Val Kilmer Dead at 65 — Pneumonia Claims Another Icon

He was Batman, Iceman, Jim Morrison — and now, Val Kilmer has taken his final bow. The iconic actor died on April 1 at the age of 65, and the outpouring of love from some of the biggest names in Hollywood is nothing short of breathtaking. A-list tributes, tearful memories, and one last ride through the wild, brilliant life of a man who made being complicated look cool.

Kilmer's daughter, Mercedes, confirmed to the New York Times that her father passed away at his home in Los Angeles after a battle with pneumonia, as reported by PEOPLE. The actor had previously survived throat cancer, diagnosed in 2014, but the effects of that illness — including multiple tracheotomies — permanently changed his voice and health trajectory in later years.

A Hollywood Force With a Rebel's Edge

Few actors in modern memory captured Hollywood's duality like Val Kilmer — artistic yet accessible, romantic yet rogue. He launched his career in the 1980s with comedic flair in "Top Secret!," found blockbuster stardom in "Top Gun," and cemented his legend playing real-life icons like Jim Morrison in "The Doors" and Doc Holliday in "Tombstone."

While his roles were larger than life, so too were his off-screen relationships. Kilmer dated some of the most sought-after women in Hollywood — including Cindy Crawford, Angelina Jolie, Ellen Barkin, and Cher — but was married only once, to British actress Joanne Whalley, with whom he had two children, Jack and Mercedes.

In his final days, Kilmer lived largely out of the spotlight, admitting in 2020 that he "hadn't dated in 20 years," as reported by the New York Post. He instead dedicated his energy to painting, mentoring young artists, and preserving his legacy through film and performance art.

Cher, Cage, Carrey: A-List Tributes Pour In

When the news broke, the tributes came fast — and loud — from across the entertainment world. Kilmer wasn't just respected. He was loved.

Cher, who had nursed Kilmer during his illness and remained one of his closest friends, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Will miss u, U Were Funny, crazy, pain in the ass, GREAT FRIEND, kids U, BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness," as reported by PEOPLE.

Michael Douglas called it an honor to have worked with Kilmer on "The Ghost and the Darkness," saying that his legacy "will live on forever in the films and performances he so brilliantly shared with us," according to PEOPLE.

Jim Carrey, who starred opposite Kilmer in "Batman Forever," called him a "generational talent who left us an enviable legacy of indelible acting performances," PEOPLE reports. He also noted that Kilmer's "greatest artistic achievements were rivaled only by the grace and courage with which he endured his life's most challenging moments."

Nicolas Cage added that Kilmer was "a genius actor" and "he should have won the Oscar for The Doors," as reported by PEOPLE.

Director Michael Mann, who helmed the 1995 thriller "Heat," said, "While working with Val on Heat I always marveled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val's possessing and expressing character... After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news," PEOPLE reports.

A Career Like No Other

Val Kilmer's work spanned genres and generations. He became a household name as Iceman in "Top Gun."

He then took the brooding crown in "Batman Forever".

His portrayal of Doc Holliday in "Tombstone" remains one of the most quoted performances in cinema.

Kilmer also dove into more experimental work in his later years, including a one-man show about Mark Twain titled "Citizen Twain," which he later turned into the film "Cinema Twain."

In 2021, the documentary "Val" gave fans an unfiltered look into his life, built from decades of personal footage. That same year, he confirmed he was cancer-free — though his speaking voice, one of his most recognizable tools, had been forever altered.

Even as his health declined, Hollywood came calling. In "Top Gun: Maverick," Kilmer made a moving appearance alongside Tom Cruise. Though his voice was digitally reconstructed, he physically returned to the role of Iceman — a tribute that reminded audiences how much Iceman still mattered.

Family, Loss, and Legacy

Following his death, Kilmer's daughter Mercedes was consoled by her mother, Joanne Whalley, in an emotional moment outside her home in West Hollywood. As reported by Page Six, Photographers captured the quiet embrace between mother and daughter — a rare public glimpse into the grief of a family that had shared a complicated, creative, and deeply loving life with a man the world admired.

Whalley and Kilmer had divorced in 1996, but never fully drifted apart. Kilmer wrote about their marriage, breakup, and continued connection with reverence in his 2020 memoir, "I'm Your Huckleberry."

In that book, he also reflected on his many loves, heartbreaks, and missteps — describing his romance with Daryl Hannah as the most painful of his life, and recalling how he once tried to win over Joanne by flying in a then-girlfriend just to dump her on the spot, the New York Post reports.

He could be theatrical in life, not just on stage.

Gone But Not Forgotten

The curtain may have fallen, but the spotlight hasn't faded. Val Kilmer was one of a kind — beloved, brilliant, and unforgettable.

References: Michael Douglas, Michelle Monaghan, Cher and More Honor 'Brave' Val Kilmer: 'His Legacy Will Live On' | Val Kilmer's List of A-List Lovers Was as Impressive as His Film Credits – But Here's Why He Was Single When He Died | Val Kilmer's Ex-Wife Joanne Whalley Consoles Daughter Mercedes After Actor's Heartbreaking Death