ushered in the peak of Kilmer’s career. He starred as the legendary gunfighter Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993), and in 1995, he played opposite Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat. That same year, he stepped into the Batsuit in Batman Forever, replacing Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader.

However, the film was met with mixed reviews, and Kilmer’s performance was overshadowed by co-stars Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones. He chose not to return for the next installment, and director Joel Schumacher later described Kilmer as “the most psychologically troubled human being I’ve ever worked with.”

In later years, Kilmer battled throat cancer, which left him unable to speak without assistance. Despite his health struggles, he remained active in Hollywood, appearing in Top Gun: Maverick with the help of AI technology that recreated his voice.