Advertisement
Val Kilmer, the beloved actor best known for his performances in Tombstone, Batman Forever, and Top Gun, has passed away at the age of 65 due to complications from pneumonia.
Kilmer’s Hollywood journey began in the 1980s, but he left a lasting mark with his return to the big screen in Top Gun: Maverick—his final onscreen appearance—where he reprised the role of Tom “Iceman” Kazansky.
In the original Top Gun (1986), Iceman was introduced as a rival to Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Their fierce competition evolved into mutual respect and friendship by the film’s end. Fans were deeply moved by their emotional reunion in Top Gun: Maverick, which became one of the most anticipated moments of the sequel.
The film’s synopsis described Maverick’s return to the Navy: “Thirty years of service leads Maverick to train a group of elite TOPGUN graduates to prepare for a high-profile mission while Maverick battles his past demons.”
Kilmer’s character, now a commander at NAS North Island, was written with sensitivity to the actor’s real-life health struggles. Diagnosed with throat cancer, Kilmer had lost his voice after undergoing a tracheotomy. In the film, Iceman communicates by typing, and in a final scene, his voice is digitally recreated using AI technology to give fans one last exchange between Iceman and Maverick.
Kilmer went public with his cancer diagnosis in 2017 and continued to express gratitude for his fans and passion for the arts, remaining active in painting and writing.
Following the news of his passing, tributes have poured in from fans, co-stars, and industry figures, celebrating not just his iconic roles, but his resilience, talent, and impact on generations of moviegoers.