Val Kilmer cause of death: What we know

Val Kilmer, the actor best known for playing Iceman in "Top Gun" and portraying Jim Morrison in "The Doors," died Tuesday. He was 65 years old.

His daughter, Mercedes, said Kilmer died Tuesday night in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends. 

"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 says toward the end of "Val," the 2021 documentary on his career. "And I am blessed."

Val Kilmer cause of death

What we know:

Kilmer died from pneumonia. He had recovered after a 2014 throat cancer diagnosis that required two tracheotomies.

What we don't know:

It’s not clear how long he had been sick. 

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Val Kilmer movies

Kilmer’s first big break came in 1984’s spy spoof "Top Secret!" followed by the comedy "Real Genius" in 1985. 

Kilmer has dozens of film and TV credits to his name. Here are some of his biggest movies: 

• "Top Gun" in 1986 and "Top Gun: Maverick" in 2022
• "The Doors" in 1991
• "Tombstone" in 1993
• "True Romance" in 1993
• "Batman Forever" in 1995
• "Heat" in 1995
• "The Island of Dr. Moreau" in 1996
• "The Saint" in 1997
• "Joe the King" in 1999
• "At First Sight" in 1999
• "Wonderland" in 2003
• "Spartan" in 2004
• "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" in 2005
• "MacGruber" in 2010

Dig deeper:

Kilmer — 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.

"In an unflinching attempt to empower directors, actors and other collaborators to honor the truth and essence of each project, an attempt to breathe Suzukian life into a myriad Hollywood moments, I had been deemed difficult and alienated the head of every major studio," he wrote in his memoir, "I’m Your Huckleberry."

Val Kilmer tributes

What they're saying:

 "While working with Val on ‘Heat’ I always marvelled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character," director Michael Mann said in a statement Tuesday night.

Actor Josh Brolin, a friend of Kilmer, was among others paying tribute.

"You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker," Brolin wrote on Instagram. "There’s not a lot left of those."

Val Kilmer early life

The backstory:

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.

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.

"I have no regrets," Kilmer told the AP in 2021. "I’ve witnessed and experienced miracles."

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