Val Kilmer dies — star of "Batman" and "The Doors," charismatic and unpredictable
Hollywood says goodbye to Val Kilmer — the actor who portrayed Jim Morrison and Batman, left the stage for ten years, and passed away at the age of 65.
Photo: Andria, CC BY-ND 2.0
On April 1 in Los Angeles, Val Kilmer passed away — the actor famed for his roles in “Batman Forever” and “The Doors.” He was 65 years old.
The cause of death was pneumonia, according to his daughter Mercedes Kilmer, who spoke with the New York Times.
In 2014, the actor was diagnosed with throat cancer, after which he temporarily stepped away from his career. He later managed to overcome the illness and return to work.
Kilmer began his career in theater and made his film debut in 1984. He rose to fame after his role in “Top Gun” (1986) alongside Tom Cruise. His career soared in the 1990s: he portrayed Jim Morrison in “The Doors,” Batman in “Batman Forever,” and appeared in films like “Heat,” “The Saint,” and others.
Despite some project failures, he earned multimillion-dollar fees.
He was known as charismatic but unpredictable and often chose unconventional roles. At the height of his career, he suddenly disappeared from Hollywood for nearly a decade.
Despite his illnesses, he returned to creative work and participated in both documentary and feature projects in the final years of his life.
He was married to actress Joanne Whalley, with whom he had two children.
It was previously reported that French actor and director Alain Delon, a legend of world cinema, passed away on August 18 in Paris at the age of 88, leaving behind a vast cultural legacy.