By Lillie Jaenchen
Val Kilmer, who played Iceman in TOP GUN, died Thursday night at the age of 65.
His daughter Mercedes Kilmer told the Associated Press that he died surrounded by his family and friends in Los Angeles after a battle with pneumonia.
He previously beat throat cancer in 2014, undergoing two tracheotomies.
“I have behaved poorly. I have behaved bravely. I have behaved bizarrely to some. I deny none of this and have no regrets because I have lost and found parts of myself that I never knew existed,” he said, reflecting on his life and career in the 2021 documentary VAL. “And I am blessed.”
Tributes to the actor poured in across social media.
“Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations,” TOP GUN’s X account posted. “RIP Iceman.”
Actor Josh Brolin wrote, “See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There’s not a lot left of those. I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts.”
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Kilmer in TWIXT (2011), called him “most talented actor when in his High School, and that talent only grew greater throughout his life.”
“He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know — I will always remember him,” Coppola wrote on Instagram.
Kilmer battled several health issues in recent years.
Following his battle with and recovery from throat cancer, PEOPLE reported in 2021 that Kilmer underwent a tracheostomy that “permanently damaged his speaking voice.”
“It isn’t easy to talk and be understood,” Val Kilmer wrote on his website in 2022, explaining the effects of his cancer treatment. “I am improving all the time, but am not able to be out in the world the same way I had become accustomed.”
His career began in 1984 with TOP SECRET! Followed by REAL GENIUS in 1985. He appeared as Iceman in TOP GUN the following year, a role he was hesitant to accept.
“I didn’t want the part. I didn’t care about the film. The story didn’t interest me,” he wrote in his memoir. He changed his mind after being promised that the role would improve from the initial script, AP said.
He reprised the role in the 2023 Movieguide® Teddy Bear Award® nominated TOP GUN: MAVERICK, which would be his last on-screen appearance, according to IMDB.
Kilmer leaves behind two children, daughter Mercedes, born 1991, and son Jack, born 1995, with his wife Joanne Whalley. They later divorced.
Keep Kilmer’s family and friends in your prayers.
Read Next: Tom Cruise Moved to Tears During TOP GUN: MAVERICK Reunion With Val Kilmer
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