In 2015, Kilmer was diagnosed withthroat cancer. He subsequently underwent atracheal procedure that damaged his vocal cords, leaving him with severe difficulty speaking. He also underwentchemotherapy and twotracheotomies, and released his memoir,I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir (2020), and the documentaryVal (2021), both of which detail his career and health struggles.[4] He died ofpneumonia on April 1, 2025 at the age of 65.
Val Edward Kilmer was born on December 31, 1959, inLos Angeles,California,[1] the second of three sons to Gladys Swanette (née Ekstadt; 1928–2019)[5] and industrialist and developer Eugene Dorris Kilmer (1921–1993).[6] His mother was of Swedish descent,[7] and his father's ancestry included Irish, German, andCherokee roots.[8] His parents divorced in 1968 when he was 8 years old and in 1970, his mother married William Bernard Leach.
Kilmer was raised withChristian Science beliefs, which he maintained for most of his life. In 1977, Kilmer's younger brother Wesley (1961–1977), who hadepilepsy, drowned in ahot tub at age 16.[9][10]
Kilmer declined a role inFrancis Ford Coppola's 1983 filmThe Outsiders because he had prior theater commitments.[14] In 1983, he appeared off Broadway inThe Slab Boys withKevin Bacon,Sean Penn, andJackie Earle Haley. That same year, his first off-stage acting role (excluding television commercials) came in the form of an episode ofABC Afterschool Special calledOne Too Many, although it did not air until 1985.[15] It was an educational drama on drinking and driving,[16] and co-starred a youngMichelle Pfeiffer. Also in 1983, Kilmer self-published a collection of his own poetry entitledMy Edens After Burns, that included poems inspired by his time with Pfeiffer. This book of poems is difficult to obtain and expensive; known second-hand copies cost $300 and up.[17][18][19]
His big break came when he received top billing in the comedy spoof of spy moviesTop Secret!, in which he played an American rock and roll star. Kilmer sang all the songs in the film and released an album under the film character's name, "Nick Rivers".[20]
After several delays, directorOliver Stone finally started production on the filmThe Doors, based on the story ofthe band of the same name.[27] Kilmer spoke with Oliver Stone early on, concerned about what he might want to do with the story because Kilmer did not believe in or want to promotesubstance abuse. Kilmer sawJim Morrison as having picked the wrong heroes, who had different issues, which were not part of the creativity or inspiration. Kilmer saw Morrison's story as one that could be told "a thousand different ways" and did not want to tell it by playing the role in the style of drugs, with which Oliver Stone agreed.[citation needed] Kilmer memorized the lyrics to all of lead singer Morrison's songs prior to his audition and sent a video of himself performing some Doors songs to director Stone.[28] Stone was not impressed with the tape, butPaul A. Rothchild (the original producer of the Doors) said "I was shaken by it" and suggested they record Kilmer in the studio. After Kilmer was cast as Morrison, he prepared for the role by attending Doors tribute concerts and reading Morrison's poetry.[29]
He spent close to a year before production dressing in Morrison-like clothes and spent time at Morrison's old hangouts along theSunset Strip. His portrayal of Morrison was praised and members of the Doors noted that Kilmer did such a convincing job that they had trouble distinguishing his voice from Morrison's.[27] Paul Rothchild played Kilmer's version of "The End" for the band's guitarist,Robby Krieger, who told him, "I'm really glad they got 'The End'. We never got a recording of that live with Jim and now we've got it." However, Doors keyboardistRay Manzarek was less than enthusiastic with how Morrison was portrayed in Stone's interpretation.[30]
In December 1993Batman Forever directorJoel Schumacher had seenTombstone and was most impressed with Kilmer's performance asDoc Holliday. Schumacher felt him to be perfect for the role ofBatman, though at the time, the role was stillMichael Keaton's.[34] In July 1994, Keaton decided not to return for a third Batman film after 1992'sBatman Returns,[35] due to "creative differences".[34]William Baldwin (who previously worked with Schumacher onFlatliners) was reported to be a top contender, though just days after Keaton dropped out, Kilmer was cast.[35] Kilmer took the role without even knowing who the new director was and without reading the script.[34]
Released in June 1995,Batman Forever was a success at the box office,[36] despite receiving mixed reviews from critics.[37] There was debate about Kilmer's performance: some critics, such asThe New York Times'Janet Maslin, thought Kilmer was a poor successor to Keaton in the part;[38] while others, such asRoger Ebert, had kind words for Kilmer.[39]Batman co-creatorBob Kane said in aCinescape interview that of all the actors to have played Batman up to that point, he felt Kilmer had given the best interpretation.[citation needed] Film criticLeonard Maltin (who criticized the dark tone contained inBatman Returns) complimented Kilmer's portrayal when he reviewed the film in his 2009 movie guide.[40]
In February 1996, Kilmer decided not to return for another Batman feature film, feeling that Batman was being marginalized in favor of the villains,[41] as well as his scheduling problems withThe Saint, andGeorge Clooney replaced him as Batman in 1997'sBatman & Robin. There were also reports that Kilmer had a bad working relationship with Schumacher, as another reason for not reprising the role.[42][43]
In 1996 he appeared in a largely unknown film,Dead Girl, and starred alongsideMarlon Brando in the poorly received[44]The Island of Dr. Moreau. That year, Kilmer starred alongsideMichael Douglas in the thrillerThe Ghost and the Darkness. In 1997 he playedSimon Templar in the popular action filmThe Saint. Kilmer looked forward to the title role as a change toward a more fun, less serious action thriller, while enjoying the "master of disguise" chameleon characters including a mad artist, a nerdy British scientist, a cleaner, and a Russian mob boss. Kilmer also wrote the poetry in the film.[citation needed] He received a salary of $6 million for the movie.[41]The Saint was a financial success, grossing $169.4 million worldwide.[45] In 1998, he voiced bothMoses and God in the animated filmThe Prince of Egypt,[46] before starring in theindependent filmJoe the King (1999). Also in 1999, he played a blind man in the drama/romanceAt First Sight, which he described as being, as of then, the hardest role he had ever had.[13]
In 2003, Kilmer starred alongsideKate Bosworth in the drama/thrillerWonderland, portraying porn starJohn Holmes. He also appeared inThe Missing, where he again worked withWillow directorRon Howard. The next year, he starred inDavid Mamet'sSpartan, where he played a United States governmentsecret agent who is assigned the task of rescuing the kidnapped daughter of the president. He receivedDelta Force-like training in preparation for the role.[51] Subsequently, he had a role in the dramaStateside, and starred (again with Slater) in the thrillerMindhunters, which was filmed in 2003 but not released until 2005. Kilmer next appeared in the big budgetOliver Stone productionAlexander, which received poor reviews.[52]
Also in 2004, Kilmer returned to the theater to play Moses in a Los Angeles musical production ofThe Ten Commandments: The Musical, produced byBCBG founderMax Azria.[53] The production played at theKodak Theatre in Hollywood and also featuredAdam Lambert. This same year, Kilmer appeared in an episode ofEntourage, where he played aSherpa whose primary source of income was growing, harvesting, and distributing high-qualitycannabis, all under a guise ofmetaphysical insights.
Kilmer was in negotiations withRichard Dutcher (a leading director ofMormon-related films) to play the lead role in a film entitledProphet: The Story ofJoseph Smith, although the project never materialized.[54] Kilmer performed inThe Postman Always Rings Twice on the London stage from June to September 2005.[55] In 2005, he co-starred withRobert Downey, Jr. in the action-comedy filmKiss Kiss Bang Bang. His performance was praised and the film was well reviewed,[56] but it received only a limited release.[57] It later won the award for "Overlooked Film of the Year" from the Phoenix Film Critics Society.[58]
Filmink argued "we're really surprised Kilmer could not make more of a comeback in the 2000s. Was he too chubby? Had he burned too many bridges? Another '90s movie star who hit a cold streak and got jowly Alec Baldwin came back in a big way via30 Rock, but for whatever reason, Kilmer could never come close to his old glory."[59]
In 2010, Kilmer starred inMichael Oblowitz's horror filmThe Traveler, in which he played thevengeful spirit of a man who had been tortured and murdered while in police custody. In November 2010, Kilmer was filming inKelseyville, California. He was finally able to work with his lifelong friendFrancis Ford Coppola and star in the filmTwixt. The film was filmed mostly on Coppola's estate inNapa County. The filming was expected to take five weeks and was being independently funded by Coppola. In 2010, Kilmer appeared as the villain Dieter Von Cunth inMacGruber and had a small cameo role in the music video forTenacious D's "To Be the Best". Kilmer spoke at the May 5, 2010, commencement ceremonies ofWilliam Woods University inFulton, Missouri.[62] During his week-long visit on campus, he also performed his one-man play,Citizen Twain.[63][64] He received anhonorary doctorate "in recognition of his creative abilities and his contributions to art and theater".[64]
In 2012, Kilmer received aGrammy nomination for Best Spoken Word. He also starred inHarmony Korine's short filmThe Lotus Community Workshop, part of the collaborative filmThe Fourth Dimension. He plays a version of himself from an alternate reality: a former actor turned self-help guru.The Fourth Dimension is a collection of three standalone short films about parallel universes produced by Vice Films in collaboration withGrolsch Film Works, a new division of the namesake beer company. Kilmer noted that his addition to the list of actors, includingJohn Malkovich (Being John Malkovich) andAl Pacino (Jack and Jill), that mock their real-life persona in fictional movies was an accident and said that, "I still love saying the premise because it makes me laugh every time."[65]
In 2002, Kilmer worked on a film about the life ofMary Baker Eddy, the founder of theChristian Science church,[66] andMark Twain, one of her most famous critics. The film is about the lives and relationship of Eddy and Twain as "a quirky, tender, tragicomic portrait of two contrasting lives, set against the backdrop of the United States during theGilded Age."[67]Citizen Twain was initially performed as a one-man show Hollywood workshop in April 2012; it then became the basis of Kilmer's film project, his directorial debut.[65] The 90-minute film version of his one-man stage show was released asCinema Twain.[68] In 2013, he reunited with hisTop Gun co-starAnthony Edwards in theDisney animated moviePlanes. Kilmer voiced the character Bravo, while Edwards supplied Echo. Kilmer also played the role of Detective Dobson in the series finale of the television showPsych.
As Kilmer's throat problems affected his vocal abilities, technology solutions were sought. In 2021, he collaborated with Sonantic, a London-based software company, todigitally recreate his voice usingAI and archived recordings.[74] More than 40 vocal models were created to find the closest match for future projects.[75][76] For the 2022 filmTop Gun: Maverick, directorJoseph Kosinski stated that, despite reports to the contrary, they did not use Sonantic's AI technology in the film. Instead, Kilmer's actual voice was digitally altered for clarity.[77]
Kilmer was married to actressJoanne Whalley from March 1988 to February 1996.[82] The two met while working together on the 1988 filmWillow.[83] They had two children, Mercedes andJack Kilmer.[82][84]
Kilmer had a reputation for being difficult to work with and having feuds with some of the actors with whom he worked, notablyThe Island of Dr. Moreau co-starMarlon Brando andRed Planet andHeat co-starTom Sizemore.[89] Kilmer'sTombstone co-star,Michael Biehn, said: "People ask me what it's like to work with Val Kilmer. I don't know. Never met him. Never shook his hand. I know Doc Holliday, but I don't know [Kilmer]."[90]
Richard Stanley, who directed Kilmer for three days inThe Island of Dr. Moreau before being fired, recalled, "Val would arrive, and an argument would happen."[91]John Frankenheimer, who replaced Stanley, said, "I don't like Val Kilmer, I don't like his work ethic, and I don't want to be associated with him ever again."Batman Forever directorJoel Schumacher called Kilmer "childish and impossible".[91]
When Kilmer'sAt First Sight co-starMira Sorvino was asked about his reputation as "difficult to work with", she responded: "You know what, he was real easy to work with. I just hate furthering rumours about people being difficult, because it can do such enormous damage to their careers. My experience with him was nothing but positive. He was really professional and gentlemanly, and a terrific actor."[92]Kurt Russell, Kilmer's co-star inTombstone, said of working with him: "If you're asking me if it was great working with Val Kilmer, who played Doc Holliday onTombstone, the answer is absolutely."[93]Drew Barrymore, who costarred with Kilmer inBatman Forever, said of her experience with the actor: "Val Kilmer was so nice to me. He was so nurturing and kind and safe, which was a very important thing for me."[94]
Hilarie Burton, Kilmer's co-star inBloodworth, called him "the sweetest man" and said he cut a gratuitous sex scene between them in the film because "it didn't service the story or the character", instead changing it to a scene in which their characters are enjoying barbecued ribs. "I felt so safe and cared for by that man.... He made the scene about us instead of using me as a prop. That one day at work rewired my brain. Val was kind to me. A thoughtful artist. I bought some of his paintings a few years back. I hope every young actor has a Val in their life. That movie was a magical experience," she said.[95]David Thewlis, Kilmer's co-star inThe Island of Dr. Moreau said of working with him; "I spent the most bizarre 5 months of my entire life with Val Kilmer, out in the Australian rainforest, on the ill fated Island of Dr Moreau. It was so spectacularly bleak and awful it was almost wonderful. Look it up sometime. As Val wrote in his final mail to me: 'What an incredible story we lived, you and I. One of the greatest.'"[96]
In 1998, Kilmer traveled to Iraq withAmeriCares to deliver humanitarian aid, the first US humanitarian airlift to Iraq since 1990.[97] Kilmer made several trips toNew Orleans to help in the 2005Hurricane Katrina disaster relief.[98] He was a supporter of Native American affairs and an advocate ofenvironmental protection.[99] Kilmer briefly considered running forGovernor of New Mexico in 2010 but decided against it.[100]
In May 2013, Kilmer lobbied Congress on behalf of theEquitable Access to Care and Health Act, or EACH Act (H.R. 1814), a bill "to provide an additional religious exemption from the individual health coverage mandate" ofObamacare.[101][102]
In 2014, Kilmer was forced to cancel aCitizen Twain show after losing his voice. He noticed a lump in his throat but did not seek medical care until he started vomiting blood.[103] In January 2015, aged 55, he was hospitalized for what his representative said were tests for a possible tumor. Kilmer stated on social media, "I have not had a tumor, or tumor operations [sic], or any operation. I had a complication where the best way to receive care was to stay under the watchful eye of theUCLAICU."[104] Kilmer was a lifelongChristian Scientist, and upon his throat cancer diagnosis referred to it in the press as "the suggestion of throat cancer", opting not to explicitly associate himself with such a diagnosis. He underwent recommended chemotherapy following his children's request despite it being conventionally against his religion.[105]
After previously denying persistent rumors that he had been diagnosed with cancer, Kilmer said in April 2017 that he had experienced a "healing of cancer".[106][107] In December 2017,The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Kilmer had endured a "two-year battle withthroat cancer" and that "a procedure on histrachea has reduced his voice to a rasp and rendered him short of breath". To speak, Kilmer plugged an electric voice-box into his trachea.[108]
Upon his death, filmmakerMichael Mann wrote, "While working with Val onHeat, 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".[116] DirectorFrancis Ford Coppola wrote, "He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know - I will always remember him".[117]Tom Cruise honored hisTop Gun co-star atCinemaCon asking for a moment of silence saying, "I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us".[118][119] DirectorOliver Stone wrote: "Val Kilmer was brilliant, both as Jim Morrison inThe Doors and inAlexander as King Philip of Macedon. His approach and attitude significantly changed between 1990 andAlexander in 2004. The results satisfied me on both occasions. To call Val turbulent, contradictory, and tortured is an understatement. But the result was he was exciting on film, always exciting, and fresh. We need more Vals. He was an iconoclast and rebel in his acting, and always kept it exciting in either supporting or main roles. The movies will miss him."[120]The Doors's drummerJohn Densmore wrote: "As an actor, Val's channeling of Jim (Morrison) was so close, he gave me the creeps on the set of Oliver Stone's biopic. He should have been nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor."[121]
^"Obituary for Gladys Leach".wickenburgfuneralhome.com. Wickenburg Funeral Home & Crematory. Archived fromthe original on February 2, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 2, 2022.
^Kennedy, Dana (April 21, 2002)."A Long-Lingering Grief That Serves a New Role".The New York Times. p. 54.Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. RetrievedOctober 24, 2009....his younger brother Wesley, who drowned 25 years ago. Kilmer has another brother, Ian Robert Greenfield (Kilmer), born April 9th 1979. ... Despite the passage of time, Mr. Kilmer, 42, was still haunted by his brother's death... [He] was 15 and an aspiring filmmaker when he died.
^Murphy, Geoffrey (December 2005)."Batman Returns to His Cave".The Juilliard Journal.Juilliard School. Archived fromthe original on September 2, 2006. RetrievedMay 11, 2006.Kilmer was accepted to Juilliard, the youngest person to be admitted to the Drama Division. (This record survived until the arrival of current third-year studentSeth Numrich, who was accepted at age 15.)
^Dening, Penelope (December 19, 1998)."Val finds his voice".The Irish Times. Archived fromthe original on March 11, 2005. RetrievedOctober 24, 2009.I turned down a role in The Outsiders, because I was doing Shakespeare at the time and I thought it was right to stay with the play. I don't think I would have made the same choice now. Because great careers came out of that. Tom Cruise and a whole bunch of actors.
^abRiordan, James (September 1996).Stone: A Biography of Oliver Stone. New York: Aurum Pres. pp. 310–314.ISBN1-85410-444-6.
^Hall, Carla (March 3, 1991). "Val Kilmer, Lighting the Fire".The Washington Post. pp. G1.
^"Val Kilmer".Alexander-the-great.co.uk. Archived fromthe original on April 26, 2006. RetrievedMay 12, 2006.
^Manzarek, Ray (1998).Light My Fire: My Life With The Doors. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. pp. 251–252.ISBN0-399-14399-8.
^Cosmatos, George P. (December 25, 1993),Tombstone (Biography, Drama, History), Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Hollywood Pictures, Cinergi Pictures Entertainment, Alphaville Films, retrievedApril 2, 2025
^"Kilmer speaks at WWU"(PDF).Louisiana Press-Journal. Pike County, Louisiana, Missouri. May 30, 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on November 13, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 31, 2014.
^abKilmer, Val. "Crazy things seem normal, normal things seem crazy". InIra Glass (ed.). "New Kings of Nonfiction" (Interview). Interviewed byChuck Klosterman.
^Ringel Gillespie, Eleanor (November 24, 2004)."Christmas with the Cranks".The Atlanta Constitution. pp. E1. RetrievedMay 5, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
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