Whatever Happened To Val Kilmer, Iceman, From 'Top Gun'?

Val Kilmer, who died on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65 after many trials and tribulations in his life, was one of the best actors of all time, appearing in A-list films through the years. He first began acting in 1984, and soon sky-rocketed to fame in roles like portraying the late Jim Morrison in The Doors and later on as Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever.

However, many old-school fans may know Kilmer best for his role as Iceman in Top Gun. Reportedly, Val was forced to become Iceman due to contractual obligations. Luckily for us and him, because it became one of his most iconic roles. We’re going to take a look back at his successful acting career and life.

What happened to Val Kilmer?

val kilmer as jim morrison in the doors — THE DOORS, Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, 1991. ph: © TriStar Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

He was well known for his acting skills but had a reputation for being difficult to work with. This rang true for his relationship with Top Gun co-star Tom Cruise – apparently, the tension between Maverick and Iceman wasn’t just good acting. Cruise and Kilmer apparently kept their distance from each other while filming and never socialized.

As mentioned earlier, Kilmer became known for portraying Jim Morrison in a film about The Doors and became one of the most iconic Batmans ever in Batman Forever.

val kilmer as bruce wayne in batman forever — BATMAN FOREVER, Val Kilmer, 1995, (c)Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection

Life was hard for Kilmer, without a doubt. After consistently denying health issues since 2015, Kilmer finally revealed that he had been battling throat cancer. He underwent a tracheotomy in 2015 and stated that his voice had been reduced to a rasp. However, even with all that being said, he kept working. According to his IMDb, in 2021 he had already completed some projects for that year and had a few more announced including the title role in Mark Twain and Mary Baker Eddy.

Val Kilmer as iceman in top gun — TOP GUN, Val Kilmer, 1986

Other notable roles of his include True Romance (1993), Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993), Chris Shiherlis in Heat (1995), Simon Templar in The Saint (1997), Moses in The Prince of Egypt (1998), “Gay Perry” in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), and Dieter Von Cunth in MacGruber (2010).

val kilmer today — LOS ANGELES – JUL 8: Val Kilmer at the Monster Energy K Charity Challenge Celebrity Basketball Game at the Pauley Pavillion on July 8, 2019 in Westwood, CA / Carrie Nelson/ImageCollect

Aside from acting, Kilmer also released his memoir called I’m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir in 2020. So, tell us, what’s your favorite Val Kilmer role? I think mine is probably his Batman Forever role, for sure. Let us know in the comments!