Historical records matching Val Kilmer
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About Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer (December 31, 1959 – April 1, 2025) was 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 was perhaps best-known for playing real-life figures in movies, including Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991), an apparition of Elvis Presley in True Romance (1993), Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993), John H. Patterson in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), John Holmes in Wonderland (2003), and Philip II of Macedon in Alexander (2004) among others. He's also known for his portrayals of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman Forever (1995), Simon Templar in The Saint (1997) and Moses in The Prince of Egypt (1998).
His performances as Chris in Heat (1995) and "Gay Perry" in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) earned him nominations for Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2014, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and subsequently, underwent two tracheotomies.
Kilmer was author of the book I'm Your Huckleberry: A Memoir, published in 2020. In 2021, the documentary Val was released, which covers his life through never-before-seen archive footage materials shot by Kilmer himself.
Kilmer made his final appearance on screen in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, briefly reprising his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky.
Kilmer died of pneumonia on April 1, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
(Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
Family
Parents: Eugene Dorris Kilmer and Gladys Swanette Ekstadt (divorced)
Siblings: second of three sons
Spouse: actress Joanne Whalley (m. 1988; div. 1996)
Children: 2, including Jack Kilmer
Sources
- Val Kilmer, Film Star Who Played Batman and Jim Morrison, Dies at 65. (Published April 1, 2025) < nytimes.com >
- "Val Kilmer." Biography. < link > Accessed 11 November 2011.
- "Val Kilmer." Wikipedia, revision of 28 October 2021. < link > Accessed 2 April 2025.
- "Val Kilmer on the illness that changed his career and life." (2 April 2025). < abc.net.au > "Val", the 2021 documentary directed by his son, Jack Kilmer, is streaming on Prime Video now. < link >
- Reference: Val Kilmer
- Reference: GeneaStar
- Reference: Family Search
- Reference: Find-A-Grave
- "California, Birth Index, 1905-1995", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2B6-YDH : Tue Feb 25 16:33:36 UTC 2025), Entry for Val E Kilmer and Ekstadt, 31 Dec 1959.
- "Arizona, Gila, Payson, Obituaries, 1948-2008", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WQ-VVHR : 26 October 2019), Val Kilmer in entry for William B Leach, 1995. [Val Kilmer's stepfather]
- "United States, Obituary Records, 2014-2023", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:61VP-WNQK : Thu Nov 07 15:27:58 UTC 2024), Entry for Gladys Vidella Ekstadt Leach and Hilma Swanson Ekstadt, 12 June 2019. [Val Kilmer's mother]
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Val Kilmer's Timeline
| 1959 |
December 31, 1959
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Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States
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| 1995 |
June 6, 1995
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Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States
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| 2025 |
April 1, 2025
Age 65
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his home, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States
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Julliard
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