Top Gun Star Val Kilmer Passes at 65—Emotional Fans Say “Hurts the Heart”

Celebrated actor, Val Kilmer, who is best remembered for playing Iceman in the Top Gun franchise, passed away on April 1, 2025.

His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, released an official statement saying that he died of pneumonia on Tuesday, April 1. She also added that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, although he recovered from it later. Fans are heartbroken, as one wrote, “Val was and always will be a legend and a giant.”

Val Kilmer was last seen in Top Gun: Maverick

Val Kilmer played his final onscreen role in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick, where he reprised his Iceman character, alongside Tom Cruise. This was a sequel to the 1986 classic and Kilmer's role as Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky was brief, although poignant, more so because he is shown to pass away in the film.

Tom Cruise admitted to getting pretty emotional while filming with Kilmer, telling Jimmy Kimmel that they had known each other for decades. Cruise said, “He's such a powerful actor that he instantly became that character again. I was crying, I was crying. I got emotional.”

Now that Val is gone, for real, fans can't believe it, as one remarked, “Madmartigan, Iceman, Doc Holiday, Jim Morrison, Batman, Elvis... all iconic characters played by an extraordinary actor. Thank you, Val, for your incredible artistry. You will be dearly missed.”

Val Kilmer suffered from poor health for years.

From being a heartthrob and playing characters like Batman and Jim Morrison, Val Kilmer's throat cancer diagnosis irrevocably changed him, mentally and physically.

A 2017 interview narrated how his two-year fight with throat cancer had “taken its toll” on the family. Kilmer had to undergo a procedure on his trachea, which made his voice raspy and left him short of breath. Kilmer leaves behind two children, daughter Mercedes (b. 1991) and son Jack (b. 1995) that he shared with his ex-wife, actress Joanne Whalley.

The tributes have started to pour in from the film fraternity as well, as Josh Brolin wrote, “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.”

Some fans thought it was a hoax, given the date.

Given that he passed on April 1, some fans actually thought it was a giant Internet joke. One fan wrote, “My colleagues thought it was an April Fool’s item. Woefully it isn’t. May you Rest In Peace & In Light, Val K!” Another commented, “Oh, this one hurts the heart. I truly loved everything he was in. Willow was my personal favorite.”

Another wrote a longer eulogy, “Such a loss. He leaves an amazing legacy in film. Top Gun. He was the Iceman. Maverick hits different now. Tombstone is a fav. Incredible in Heat. Under-rated as Batman. Mesmerizing in The Doors.
In the last few years he had taken up painting, ever the artist. He was a talent in all the ways. Despite his health issues, he was still so young 😢 Devastating. Rest peacefully, Val Kilmer 🙏”

In his recent years, Kilmer had also explored his creative side with paintings, and fans seemed to love it all.

RIP, Val Kilmer. You will be missed, dearly. Here’s more about Val Kilmer and his brave battle with cancer.