Kilmer fought the disease since his diagnosis in 2014 before succumbing to pneumonia on Tuesday night.
Val Kilmer, the actor known for his roles in “Top Gun” and “Heat,” died from pneumonia Tuesday night in Los Angeles after an intense 11-year battle with throat cancer that left him using a voice box.
The 65-year-old was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and recovered, before undergoing painful treatments that included a tracheostomy that permanently altered his speaking voice.
His daughter confirmed his Tuesday death from pneumonia to the AP. “While working with Val on ‘Heat,’ I always marveled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character,” director Michael Mann said in a Wednesday post on Instagram. “After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news.”
Despite the brutal toll cancer took on Kilmer, the actor said he never felt bad about his health battles.
“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,” Kilmer said in “Val,” the 2021 documentary on his career. “And I am blessed.”
Kilmer famously revived his “Iceman” role in “Top Gun: Maverick,” bringing the actor’s real-life struggles to screen and playing a cancer-inflicted commander who eventually passes away during the sequel.
“I have no regrets,” Kilmer told The Associated Press in 2021. “I’ve witnessed and experienced miracles.”
Actor Val Kilmer wrote a final Instagram post before he died. On March 22, 2025, Kilmer posted a picture of a painting on his Instagram page. He died on April 1 of pneumonia after battling throat cancer for years, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer told The New York Times. The Instagram post shows a surreal painting of what is supposed to be a campfire. “It’s got that late-night glow. Cool tones with a low burn, like when the camp fire cools down but you’re still wide awake. 12” x 20” plexi-glazed, signed, and ready to hang. ValKilmer.com,” the post reads. Fans filled the comment thread under the painting with tributes to Kilmer after his death. “Rest in Peace, you amazing artist and human! 💔🌸,” wrote one person.
