{"id":2418869,"date":"2025-04-02T10:23:53","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T14:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/val-kilmer-top-gun-and-tombstone-actor-dead-at-65-washington-examiner-2\/"},"modified":"2025-04-02T10:27:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T14:27:46","slug":"val-kilmer-top-gun-and-tombstone-actor-dead-at-65-washington-examiner-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/val-kilmer-top-gun-and-tombstone-actor-dead-at-65-washington-examiner-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Val Kilmer, Top Gun and Tombstone actor, dead at 65 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fval-kilmer-top-gun-and-tombstone-actor-dead-at-65-washington-examiner-2%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2418869&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Val Kilmer,the renowned actor known for his iconic roles in films such as *Top Gun*,*Tombstone*,and *Batman Forever*,passed away at the age of 65 due to pneumonia. His daughter, Mercedes kilmer, confirmed the news. Kilmer had been battling throat cancer since 2014,wich led to numerous medical treatments that affected his ability to speak. He utilized AI technology to help recreate his voice in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>Celebrated for his versatility, Kilmer had a celebrated career spanning five decades, starting with his breakout role in *Top secret!* in 1984 and gaining fame as the cocky naval pilot \u201cIceman\u201d in *top Gun*. He starred in various notable films including *Willow*, *Heat*, and *The Doors*, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spider-man-no-way-home-crushes-box-office-competition-while-matrix-resurrections-and-sing-2-battle-for-number-two-spot\/\" title=\"\u2018Spider-Man: No Way Home\u2019 Crushes Box Office Competition While \u2018Matrix: Resurrections\u2019 and \u2018Sing 2\u2019 Battle For Number Two Spot\">earning high praise<\/a> from critics.Later in life, he published a memoir titled *I\u2019m Your Huckleberry* and released a documentary film, *Val*, which focused on both his career and health challenges.kilmer expressed gratitude for his life experiences, reflecting on the complexities of his journey in the documentary.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Val Kilmer, Top Gun and Tombstone actor, dead at 65<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2075149\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/1233561\/kilmer-steps-in-to-save-the-animals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Val Kilmer<\/a>, an actor known for many roles in the 1980s and 1990s, has died. He was 65 years old.<\/p>\n<p>He died from pneumonia in Los Angeles, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">California<\/a>, on Tuesday night, the <em>Associated Press<\/em> reported after receiving an email from the actor&rsquo;s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3367278\/maryland-reparations-commission-bill-advances-budget-deficit\/\">Maryland reparations commission bill advances despite facing $3.3 billion deficit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/3367299\/tesla-attacks-political-unrest-spark-self-defense-gun-sales\/\">Tesla attacks and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">political unrest spark &#038;lsquo<\/a>;self-defense&rsquo; gun sales<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3367236\/trump-not-acting-like-someone-running-reelection-despite-third-term-talk\/\">Trump isn&#8217;t acting like someone running for reelection despite third-term talk<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>He was diagnosed with throat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cancer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">cancer<\/a> in 2014, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/val-kilmer-top-gun-and-tombstone-actor-dead-at-65-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"..., \u2018Top Gun\u2019 and \u2018Tombstone\u2019 actor, dead at 65 - Washington Examiner\">undergoing intense medical procedures<\/a> as treatment, including chemotherapy and multiple tracheotomies, and needing a tube to eat food. In the years before his death, he reportedly lost his full ability to speak and used AI technology to recreate his voice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kilmer was known for his roles as the brash, cocky naval pilot &ldquo;Iceman&rdquo; in the 1986 film <em>Top Gun, <\/em>Western gunslinger Doc Holliday in the 1993 film <em>Tombstone<\/em>, and the DC Comics superhero Batman and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, in the 1995 action film <em>Batman Forever<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Kilmer&rsquo;s career spanned five decades. His big break in movies came in 1984 when he starred in the comedy film <em>Top Secret! <\/em>He followed up his supporting actor role in <em>Top Gun <\/em>with the fantasy movie <em>Willow<\/em> as one of the male leads. Later, he was the male lead in the 1991 Oliver Stone biopic <em>The Doors <\/em>as singer Jim Morrison.<em> <\/em>Some of his other roles were in the hit movies <em>Heat, The Saint, At First Sight, Alexander, <\/em>and<em> Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He was one of the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-numbers.com\/person\/77610401-Val-Kilmer#tab=summary\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">highest-paid<\/a> actors in the 1990s and was lauded by film critic Roger Ebert in 1992.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Kilmer should get it,&rdquo; Ebert <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7273626\/val-kilmer-hollywood-icon-death-tributes-remembrances\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3364845\/florida-special-elections-trump-wake-up-call\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FLORIDA SPECIAL ELECTIONS GIVE TRUMP WAKE-UP CALL IN HIS BACKYARD<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In his later years, Kilmer <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=PK_MygEACAAJ\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">published<\/a> a novel about his life and career, <em>I&rsquo;m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir<\/em>, named after his <em>Tombstone <\/em>character&rsquo;s famous catchphrase. In 2021, he released a documentary film, <em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Val-Kilmer\/dp\/B09888KKZK\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Val<\/a><\/em>, which detailed his career and the health challenges he faced later in life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Kilmer <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/val-kilmer-actor-dead-pneumonia-7e8f27b1ec80f2940f7a7776f5f92804\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> in his documentary. &ldquo;And I am blessed.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2075149\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2075149\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Val Kilmer, famed for roles in Top Gun and Tombstone, dies at 65. He passed away from pneumonia in Los Angeles, as confirmed by his daughter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2677,"featured_media":2418870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Val-Kilmer-1024x802.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4361,32229,29337,52674,52673],"class_list":["post-2418869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-hollywood","tag-obituary","tag-tombstone","tag-top-gun","tag-val-kilmer"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Val-Kilmer-1024x802.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2418869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2677"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2418869"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2418869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2418873,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2418869\/revisions\/2418873"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2418870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2418869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2418869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2418869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}