The passing of Val Kilmer, an unexpected luminary of Hollywood, sent ripples through the entertainment industry on Wednesday. According to a report by the New York Times, his daughter revealed that the 65-year-old succumbed to pneumonia at his residence in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Kilmer's journey through the highs and lows of fame, culminating in a remarkable comeback as a Hollywood icon, resembles a fairytale. Once the highest-paid actor of the 1990s, he found himself relegated to the lower echelons of Hollywood by the 2010s.

Val Kilmer's rise to stardom

Kilmer commenced his career with the play Slab Boys in 1983, but it was his supporting role in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, featuring Tom Cruise, that catapulted him to stardom. In 1991, he solidified his status with a memorable portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors. This performance marked the beginning of a series of successful films, including Tombstone, Heat, and Batman Forever, the latter of which confirmed his appeal at the box office. Nevertheless, critics noted that he was somewhat eclipsed by the performances of antagonists Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from the sequel. During a brief period in the mid-1990s, Kilmer held the title of the highest-paid actor globally, surpassing Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, until he was eventually outpaced by Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp.

How Kilmer lost his mojo

The 2000s were a challenging period for Kilmer, marked by a series of unsuccessful films such as Red Planet and Alexander. Additionally, he earned a reputation for being 'difficult' due to conflicts with directors and fellow actors. In a 2003 interview with the Orange County Register, Kilmer remarked, "When some individuals criticize me for being demanding, I perceive it as a way to deflect from their own shortcomings. They seem to be trying to shield themselves." He further asserted, "I consider myself to be challenging rather than demanding, and I do not apologize for that."

When Val Kilmer 'resigned' from Hollywood

By the 2010s, Kilmer had become an infrequent actor, featuring in only a handful of films, primarily those released directly to video. In a 2012 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he discussed his decade-long absence from mainstream Hollywood, expressing a desire to spend more time with his children.

In 2015, he refuted claims that he was suffering from cancer, despite reports suggesting he was facing the illness. However, two years later, he acknowledged that he had 'healed' from it. Nevertheless, the battle with cancer continued, and so did Val Kilmer. He persevered through the disease even as he lost his voice, which was a significant setback for an actor renowned for his vocal performance. Despite this challenge, Kilmer continued to act, utilizing an electric voice box implanted in his trachea. He made an appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot in 2019 and notably reprised his iconic role as Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. This film marked his final on-screen performance, reuniting him with Tom Cruise after 36 years.

In the wake of his passing, numerous tributes highlight the potential paths Val Kilmer might have taken had he possessed Tom Cruise's ambition or Bruce Willis' affinity for blockbuster films. However, it was the combination of his distinctive talent and the lack of those commercial inclinations that set him apart. As he expressed to the Hollywood Reporter in 2012: “I don’t have any regrets. It’s an adage, but it’s kind of true: Once you’re a star, you’re always a star. It’s just, at what level?”

Read Also: Emotional Farewell: Fans Reflect on Val Kilmer’s Last Instagram Post

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