Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! (1984) and Real Genius (1985), as well as the military action film Top Gun (1986) and the fantasy film Willow (1988).
Kilmer gained acclaim for his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991). Kilmer's stardom continued, as he was often cast as a main character in critically acclaimed films such as the western Tombstone (1993), and the crime dramas True Romance (1993), and Heat (1995). He replaced Michael Keaton portraying Bruce Wayne/Batman in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995). He continued acting in films such as The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), The Saint (1997), The Prince of Egypt (1998), Pollock (2000), Alexander (2004), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Déjà Vu (2006), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), and Song to Song (2017). "If there is an award for the most unsung leading man of his generation, Kilmer should get it," wrote critic Roger Ebert, "he has shown a range of characters so convincing that it's likely most people, even now, don't realize they were looking at the same actor."
Since 2015, Kilmer has privately struggled with throat cancer; he had a procedure on his trachea that damaged his vocal cords to the point where he had extreme difficulty speaking. He also underwent chemotherapy and two tracheotomies. In 2020, he published his memoir titled, I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir. His struggle was captured in the 2021 documentary titled Val which documented his career and health issues. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim. In 2022, Kilmer reprised his role as Iceman, reuniting with Tom Cruise, in Top Gun: Maverick (2022). One of the best-paid actors of the 1990s, films featuring Kilmer have grossed over $3.5 billion at the worldwide box-office.
Early life
Kilmer was born December 31, 1959, in Los Angeles, California, the second of three sons to Gladys Swanette (née Ekstadt; 1928–2019) and Eugene Dorris Kilmer (1921–1993). His mother was of Swedish descent. His other ancestry includes English, Irish, Scottish, German and Cherokee roots. His parents divorced in 1968 when he was 8 years old. His mother later married William Bernard Leach in 1970. Kilmer's grandfather was a gold miner in New Mexico, near the border with Arizona. In 1977, Kilmer's younger brother Wesley, who had epilepsy, drowned in a jacuzzi at age 15.
He attended Chatsworth High School with Kevin Spacey. His high school girlfriend was Mare Winningham. He became the youngest person at the time to be accepted into the Juilliard School's Drama Division, where he was a member of Group 10.
