Val Kilmer latest updates: Top Gun star revealed what helped him heal when he lost his

Val Kilmer’s voice was left forever changed after he was forced to undergo an emergency tracheotomy following a throat cancer diagnosis.

The Hollywood legend – who died from pneumonia on Tuesday after a long health battle – was diagnosed with throat cancer after coughing up blood in 2014.

He was rushed to hospital and had two emergency tracheotomies – where a hole is created in the neck and windpipe for a tube to be inserted to breathe – as well as chemotherapy and radiation.

The cancer caused his tongue to swell and block his lymph passages and after the surgeries, Kilmer had to put a finger to the aperture in his throat to speak and be understood.

Kilmer revealed he had been free of cancer for four years in 2020, but the tracheotomies permanently affected his ability to speak.

He lost his natural voice and had to use an electronic voice box to communicate, opening up about his struggles in his 2021 Prime documentary, Val.

Val Kilmer will go down in history as one of Hollywood’s best paid actors in the 1990s after performances in a string of box office hits.

Though he films grossed over $3.7 billion worldwide, he didn’t win an Oscar or receive a nomination throughout his career.

His exclusion from the Academy Awards has befuddled film critics who say he was deserving of honours.

Writer Robin Pitman claims the worst snub of his career came in 1993 when he missed out on an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance as Doc Holliday in Tombstone.

Writing for ScreenRant, Pitman said he may have been victim because of the success of Unforgiven the previous year, which was too similar a genre:

Kilmer acted his heart out, never wavering as he takes Doc Holliday from a dapper, gentlemanly gambler to a sick, drunken shell of his former self. Though the iconic performance did have the potential to be nominated, many believed that it wasn’t because of a western that had just been nominated for several categories the year before known as Unforgiven.

Unfortunately, great films just get passed over sometimes; even today, some are still upset over nomination snubs at the 2021 Oscars. However, Kilmer’s beautiful performance was deserving of a nomination and easily should have been put in over picks like Leonardo DiCaprio in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. It seems as if there were too many hurdles on Val Kilmer’s path to Oscar gold.

In 1992, film critic Roger Ebert remarked, “‘if there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Kilmer should get it.’

Despite the break up of their relationship, Val Kilmer remained close friends with Cher over the years and she supported him after his cancer diagnosis.

Cher revealed that Kilmer was one of the ‘few’ to have ever broken her heart, telling Howard Stern’s SiriusXM: ‘I was madly in love with Val Kilmer and he left.’

Cher revealed their age gap had come into play, admitting Kilmer was ‘really young’ as he was just 23 at the time of their two-year romance, while she was 36.

In his memoir, Kilmer told how ‘Cher stepped in and stepped up’ after he was hospitalized and was able to cheer him up even during the difficult time.

‘Even in my grave condition, I saw her scanning the paramedic, who was Gregory Peck drop-dead handsome. Only in Hollywood, right?’ he wrote.

After he was released from hospital, Cher allowed him to move into her Malibu guest house.

‘Once Cher works her way inside your head and heart, she never leaves. For her true friends, her steadfast love and loyalty never die,’ Val added.

At the height of his Hollywood heyday, Val Kilmer had a string of high-profile relationships with some of the world’s most desirable women such as Cindy Crawford, Angelina Jolie, Cher and Daryl Hannah.

But he shared his upset over not finding love in his later years following his divorce from British actress Joanne Whalley in 1996.

Following the sad news of his death, Kilmer’s heartbreaking comments about how ‘lonely’ he felt in his later years have reemerged.

In his 2020 memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry, Kilmer shared his desire for a relationship and revealed he had been single for around 20 years.

‘I haven’t had a girlfriend in 20 years. The truth is I am lonely part of every day,’ he emotionally wrote.

‘I’ve always found women infinitely more interesting than men. Perhaps that’s why we’ve always gotten along. We are big oafy elephants…and they are butterflies.’

Kilmer was married to actress Joanne Whalley from 1988 until 1996 and they share two children – a daughter Mercedes, 33, and a son Jack, 29.

The couple reportedly struggled due to ‘constant rumors’ around his on-set romances and reputation as a heartthrob

Kilmer in The Island of Dr. Moreau

Val Kilmer’s fractious relationship with leading film directors was laid bare in 1996 when Entertainment Weekly ran a cover story about Kilmer titled ‘The Man Hollywood Loves to Hate.’

The directors Joel Schumacher and John Frankenheimer, who finished ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau,’ said he was difficult. Schumacher called Kilmer ‘the most psychologically troubled human being I’ve ever worked with,’ while Frankenheimer said there were two things he would never do: ‘Climb Mount Everest and work with Val Kilmer again.’

But others came to his defence to dispel the notion he was a problem.

D. J. Caruso, who directed Kilmer in ‘The Salton Sea’ and said the actor simply liked to talk out scenes and enjoyed having a director’s attention.

‘Val needs to immerse himself in a character. I think what happened with directors like Frankenheimer and Schumacher is that Val would ask a lot of questions, and a guy like Schumacher would say, `You’re Batman! Just go do it,’ Caruso told the Times in 2002.

Hollywood director Ron Howard reflected on Val Kilmer’s ‘amazing’ filmography and ‘awesome range’ as he paid tribute to the actor following his death.

‘I was incredibly fortunate to collaborate with Val a number of times over the years,’ Howard posted to X.

‘As the off beat swordsman (Madmartigan) in #Willow, his stunning #JimMorrison in Oliver Stone’s #TheDoors (and) in a chilling cameo in #TheMissing.

‘I list these titles because even my own personal creative experiences reflect his awesome range as an actor. Check out his filmography. Amazing.

‘His art extended to his poetry, artworks, filmmaking and simply the way he lived. Bon Voyage, Val and thank you’

Val Kilmer revealed how art has helped him heal after setting up a studio in Los Angeles

Kamp Kilmer, a space dedicated for poets, painters, musicians, and filmmakers, opened in Hollywood in 2020.

The project was described by Kilmer as a dream having lived in the ‘New Mexico wilderness’ during the pandemic.

With little voice, my creative juices were boiling over and pouring out of me. I started creating again, painting, writing anything I could. I felt the art healing me.

I wanted to share this with others, and I started looking for a place to do so. I found a large studio in Hollywood. A fun sacred space where artists, musicians, muses, collectors, and friends could gather to celebrate creativity.

He wrote: ‘Val Kilmer was the 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.’

Kilmer has previously detailed how he was unaware he had throat cancer until one day he coughed up ‘coagulated blood’ and called for an ambulance before passing out.

He then woke up in a Santa Monica hospital after an emergency tracheotomy for throat cancer.

In 2020, Kilmer said he ‘healed very quickly’ following his throat cancer diagnosis, in an interview with Good Morning America.

‘This is a tracheotomy,’ he said while holding his hand to his throat, ‘to help me breathe because the glands in my throat swelled up as well’.

When asked what he misses the most about his voice, Kilmer told GMA: ‘That I had one! And that I didn’t laugh like a pirate.’

Val’s role in Top Gun in 1986 catapulted him to the stratosphere career wise, after he took on the role of villain Iceman.

He starred as Tom Cruise’s character Maverick’s cocky competition who wanted to get top place so badly that he cut off Maverick while flying, causing his R.I.O. Goose to die.

In his 2020 memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry, Val wrote: ‘Tom was Maverick, but Maverick’s nemesis was Iceman. The two went together like salt and pepper.’

Their bond from filming the original Top Gun film from 1986 has continued throughout the decades.

Speaking 36 years later after filming Top Gun Maverick Val said of his relationship with Tom: ‘We talked quite a bit about what was best for the story and I think they got it right at the end.

‘We are in touch and exchange Xmas gifts every year!’

Val added: ‘Tom and I get along really well. We giggled like little kids in school between takes. I consider him a real friend. We shared intimate stories and challenges about our different lifestyles!’

Val Kilmer‘s final ever film role left tears in fans’ eyes as he returned to screens as Lieutenant Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in the Top Gun sequel.

The Hollywood star died at the age of 65 on Tuesday after a long health battle, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed.

Following the sad news of his death, his poignant final film appearance in Top Gun: Maverick alongside Tom Cruise has reemerged online.

The screen icon was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent surgery, including a tracheotomy which significantly impacted his ability to speak.

He was later declared cancer free.

Kilmer underwent both radiotherapy and chemotherapy for his cancer as well as a tracheostomy a procedure to create an artificial hole in this neck to help him breathe.

The latter permanently damaged his vocal cords and consequentially forever altered his speaking voice.

Michael Mann, the legendary filmmaker who directed Kilmer in Heat, praised the late star in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

‘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,’ he said.

‘After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news.’

Aside from Mercedes, 33, he is also survived by son Jack Kilmer, 29. Kilmer was married to their mother, fellow actress Joanne, from 1988 until 1996.

In 2020, Kilmer revealed he had been single since the year 2000 in his memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry.

Val was pictured kissing Winona Ryder in 2005 and claimed to have dated his Alexander leading lady Angelina Jolie in 2004, but apparently they were not committed relationships.

Kilmer has loved some of the most beautiful women in the world including romances with Daryl Hannah and Cindy Crawford.

The Jay and Silent Bob Reboot actor has especially kind words for his ex-girlfriend Cher, who allowed him to move into her Malibu guest house after he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015.

‘Once Cher works her way inside your head and heart, she never leaves. For her true friends, her steadfast love and loyalty never die,’ Val wrote.

Kilmer was born December 31, 1959, in Los Angeles to Gladys Swanette and Eugene Dorris Kilmer.

His parents divorced in 1968 when he was 8 years old. His younger brother Wesley drowned in a jacuzzi at the age of 15.

Kilmer attended Chatsworth High School with Kevin Spacey, and later became the youngest person at the time to be accepted into the famed Juilliard School’s Drama Group.

He made his film debut starring in the spy spoof Top Secret! (1984) before appearing in the goofy comedy Real Genius (1985).

In 2021, in the Amazon Prime documentary entitled Val, Kilmer spoke candidly about living with the consequences of throat cancer including having to use an electric device called a voice box on the artificial hole in his throat to talk.

‘I obviously am sounding much worse than I feel. I can’t speak without plugging this hole [in his throat],’ he said.

A voice box device is most commonly a battery-operated machine that produces sound to create a voice, and is used to help those suffering with throat cancer communicate.

The actor, who also had to have meals through a feeding tube, explained some of the other challenges.

‘You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat. It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me,’ he said.

Val’s son provided the voice-over narration of the documentary but his lines were written by Val himself.

While Val Kilmer starred in a string of hit films, for many he’s best known as LT Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, the rival, and later ally of of Tom Cruise’s heroic LT Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

The 1986 film is considered one of the definining pictures of the decade, and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the US Library Of Congress after being deemed ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.’

In 2021, Val made a return to the public eye with a documentary about his life, which earned critical praise when it was released on Prime Video.

With his son acting as the film’s narrator, the documentary made use of hundreds of hours of home footage the actor himself had recorded, offering a glimpse at the films he worked on, as well as his health battles.

Less than two months before his death, Kilmer published what would be one of his final social media posts on February 23, 2025.

He uploaded haunting footage of himself hanging out in a padded room with artist/musician David Choe, which was originally filmed in 2021.

The star looked relatively healthy with a slim build, clean-shaven face and his hair worn slightly long.

In the clip, Kilmer, whose vocal cords were damaged by his throat cancer treatments, spoke briefly before trying on a custom Batman mask made for him by Choe.

Kilmer, who famously played the caped crusader nearly 30 years ago, quips that it’s ‘been awhile’ since he’s relived his Batman glory days.

After putting it on, Kilmer stares into the camera before panning to a colorful Batman portrait that was presumably painted for him by Choe.

Along with the video, Kilmer also shared visuals of Choe’s other Batman-related artwork as well as clips of the artist talking about his love for the superhero.

Kilmer did not caption the February 2023 post, which garnered nearly 30,000 ‘likes’ from his 634,000 Instagram followers.

Kilmer’s actual final Instagram post was published on March 22.

It featured a photo of one of his original paintings, which he’d signed and posted on his website for sale.

‘It’s got that late-night glow,’ he wrote of the painting. ‘Cool tones with a low burn, like when the camp fire cools down but you’re still wide awake.’

The screen icon was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent surgery, including a tracheotomy which significantly impacted his ability to speak. He was later declared cancer free.

Read the story in full on MailOnline:

Brian Lynch, the screenwriter behind Minions and Secret Life of Pets, wrote on Bluesky: ‘The Doors. Top Secret! Tombstone. Top Gun. Real Genius. Willow. Batman Forever. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. True Romance. Macgruber. Heat. There was nobody like Val Kilmer. May he Rest in Peace.’

Emmy-nominated TV writer and comedian Mike Drucker posted: ‘Val Kilmer felt like an actor who, no matter what the material, always understood the assignment.’

Pablo Hidalgo – a Lucasfilm executive – posted: ‘Oh man, not Val Kilmer. His comedic chops were top notch but he had a fascinating storm roiling beneath the surface. Madmartigan was an icon.’

The account for Top Gun on X posted a tribute to the actor.

Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman.

Kilmer spent his formative years in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles. He attended Chatsworth High School alongside future Oscar winner Kevin Spacey and future Emmy winner Mare Winningham. At 17, he was the youngest drama student ever admitted at the Juilliard School in 1981.

Shortly after he left for Juilliard, his younger brother, 15-year-old Wesley, suffered an epileptic seizure in the family’s Jacuzzi and died on the way to the hospital. Wesley was an aspiring filmmaker when he died.

‘I miss him and miss his things. I have his art up. I like to think about what he would have created. I’m still inspired by him,’ Kilmer told the Times.

While still at Juilliard, Kilmer co-wrote and appeared in the play ‘How It All Began’ and later turned down a role in Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘The Outsiders’ for the Broadway play, ‘Slab Boys,’ alongside Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn.

Kilmer published two books of poetry (including ‘My Edens After Burns’) and was nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for spoken word album for ‘The Mark of Zorro.’ He was also a visual artist and a lifelong Christian Scientist.

He dated Cher, married and divorced actor Joanne Whalley.

He is survived by their two children, Mercedes and Jack.

Kilmer, the youngest actor ever accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School at the time he attended, experienced the ups and downs of fame more dramatically than most.

His break came in 1984’s spy spoof ‘Top Secret!’ followed by the comedy ‘Real Genius’ in 1985. Kilmer would later show his comedy chops again in films including ‘MacGruber’ and ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.’

His movie career hit its zenith in the early 1990s as he made a name for himself as a dashing leading man, starring alongside Kurt Russell and Bill Paxton in 1993’s ‘Tombstone,’ as Elvis’ ghost in ‘True Romance’ and as a bank-robbing demolition expert in Michael Mann’s 1995 film ‘Heat’ with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

The actor – who took part in the Method branch of Suzuki arts training – threw himself into parts. When he played Doc Holliday in ‘Tombstone,’ he filled his bed with ice for the final scene to mimic the feeling of dying from tuberculosis. To play Morrison, he wore leather pants all the time, asked castmates and crew to only refer to him as Jim Morrison and blasted The Doors for a year.

That intensity also gave Kilmer a reputation that he was difficult to work with, something he grudgingly agreed with later in life, but always defending himself by emphasizing art over commerce.

One of his more iconic roles – hotshot pilot Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky opposite Tom Cruise – almost didn’t happen. Kilmer was courted by director Tony Scott for ‘Top Gun’ but initially balked.

‘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 agreed after being promised that his role would improve from the initial script. He would reprise the role in the film’s 2022 sequel, ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’

One career nadir was playing Batman in Joel Schumacher’s goofy, garish ‘Batman Forever’ with Nicole Kidman and opposite Chris O’Donnell`s Robin – before George Clooney took up the mantle for 1997’s ‘Batman & Robin’ and after Michael Keaton played the Dark Knight in 1989’s ‘Batman’ and 1992’s ‘Batman Returns.’

Janet Maslin in The New York Times said Kilmer was ‘hamstrung by the straight-man aspects of the role,’ while Roger Ebert deadpanned that he was a ‘completely acceptable’ substitute for Keaton. Kilmer, who was one and done as Batman, blamed much of his performance on the suit.

Towards the end of ‘Val,’ the 2021 documentary on his career, Kilmer said:

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.

In a post on Instagram, actor Josh Gad paid tribute to action star Val Kilmer.

He said: ‘RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon.’

He posted alongside this photo:

Actor Josh Brolin called Kilmer a ‘smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker’.

Alongside a picture of the two, he wrote on Instagram: ‘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.’

News of Kilmer’s death has shocked fans and Hollywood.

His daughter Mercedes Kilmer, whom he shared with ex-wife Joanne Whalley, revealed he passed from pneumonia in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Aside from Mercedes, 33, he is also survived by son Jack Kilmer, 29. Kilmer was married to their mother Joanne from 1988 until 1996.

Good morning and welcome to MailOnline’s coverage after Top Gun star Val Kilmer died aged 65.

His daughter Mercedes Kilmer revealed that he passed away from pneumonia in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Kilmer was known for his role as Iceman in the 1986 hit movie Top Gun and as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 1995 Batman Forever. Despite his permanently damaged voice, he made a brief return to the screen in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick.

He also famously played musician Jim Morrison in the 1991 film The Doors.