Val Kilmer, Star Of TOP GUN, THE DOORS, And HEAT, Has Passed Away At 65

Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood's most dashing leading men over the last few decades, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 65. Kilmer had been battling throat cancer for years and made an incredibly emotional farewell scene in 2022's TOP GUN: MAVERICK. Despite not being the biggest fan of the original, the scene between Kilmer and Tom Cruise in the sequel hit me with an emotional heft I wasn't expecting because it wasn't just Cruise saying goodbye to Val, it was all of us.

The handsome blonde with the matinee idol looks came out of the gate with an unlikely trio--first as the Elvis-like Nick Rivers in the modest ZAZ hit, TOP SECRET! (1984), followed by the cult-nerd hit REAL GENIUS (1985), and then leaving his mark with TOP GUN in 1986. And while 1988's fantasy WILLOW has its following, it was the early-to-mid '90s where Kilmer would leave his biggest marks.

His all-in turn as Jim Morrison in THE DOORS didn't earn him an Oscar nom but it certainly put him on the radar of numerous casting agents. In the next few years, Kilmer left his mark in the underrated THUNDERHEART, as a dream Elvis in TRUE ROMANCE, and as Michael Keaton's Batsuit relief in BATMAN FOREVER (1995). But it was two movies in Kilmer's early-to-mid 1990's run that forever seared him into the memories of movie fans everywhere.

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His Doc Holliday seemingly coming back from the dead gets so many dads so fired up when it's airing yet again on any number of networks. And keep it coming. Cuz you can never get enough TOMBSTONE. Just like you can never get enough HEAT.

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Kilmer learned his reloading technique so well, it was used in military training materials. 

Michael Mann's masterpiece about doing scores never gets old and it was also one set that Kilmer understood what seniority meant. It resulted in his intense performance as Chris Shiherlis which aided in making HEAT the beloved film it is today. 

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THE SALTON SEA, KISS KISS BANG BANG, and KILL THE IRISHMAN were among his many other noteworthy appearances.

Kilmer famously showed an incredible vulnerability with the release of his 2021 documentary VAL, a collection of the many personal home videos as well as numerous clips from various movie sets he saved over the decades, while also showing his challenges with throat cancer. 

To his credit, Kilmer did not shy away from addressing the fussier aspects of his persona in the doc. Essentially, he was a perfectionist whose style could rub co-stars, directors, and crew the wrong way. But it also seemed to come from a genuine place as well, a place he was trying to reach so that he could give the audience 100%. And there's no doubt he reached it on several occasions.

Farewell to the inimitable Val Kilmer. My condolences to his family and friends.